Improvement of solar cell efficiency by applying Si3N4 nanopattern on glass substrate

A cylindrical Si₃N₄ nanopattern whose heights was 200 nm was fabricated on a glass substrate, and an aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) layer was grown on the nanopatterned glass substrate. The nanopattern was applied to an amorphous silicon solar cell in order to increase the light-scattering effect, thus enhancing the efficiency of the solar cell. The reflectance of the solar cell on the Si₃N₄ nanopattern decreased and its absorption increased. Compared to a flat substrate, the short-circuit current density (J_sc) and conversion efficiency of a solar cell on the Si₃N₄ nanopatterned substrate were improved by 17.9% and 24.2%, respectively, as determined from solar simulator measurements.     

Row-structure stencil planning approaches for E-beam lithography with overlapped characters

Character projection is a key technology to enhance throughput of E-beam lithography, in which characters need to be selected and placed on the stencil. This paper solves the problem of planning for row-structure stencil with overlapped characters and also considers multi-column cell system for further throughput improvement. We first propose an approach that is designed for characters with “regular” left and right blank spaces, which is an integrated framework to solve the subproblems of character selection, row distribution, single-row ordering and post-refinement efficiently. We then present another approach that can optimize stencil planning with general characters. Experiments show that both approaches remarkably outperform the existing methods on different sets of benchmarks. We can achieve significant throughput improvement and remarkable speed-up comparing with previous works.     

UV nanoimprint using flexible polymer template and substrate

Nano to micro-sized patterns were formed on a flexible polymer substrate using a flexible UV imprint stamp. A 6 in. diameter flexible UV nanoimprint template was fabricated using PVC hot embossing and DLC coating. Using the UV nanoimprint process with the DLC coated PVC template, nano to micro-sized patterns were clearly formed on the flexible PET substrate without a residual layer, due to the antistiction properties and high mechanical hardness of the DLC coating. By depositing a Cr layer on the imprinted resist pattern and lifting it off, Cr metal patterns were fabricated on the PET substrate.     

微型薄膜电阻的制备及研究

将具有优异特性的碳纳米管（CNTS）与负性感光胶（SU-8 2002）混合得到复合材料,将不同比例的碳纳米管通过超声工艺分散到SU-8 2002感光胶中,通过UV-LIGA加工工艺,热压处理后实现了微型电阻的快速制备。对复合薄膜电阻的性能进行测试,测试结果表明复合薄膜电阻率随着碳纳米管比例的增加而减小,当碳纳米管的比例为12%时,电阻率减小到0.06 ,复合材料达到逾渗阈值,频率小于1.2GHz时,电阻值的变化范围小于5%,为快速制备微型电阻提供了新的方法。     

Efficiently Releasing the Trapped Energy Flow in White Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes with Multifunctional Nanofunnel Arrays

White organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) hold great promise for applications in displays and lighting due to high efficiency and superior white color balance. However, further improvement in efficiency remains a continuous and urgent demand due to limited energy flow extraction. A powerful method for drastically releasing the trapped energy flow in conventional white OLEDs is demonstrated by implementing unique quasi‐periodic subwavelength nanofunnel arrays (NFAs) via soft nanoimprinting lithography, which is ideal for enhancing light extraction without any spectral distortion or angular dependence. The resulting efficiency is over 2 times that of a conventional OLED used as a comparison. The external quantum efficiency and power efficiency are raised to 32.4% and 56.9 lm W^?1, respectively. Besides, the substantial increase in efficiency over a broad bandwidth with angular color stability, the experimental proofs show that the NFA‐based extraction structure affords the enticing capacity against scrubbing and the self‐cleaning feature, which are critical to the commercial viability in practical applications.     

Future of the Particle Replication in Nonwetting Templates (PRINT) Technology

Particle replication in nonwetting templates (PRINT) is a continuous, roll‐to‐roll, high‐resolution molding technology which allows the design and synthesis of precisely defined micro‐ and nanoparticles. This technology adapts the lithographic techniques from the microelectronics industry and marries these with the roll‐to‐roll processes from the photographic film industry to enable researchers to have unprecedented control over particle size, shape, chemical composition, cargo, modulus, and surface properties. In addition, PRINT is a GMP‐compliant (GMP=good manufacturing practice) platform amenable for particle fabrication on a large scale. Herein, we describe some of our most recent work involving the PRINT technology for application in the biomedical and material sciences.     

Selective separation of trace nickel(II) and gold(I) ions via hollow fiber supported liquid membrane enhanced by synergistic extractants D2EHPA/TBP

This work presents the selective and simultaneous separation of nickel (Ni²⁺) and gold ([Au(CN)₂]⁻) ions, in trace amounts, from alkaline solution via hollow fiber supported liquid membrane (HFSLM) technique. HFSLM is challengingly carried out in real rinse wastewater generated by the ENIG plating process. The influence of various chemical parameters, including the type of extractant and their concentrations, molar ratios of mixed extractant as well as type of strippant, are also studied. The organophosphorus extractant mixtures of D2EHPA and TBP provide a synergistic effect for target Ni²⁺ ions but has an antagonistic effect as regards the extraction of non-target [Au(CN)₂]⁻ ions. Compared to other inorganic acids, HCl is seen to be the most suitable strippant for the selective stripping. Results demonstrate that percentages of extraction and stripping of Ni²⁺ ions achieved 85.7 and 83.2%, respectively. In contrast, percentages of extraction and stripping of non-target [Au(CN)₂]⁻ ions attained 15.6 and 1.94%.     

Scaling Up DNA Origami Lattice Assembly

The surface-assisted hierarchical assembly of DNA origami nanostructures is a promising route to fabricate regular nanoscale lattices. In this work, the scalability of this approach is explored and the formation of a homogeneous polycrystalline DNA origami lattice at the mica-electrolyte interface over a total surface area of 18.75 cm² is demonstrated. The topological analysis of more than 50 individual AFM images recorded at random locations over the sample surface showed only minuscule and random variations in the quality and order of the assembled lattice. The analysis of more than 450 fluorescence microscopy images of a quantum dot-decorated DNA origami lattice further revealed a very homogeneous surface coverage over cm² areas with only minor boundary effects at the substrate edges. At total DNA costs of € 0.12 per cm², this large-scale nanopatterning technique holds great promise for the fabrication of functional surfaces.     

Tuning the phase transition of ZnO thin films through lithography: an integrated bottom‐up and top‐down processing

An innovative approach towards the physico‐chemical tailoring of zinc oxide thin films is reported. The films have been deposited by liquid phase using the sol–gel method and then exposed to hard X‐rays, provided by a synchrotron storage ring, for lithography. The use of surfactant and chelating agents in the sol allows easy‐to‐pattern films made by an organic–inorganic matrix to be deposited. The exposure to hard X‐rays strongly affects the nucleation and growth of crystalline ZnO, triggering the formation of two intermediate phases before obtaining a wurtzite‐like structure. At the same time, X‐ray lithography allows for a fast patterning of the coatings enabling microfabrication for sensing and arrays technology.