• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.08a
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• pp.189-189
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• 2012

Lead sulfide (PbS) nanocrystal quantum dots (NQDs) are promising materials for various optoelectronic devices, especially solar cells, because of their tunability of the optical band-gap controlled by adjusting the diameter of NQDs. PbS is a IV-VI semiconductor enabling infrared-absorption and it can be synthesized using solution process methods. A wide choice of the diameter of PbS NQDs is also a benefit to achieve the quantum confinement regime due to its large Bohr exciton radius (20 nm). To exploit these desirable properties, many research groups have intensively studied to apply for the photovoltaic devices. There are several essential requirements to fabricate the efficient NQDs-based solar cell. First of all, highly confined PbS QDs should be synthesized resulting in a narrow peak with a small full width-half maximum value at the first exciton transition observed in UV-Vis absorbance and photoluminescence spectra. In other words, the size-uniformity of NQDs ought to secure under 5%. Second, PbS NQDs should be assembled carefully in order to enhance the electronic coupling between adjacent NQDs by controlling the inter-QDs distance. Finally, appropriate structure for the photovoltaic device is the key issue to extract the photo-generated carriers from light-absorbing layer in solar cell. In this step, workfunction and Fermi energy difference could be precisely considered for Schottky and hetero junction device, respectively. In this presentation, we introduce the strategy to obtain high performance solar cell fabricated using PbS NQDs below the size of the Bohr radius. The PbS NQDs with various diameters were synthesized using methods established by Hines with a few modifications. PbS NQDs solids were assembled using layer-by-layer spin-coating method. Subsequent ligand-exchange was carried out using 1,2-ethanedithiol (EDT) to reduce inter-NQDs distance. Finally, Schottky junction solar cells were fabricated on ITO-coated glass and 150 nm-thick Al was deposited on the top of PbS NQDs solids as a top electrode using thermal evaporation technique. To evaluate the solar cell performance, current-voltage (I-V) measurement were performed under AM 1.5G solar spectrum at 1 sun intensity. As a result, we could achieve the power conversion efficiency of 3.33% at Schottky junction solar cell. This result indicates that high performance solar cell is successfully fabricated by optimizing the all steps as mentioned above in this work.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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• pp.334-334
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• 2013

In the past decade, the infrared detectors based on intersubband transition in quantum dots (QDs) have attracted much attention due to lower dark currents and increased lifetimes, which are in turn due a three-dimensional confinement and a reduction of scattering, respectively. In parallel, focal plane array development for infrared imaging has proceeded from the first to third generations (linear arrays, 2D arrays for staring systems, and large format with enhanced capabilities, respectively). For a step further towards the next generation of FPAs, it is envisioned that a two-dimensional metal hole array (2D-MHA) structures will improve the FPA structure by enhancing the coupling to photodetectors via local field engineering, and will enable wavelength filtering. In regard to the improved performance at certain wavelengths, it is worth pointing out the structural difference between previous 2D-MHA integrated front-illuminated single pixel devices and back-illuminated devices. Apart from the pixel linear dimension, it is a distinct difference that there is a metal cladding (composed of a number of metals for ohmic contact and the read-out integrated circuit hybridization) in the FPA between the heavily doped gallium arsenide used as the contact layer and the ROIC; on the contrary, the front-illuminated single pixel device consists of two heavily doped contact layers separated by the QD-absorber on a semi-infinite GaAs substrate. This paper is focused on analyzing the impact of a two dimensional metal hole array structure integrated to the back-illuminated quantum dots-in-a-well (DWELL) infrared photodetectors. The metal hole array consisting of subwavelength-circular holes penetrating gold layer (2DAu-CHA) provides the enhanced responsivity of DWELL infrared photodetector at certain wavelengths. The performance of 2D-Au-CHA is investigated by calculating the absorption of active layer in the DWELL structure using a finite integration technique. Simulation results show the enhanced electric fields (thereby increasing the absorption in the active layer) resulting from a surface plasmon, a guided mode, and Fabry-Perot resonances. Simulation method accomplished in this paper provides a generalized approach to optimize the design of any type of couplers integrated to infrared photodetectors.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.342-347
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• 2012

The optical properties of InAs quantum dots (QDs) grown on a GaAs substrates by migration enhanced molecular beam epitaxy method have been investigated by using photoluminescence (PL) and time-resolved PL measurements. The luminescence properties of InAs/GaAs QDs have been studied as functions of temperature, excitation laser power, and emission wavelength. The PL peak of InAs QDs capped with $In_{0.15}Ga_{0.85}As$ layer (QD2) measured at 10 K is redshifted about 80 nm compared with that of InAs QDs with no InGaAs layer (QD1). This redshift of QD2 is attributed to the increase in dot size due to the diffusion of In from the InGaAs capping layer. The PL decay times of QD1 and QD2 at 10 K are 1.12 and 1.00 ns taken at the PL peak of 1,117 and 1,197 nm, respectively. The reduced decay time of QD2 can be explained by the improved carrier confinement and enhanced wave function overlap due to increased QD size. The PL decay times for both QD1 and QD2 are independent on the emission wavelength, indicating the uniformity of dot size.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.08a
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• pp.293-294
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• 2011

It is known that semiconductor quantum-dot (QD) heterostructures have superior zero-dimensional quantum confinement, and they have been successfully applied to semiconductor laser diodes (QDLDs) for optical communication and infrared photodetectors (QDIPs) for thermal images [1]. The self-assembled QDs are normally formed at Stranski-Krastanov (S-K) growth mode utilizing the accumulated strain due to lattice-mismatch existing at heterointerfaces between QDs and cap layers. In order to increase the areal density and the number of stacks of QDs, recently, sub-monolayer (SML)-thick QDs (SQDs) with reduced strain were tried by equivalent thicknesses thinner than a wetting layer (WL) existing in conventional QDs (CQDs) by S-K mode. Despite that it is very different from CQDs with a well-defined WL, the SQD structure has been successfully applied to QDIP[2]. In this study, optical characteristics are investigated by using photoluminescence (PL) spectra taken from self-assembled InAs/GaAs QDs whose coverage are changing from submonolayer to a few monolayers. The QD structures were grown by using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on semi-insulating GaAs (100) substrates, and formed at a substrate temperature of 480$^{\circ}C$ followed by covering GaAs cap layer at 590$^{\circ}C$. We prepared six 10-period-stacked QD samples with different InAs coverages and thicknesses of GaAs spacer layers. In the QD coverage below WL thickness (~1.7 ML), the majority of SQDs with no WL coexisted with a small amount of CQDs with a WL, and multi-peak spectra changed to a single peak profile. A transition from SQDs to CQDs was found before and after a WL formation, and the sublevel of SQDs peaking at (1.32${\pm}$0.1) eV was much closer to the GaAs bandedge than that of CQDs (~1.2 eV). These revealed that QDs with no WL could be formed by near-ML coverage in InAs/GaAs system, and single-mode SQDs could be achieved by 1.5 ML just below WL that a strain field was entirely uniform.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.33-36
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• 2009

고효율 양자점 태양전지를 위하여 $Si_{1-x}C_x$ 박막 내에 Si 양자점을 형성한 박막을 제작하고 그 특성을 분석하였다. $Si_{1-x}C_x$ 박막은 Si과 C target을 co-sputtering하여 증착하였다. C target의 RF power를 변화시켜 $Si_{1-x}C_x$ 박막의 조성비를 조절하였으며, 조성비는 auger electron spectroscopy로 정량적으로 측정하였다. 이 박막들을 질소 분위기에서 후 열처리하여 high resolution transmittance electron microscopy로 확인한 결과 박막 내에 2~10nm 크기의 양자점이 형성된 것을 관측할 수 있었다. 이 양자점은 transmittance electron diffraction과 grazing incident X-ray diffraction을 통해 Si 양자점과 SiC 양자점이 형성되었음을 알 수 있었다. Raman 측정 결과에서는 후 열처리한 $Si_{1-x}C_x$ 박막의 조성비가 증가할 수록 crystal Si peak의 shift가 증가함을 알 수 있었고, 이를 통해 양자점의 크기도 함께 계산할 수 있었다. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy을 통해 후 열처리한 Si1-xCx 박막의 양자점의 형성 원인을 추정하였다.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.90-95
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• 2019

Methylammonium lead bromide ($MAPbBr_3$) has attracted a lot of attention due to their excellent optoelectronic properties such as the compositional flexibility relevant to photoluminescence (PL) and UV-Vis absorbance spectrum, high diffusion length, and photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY). Despite such advantages of organic-inorganic perovskite materials, more systematic study on manipulation of their optoelectronic properties in homo- or heterovalent metal ions doped halide perovskite nanocrystals is lacking. In this study, we systematically investigated the optical properties of colloidal $CH_3NH_3Pb_{1-x}Sn_xCl_{2x}Br_{3-2x}$ particles by addition of $SnCl_2$ into the typical methylammonium lead tribromide ($CH_3NH_3PbBr_3$) precursor solution. We found that only 1% addition of $SnCl_2$ shows a significant blue-shift from 540 nm to 420 nm in UV-Vis absorbance spectrum due to the strong quantum confinement effect. Furthermore, continuous blue-shift in photoluminescence spectra was observed as the amount of Cl increases. These experimental results provide new insights into the replacement of Pb within $MAPbBr_3$, required for the broadening of their application.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2023

Driven by the scaling down of transistor node technology, graphene became of interest to many researchers following the success of its fabrication as graphene nanoribbons (GNRs). However, during the fabrication of GNRs, it is not uncommon to have defects within the GNR structures. Scaling down node technology also changes the modelling approach from the classical Boltzmann transport equation to the quantum transport theory because the quantum confinement effects become significant at sub-10 nanometer dimensions. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of Stone-Wales defects on the electronic properties of GNRs using a tight-binding model, based on Non-Equilibrium Green's Function (NEGF) via numeric computation methods using MATLAB. Armchair and zigzag edge defects are also implemented in the GNR structures to mimic the practical fabrication process. Electronic properties of pristine and defected GNRs of various lengths and widths were computed, including their band structure and density of states (DOS). The results show that Stone-Wales defects cause fluctuation in the band structure and increase the bandgap values for both armchair GNRs (AGNRs) and zigzag GNRs (ZGNRs) at every simulated width. In addition, Stone-Wales defects reduce the numerical computation DOS for both AGNRs and ZGNRs. However, when the lengths of the structures increase with fixed widths, the effect of the Stone-Wales defects become less significant.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.893-899
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• 2024

In a secondary cooling system of a sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR), rapid detection of hydrogen due to sodium-water reaction (SWR) caused by water leakage from a heat exchanger tube of a steam generator (SG) is important in terms of safety and property protection of the SFR. For hydrogen detection, the hydrogen detectors using atomic transmission phenomenon of hydrogen within Ni-membrane were used in Japanese proto-type SFR "Monju". However, during the plant operation, detection signals of water leakage were observed even in the situation without SWR concerning temperature up and down in the cooling system. For this reason, the study of a new hydrogen detector has been carried out to improve stability, accuracy and reliability. In this research, the authors focus on the difference in composition of hydrogen and the difference between the background hydrogen under normal plant operation and the one generated by SWR and theoretically estimate the hydrogen behavior in liquid sodium by using ultra-accelerated quantum chemical molecular dynamics (UA-QCMD). Based on the estimation, dissolved H or NaH, rather than molecular hydrogen (H₂), is the predominant form of the background hydrogen in liquid sodium in terms of energetical stability. On the other hand, it was found that hydrogen molecules produced by the sodium-water reaction can exist stably as a form of a fine bubble concerning some confinement mechanism such as a NaH layer on their surface. At the same time, we observed experimentally that the fine H₂ bubbles exist stably in the liquid sodium, longer than previously expected. This paper describes the comparison between the theoretical estimation and experimental results based on hydrogen form in sodium in the development of the new hydrogen detector in Japan.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.85.2-85.2
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• 2016

With the advent of ultra-short high-intense XFEL (X-ray Free Electron Laser), time-resolved dynamics has become of great importance in exploring femtosecond real-world phenomena of nanoscience and biology. These include studying the response of materials to femtosecond laser excitation and investigating the interaction of XFEL itself with condensed matter. A variety of dynamic phenomena have been investigated such as radiation damage, ultrafast melting process, non-equilibrium phase transitions caused by orbital-lattice-spin couplings. As far as bulk materials are concerned, the sample size has no effect on the following dynamic process. As a result, imaging information is not required by and large. If the sample size is of tens of nanometers, however, sample starts to experience quantum confinement effect which, in turn, affects the following dynamic process. Therefore, to understand the fundamental dynamic phenomena in nano-science, time-resolved imaging information is essential. In this talk, we will briefly introduce scientific highlights achieved in XFEL-based dynamics. In case of bio-imaging, recent scientific topics will be mentioned as well. Finally, we will aim to present feasible topics in ultrafast time-resolved imaging and to discuss the future plan of CXI beamline at PAL-XFEL.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.323-333
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• 2005

Effects of gases to growth of $SiO_2$ nanowires were characterized. $N_2$, Ar, and $O_2$ gas's effect were determined. $SiO_2$ nanowires growth scheme was varied by kind and flow rates of gases because of amounts of $O_2$. Flow rates of gases and kind of substrates affected nanowires' diameters, lengths and morphologies of grown nano wires. With increasing flow rates of gases, nanowire's diameter increased because of additional VS and SLS reactions. By TEM characterization, We knows that, grown $SiO_2$ nanowires on Si substrate showed two shell structures. These shapes of nanowires were formed by reaction of additional SLS growth. Grown $SiO_2$ nanowires showed blue luminescence by PL characterization These Blue luminescence was due to quantum confinement effect and oxygen vacancies in the nanowires.