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- Kapilashrami, M., et al.
(author)
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Boron Doped diamond films as electron donors in photovoltaics : An X-ray absorption and hard X-ray photoemission study
- 2014
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In: Journal of Applied Physics. - : AIP Publishing. - 0021-8979 .- 1089-7550. ; 116:14, s. 143702-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Highly boron-doped diamond films are investigated for their potential as transparent electron donors in solar cells. Specifically, the valence band offset between a diamond film (as electron donor) and Cu(In,Ga)Se-2 (CIGS) as light absorber is determined by a combination of soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy and hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which is more depth-penetrating than standard soft X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In addition, a theoretical analysis of the valence band is performed, based on GW quasiparticle band calculations. The valence band offset is found to be small: VBO = VBMCIGS -VBMdiamond = 0.3 eV +/- 0.1 eV at the CIGS/Diamond interface and 0.0 eV +/- 0.1 eV from CIGS to bulk diamond. These results provide a promising starting point for optimizing the band offset by choosing absorber materials with a slightly lower valence band maximum.
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| 2. |
- Cheun, H., et al.
(author)
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Polarized optical absorption spectroscopy, NEXAFS, and GIXRD measurements of chain alignment in polyfluorene thin films
- 2008
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In: Macromolecules. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0024-9297 .- 1520-5835. ; 41:17, s. 6463-6472
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The uniaxial chain alignment of low molecular weight poly(9,9-bis(ethylhexyl)fluorene-2,7-diyl) (PF2/6) in thin films cast atop rubbed polyimide templates is characterized by polarized optical absorption spectroscopy, carbon K near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS), and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) in response to thermal annealing and increasing film thickness (ca. 15-150 nm). The highest overall levels of uniaxial alignment are obtained in the thinnest PF2/6 films. However, the orientation of chains at the top surface after thermal annealing is nearly thickness independent despite a large drop in the maximum optical dichroic ratio as the film thickness increases. The kinetics of chain alignment on heating are strongly film thickness dependent and only weakly correlated with a crossover to a nematic liquid crystal state. All told these data support a structural model in which there is a graded morphology such that the top and bottom surfaces exhibit appreciable planar, uniaxial alignment while the film interior includes a greater proportion of nomplanar (i.e., tilted) chains after thermal cycling. These inhomogeneities are likely to influence technologically important optical and transport properties.
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| 3. |
- Kronawitter, C. X., et al.
(author)
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Titanium incorporation into hematite photoelectrodes : theoretical considerations and experimental observations
- 2014
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In: Energy & Environmental Science. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 1754-5692 .- 1754-5706. ; 7:10, s. 3100-3121
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A theoretical and experimental perspective on the role of titanium impurities in hematite (alpha-Fe2O3) nanostructured photoelectrodes for solar fuel synthesis devices is provided. Titanium incorporation is a known correlate to efficiency enhancement in alpha-Fe2O3 cc photoanodes for solar water oxidation; here the relevant literature and the latest advances are presented and various proposed mechanisms for enhancement are contrasted. Available experimental evidence suggests that Ti incorporation increases net electron carrier concentrations in electrodes, most likely to the extent that (synthesis-dependent) charge compensating cation vacancies are not present. However, electron conductivity increases alone cannot quantitatively account for the large associated photoelectrochemical performance enhancements. The magnitudes of the effects of Ti incorporation on electronic and magnetic properties appear to be highly synthesis-dependent, which has made difficult the development of consistent and general mechanisms explaining experimental and theoretical observations. In this context, we consider how the electronic structure correlates with Ti impurity incorporation in alpha-Fe2O3 a from the perspective of synchrotron-based soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements. Measurements are performed on sets of electrodes fabricated by five relevant and unrelated chemical and physical techniques. The effects of titanium impurities are reflected in the electronic structure through several universally observed spectral characteristics, irrespective of the synthesis techniques. Absorption spectra at the oxygen K-edge show that Ti incorporation is associated with new oxygen 2p-hybridized states, overlapping with and distorting the known unoccupied Fe 3d-O 2xp band of alpha-Fe2O3. This is an indication of mixing of Ti s and d states in the conduction band of alpha-Fe2O3. cc A comparison of spectra obtained with electron and photon detection shows that the effects of Ti incorporation on the conduction band are more pronounced in the near-surface region. Titanium L-2,L-3-edge absorption spectra show that titanium is incorporated into alpha-Fe2O3 as Ti4+ by all fabrication methods, with no long-range titania order detected. Iron L-2,L-3-edge absorption spectra indicate that Ti incorporation is not associated with the formation, of any significant concentrations of Fe2+, an observation common to many prior studies on this material system.
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