A COMPARATIVELY LOW-QUALITY SILICON MATERIAL IMPROVED FOR SOLAR-CELL FABRICATION

A comparatively low-quality silicon wafer (with a purity of almost-equal-to 99.9%) was adopted to form a silicon-on-defect-layer (SODL) structure featuring improved crystalline silicon near the defect layer (DL) by means of proton implantation and subsequent annealing. Thus, the SODL technique provides an opportunity to enable low-quality silicon wafers to be used for fabrication of low-cost solar cells.

Microcrystalline silicon films and tandem solar cells prepared by triode PECVD

This paper investigates the effects of the diphasic structure on the optoelectronic properties of hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (mu c-Si:H) films prepared in a triode three-chamber plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system. The influences of boron-compensation doping on the dark-and photo-conductivity of mu c-Si:H films are also described. A tandem solar cell with an entirely mu c-Si:H p-i-n bottom cell and an a-Si:H top cell has been prepared with an initial conversion efficiency of 8.91% (0.126 cm(2), AM1.5, 100 mW/cm(2)).

Polycrystalline silicon thin films and solar cells prepared by rapid thermal CVD

Polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) films(similar to 10 mu m) were grown from dichlorosilane by a rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition (RTCVD) technique, with a growth rate up to 100 Angstrom/s at the substrate temperature (T-s) of 1030 degrees C. The average grain size and carrier mobility of the films were found to be dependent on the substrate temperature and material. By using the poly-Si films, the first model pn(+) junction solar cell without anti-reflecting (AR) coating has been prepared on an unpolished heavily phosphorus-doped Si wafer, with an energy conversion efficiency of 4.54% (AM 1.5, 100 mW/cm(2), 1 cm(2)).

The cost estimate for a novel cheap solar cell

The estimate for the lowest cost of SODL (silicon on defect layer) solar cell is made according to the price standard of present market. The estimate shows that the PV (photovoltaics) energy costs can be reduced from today's 25-30 cents/(kW h) to 7-8 cents/(kW h) which is comparable with the present cost of electricity generated by traditional energy sources such as fossil and petroleum fuels. The PV energy costs could be reduced to a value lower than 7-8 cents(kW h) by developing SODL technology. The SODL solar cell manufacture featuring simple processes is suitable to large scale automated assembly lines with high yield of large area cells. Some new ideas are suggested, favoring the further reduction in the cost of commercial solar cells.

High efficiency AlxGa1-xAs/GaAs solar cells: Fabrication, irradiation and annealing effect

High efficiency AlxGa1-xAs/GaAs heteroface solar cells have been fabricated by an improved multi-wafer squeezing graphite boat liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) technique, which enables simultaneous growth of twenty 2.3 X 2.3cm(2) epilayers in one run. A total area conversion efficiency of 17.33% is exhibited (1sun, AM0, 2.0 x 2.0cm(2)). The shallow junction cell shows more resistance to 1 MeV electron radiation than the deep one. After isochronal or isothermal annealing the density and the number of deep level traps induced by irradiation are reduced effectively for the solar cells with deep junction and bombardment under high electron fluences.

Preparation and characterization of microencapsulated hexadecane used for thermal energy storage

Polyurea microcapsules about 2.5 mum in diameter containing phase change material for thermal energy storage application were synthesized and characterized by interfacial polycondensation method with toluene-2,4-diisocyanate and ethylenediamine as monomers in an emulsion system. Hexadecane was used as a phase change material and OP, which is nonionic surfactant, and used as an emulsifier. The chemical structure and thermal behavior of the microcapsules were investigated by FTIR and thermal analysis respectively. The results show encapsulated hexadecane has a good potential as a solar energy storage material.

Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells with a High Absorptivity Ruthenium Sensitizer Featuring a 2-(Hexylthio)thiophene Conjugated Bipyridine

We conjugated 2-(hexylthio)thiophene with bipyridine to construct a new heteroleptic polypyridyl ruthenium sensitizer exhibiting a charge-transfer band at 550 nm with a molar extinction coefficient of 18.7 x 10(3) M-1 cm(-1). In contrast to its analogues Z907 and C101, a mesoporous titania film stained with this new sensitizer featured a short light absorption length, allowing for the use of a thin photoactive layer for efficient light-harvesting and conversion of solar energy to electricity. With a preliminary testing, we have reached 11.4% overall power conversion efficiency measured at the air mass 1.5 global conditions. Transient photoelectrical decays and electrical impedance spectra were analyzed to picture the intrinsic physics of temperature-dependent photovoltage and photocurrent.

A Nanomechanical Device Based on Light-Driven Proton Pumps

In this paper, a hybrid device based on a microcantilever interfaced with bacteriorhodopsin (bR) is constructed. The microcantilever, on which the highly oriented bR film is self-assembled, undergoes controllable and reversible bending when the light-driven proton pump protein, bR, on the microcantilever surface is activated by visible light. Several control experiments are carried out to preclude the influence of heat and photothermal effects. It is shown that the nanomechanical motion is induced by the resulting gradient of protons, which are transported from the KCl solution on the cytoplasmic side of the bR film towards the extracellular side of the bR film. Along with a simple physical interpretation, the microfabricated cantilever interfaced with the organized molecular film of bR can simulate the natural machinery in converting solar energy to mechanical energy.

暖温带落叶阔叶混交林能量生态学研究

本文是首篇研究中国暖温带落叶阔叶混交林能量生态学的论文。在文中，笔者以详实的第一手资料从能量环境、能量流动、能量组合以及能量平衡几个方面，全面、系统地阐述、分析了辽东栎林——这一暖温带落叶阔叶混交林典型自然群落代表的能量生态学特征。 在能量环境一章中，笔者从能量流动，能量平衡的角度出发重点研究了辽东栎群落的辐射能量环境特征。笔者以1991-1993年的观测资料为基础，从乔木、灌木和草本三个层次分析了生长季总辐射、散射辐射、直射辐射、反射辐射、净辐射、先合有效辐射、透射辐射、吸收辐射以及乔木层和灌木层反射率的季节动态和日进程特征，并从天文因子、气象因子和群落自身发育特征几方面解释分析了辐射能量环境的这种时空动态特征，同时，分析了这种变化特征对群落能量流动、分配和平衡过程可能产生的影响。 另外，笔者也对群落湿度和风速环境的时空动态特征进行了分析。 在能量流动一章，笔者以1992-1993年的野外实验资料为依据，沿季节动态、月际变化和日进程的时间轴，从群落、乔木层、灌木层、草本层以及各乔、灌木种群的空间尺度详细分析、阐述了太阳辐射能在森林群落内的流动和转化特征，并从能量环境和群落发育的角度解释分析了能量在群落内的这种时空分布和转化特征。所讨论的能流对象包括群落、乔、灌、草各层及各乔、灌木种群的总能流固定量、叶片呼吸耗能量、剩余能流固定量以及沿枯枝落叶流出的能流量。 与分析能流过程同步，笔者从上述的时、空尺度分别以生长季内太阳总辐射和光合有效辐射为基础计算、分析了森林群落的光能转化率特征。 在这一章的最后，笔者概述性地介绍了辽东栎群落的能量平衡特征 在第四章，笔者从能值的角度出发，以能量密度为标准讨论了能量沿群落各层及各乔、灌木种群的积累、分配和组合特征，并讨论了能量流动和光能转化率与热值和能量密度的关系。 辽东栎群落能量生态学的研究不但为了解暖温带落叶阔叶林生态系统的结构和功能，为恢复和重建退化的森林生态系统提供了丰富详实的理论信息，而且，也为山区人工林优化模式的组建提供了理论依据和实践指南。

光系统II反应中心吸能和转能的分子机理研究

全文分两部分，(1)．PsⅡ反应中心色素分子光破坏的分子机理研究;(2)．PSⅡ反应中心原初反应的动力学机理研究。 在第一部分中，在分离纯化的光系统Ⅱ反应中心Dl/D2/Cyt b559复合物中，采用高效液相色谱技术，首次发现PSⅡ反应中心去镁叶绿素分子的光照破坏，研究了去镁叶绿素的光破坏机理，观察到PsⅡ反应中心内部存在一个与光化学活性无关的去镁叶绿素分子，从而提供了PSⅡ反应中心存在两条电子传递链的第一个实验证据，提出了去镁叶绿素对PsⅡ反应中心的光保护假说和光合作用反应中心第二条电子传递支路的光保护假说。用高效液相色谱技术还观察到PSⅡ反应中心的6个叶绿素a分子，有三种不同的存在状态，认为PSl反应中心的最小色素组成为每个反应中心含有4个叶绿素a和2个去镁叶绿素。用光破坏的方法证明PsⅡ原初电子供体P680是由两个叶绿素n分子组成，认为P680是以一个二聚体形式存在，首次发现P680的光破坏过程包含失去中心镁原子的反应。 在第二部分中，用皮秒和飞秒时间分辨光谱技术，在PsⅡ颗粒、PsⅡ核心复合物和PSⅡ反应中心三个层次上，研究了PsⅡ原初反应的动力学性质，着重研究电荷分离和PsⅡ反应中心内部的能量传递过程。结果表明，B-胡萝卜素和P680之间的能量传递时间常数为350p8左右，去镁叶绿素a与P680之间的能量传递时间为lOOp8左右，提出了可能的动力学模型。 在目前分歧最大的原初电荷分离时间常数测定这一焦点问题上，得到的初步结果表明PsⅡ反应中心电荷分离时间为3-3.5pa左右，这一结论与文献上报道的21pa不同，丽倾向于支持国际上3p8的观点。

Characterization of silicon carbide thin films and their use in colour sensor

A series of hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide (a-Si1-xCx:H) films were prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) using a gas mixture of silane, methane, and hydrogen as the reactive source. The previous results show that a high excitation frequency, together with a high hydrogen dilution ratio of the reactive gases, allow an easier incorporation of the carbon atoms into the silicon-rich a-Si1-xCx:H film, widen the valence controllability. The data show that films with optical gaps ranging from about 1.9 to 3.6 eV could be produced. In this work the influence of the hydrogen dilution ratio of the reactive gases on the a-Si1-xCx:H film properties was investigated. The microstuctural and photoelectronic properties of the silicon carbide films were characterized by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), elastic recoil detection analysis (ERDA), and FT-IR spectrometry. The results show that a higher hydrogen dilution ratio enhances the incorporation of silicon atoms in the amorphous carbon matrix for carbon-rich a-Si1-xCx:H films. One pin structure was prepared by using the a-Si1-xCx:H film as the intrinsic layer. The light spectral response shows that this structure fits the requirement for the top junction of colour sensor. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon films with significantly improved stability

A new regime of plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition (PECVD), referred to as "uninterrupted growth/annealing" method, has been proposed for preparation of high-quality hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films. By using this regime, the deposition process no longer needs to be interrupted, as done in the chemical annealing or layer by layer deposition, while the growing surface is continuously subjected to an enhanced annealing treatment with atomic hydrogen created in the hydrogen-diluted reactant gas mixture at a relatively high plasma power. The intensity of the hydrogen plasma treatment is controlled at such a level that the deposition conditions of the resultant films approach the threshold for microcrystal formation. In addition, a low level of B-compensation is used to adjust the position of the Fermi level close to the midgap. Under these conditions, we find that the stability and optoelectronic properties of a-Si:H films have been significantly improved. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Polycrystalline silicon films prepared by improved pulsed rapid thermal annealing

An improved pulsed rapid thermal annealing (PRTA) has been used for the solid-phase crystallization (SPC) of a-Si films prepared by PECVD. The SPC can be completed with time-temperature budgets such as 10 cycles of 60-s 550 degrees C thermal bias/1-s 850 degrees C thermal pulse. The microstructure and surface morphology of the crystallized films are investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results indicate that this PRTA is a suitable post-crystallization technique for fabricating large-area poly-Si films on low-cost substrate. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

High-efficiency GaN-based blue LEDs grown on nano-patterned sapphire substrates for solid-state lighting - art. no. 684103

Nano-patterning sapphire substrates technique has been developed for nitrides light-emitting diodes (LEDs) growths. It is expected that the strain induced by the lattice misfits between the GaN epilayers and the sapphire substrates can be effectively accommodated via the nano-trenches. The GaN epilayers grown on the nano-patterned sapphire substrates by a low-pressure metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) are characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution x-ray diffraction (HRXRD) and photoluminescence (PL) techniques. In comparison with the planar sapphire substrate, about 46% increment in device performance is measured for the InGaN/GaN blue LEDs grown on the nano-patterned sapphire substrates.