Optimization of organic solar cells with thin film Au as anode

Optical transmittance and conductivity for thin metallic films, such as Au, are two inversely related and extremely important parameters for its application in organic photovoltaics as the front electrode. We report our findings on how these parameters have been optimized to attain maximum possible efficiencies by fabricating organic solar cells with thin Au film anodes of differing optical transmittances and consequently due to scaling at the nanolevel, varying electrical conductivities. There was an extraordinary improvement in the overall solar cell efficiency (to the order of 49%) when the Au thin film transmittance was increased from 38% to 54%. Surface morphologies of these thin films also have an effect on the critical parameters including, Voc, Jsc and FF.

Organic photovoltaics using thin gold film as an alternative anode to indium tin oxide

Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) is the most commonly used anode as a transparent electrode and more recently as an anode for organic photovoltaics (OPVs). However, there are significant drawbacks in using ITO which include high material costs, mechanical instability including brittleness and poor electrical properties which limit its use in low-cost flexible devices. We present initial results of poly(3-hexylthiophene): phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester OPVs showing that an efficiency of 1.9% (short-circuit current 7.01 mA/cm2, open-circuit voltage 0.55 V, fill factor 0.49) can be attained using an ultra thin film of gold coated glass as the device anode. The initial I-V characteristics demonstrate that using high work function metals when the thin film is kept ultra thin can be used as a replacement to ITO due to their greater stability and better morphological control.

Stable organic photovoltaics using Ag thin film anodes

The interaction at the interface between a metal electrode and photoactive polymer is crucial for overall performance and stability of organic photovoltaics (OPVs). In this article, we report a comparative study of the stability of thin film Ag and indium tin oxide (ITO) as electrodes when used in conjunction with an interfacial PEDOT:PSS layer for P3HT:PCBM blend OPV devices. XPS measurements were taken for Ag and ITO/PEDOT:PSS layered samples with different exposure times to ambient conditions (∼25 °C, ∼50% relative humidity) to investigate the migration of Ag and In into the PEDOT:PSS layer. The change in efficiency of OPVs with a longer exposure time and degree of migration is explained by the analysis of XPS results. We propose the mechanism behind the interactions occurring at the interfaces. The efficiency of the ITO electrode OPVs continuously decreased to below 10% of the initial efficiency. However, the Ag devices displayed a slower degradation and maintained 50% of the initial efficiency for the same period of time.

Effects of metal ion concentration on electrodeposited CuZnSn film and its application in kesterite Cu2ZnSnS4solar cells

In this study, effects of concentrations of Cu(II), Zn(II) and Sn(II) ions in the electrolytic bath solution on the properties of electrochemically deposited CuZnSn (CZT) films were investigated. Study of the composition of a CZT film has shown that the metallic content (relative atomic ratio) in the film increased linearly with increase in the metal ion concentration. It is the first time that the relationship of the compositions of the alloy phases in the co-electrodeposited CZT film with the concentration of metal ions has been revealed. The results have confirmed that the formation and content of Cu6Sn5 and Cu5Zn8 alloy phases in the film were directly controlled by the concentration of Cu(II). SEM measurements have shown that Sn(II) has significant impact on film morphology, which became more porous as a result of the larger nucleation size of tin. The changes in the surface properties of the films was also confirmed by chronoamperometry characteristic (i–t) deposition curves. By optimization of metal ion concentrations in the electrolyte solution, a copper-poor and zinc-rich kesterite Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) film was synthesized by the sulfurization of the deposited CZT film. The solar cell with the CZTS film showed an energy conversion efficiency of 2.15% under the illumination intensity of 100 mW cm 2.

Shine: Copyright law and film

This article looks at the various experiences of the film-makers involved in Shine in relation to copyright policy and litigation. Part 1 considers the involvement of Jan Sardi in the campaign to get screenwriters included in the moral rights regime in the film industry. Part 2 recounts the efforts of Scott Hicks to push for directors to acquire royalties under the retransmission scheme in the Copyright Amendment (Digital Agenda) Act 2000 (Cth). Part 3 discusses the contractual dispute between independent producer Jane Scott and the distributor over the gross receipts to the film Shine. Part 4 explores the disputes over the use of Sergei Rachmaninov's music in the film Shine.

Introduction to "International Perspectives on Business Innovation and Disruption in the Creative Industries Film, Video and Photography"

The creative industries are particularly fecund empirical fields for investigating the processes of business innovation and disruption. The creative industries are some of the fastest growing sectors in many economies (European Commission, 2001; OECD, 2006; United States Census Bureau, 2010) and thus are worthy of study in their own right. Additionally, the study of the creative industries affords insights into how we understand the current economic transformation towards knowledge- based economies more broadly. The transformation toward knowledge- based economies has been foreshadowed by the transformation of creative industries such as publishing, film, video, photography, music and so on...

(Un)dead Japan: A genre analysis of the Japanese zombie film

This study is an in-depth examination of the stylistic and generic characteristics of the Japanese zombie film and its relations to Japanese horror cinema and the conventions and tropes of Western zombie movies more generally. Through generic analysis of key Japanese zombie films released over the last 15 years, this study establishes the sub-genre's ties to transnational production practices and cult cinema. The first monograph length study of this kind, this study provides insight into the growing sub-genre of Japanese zombie films while concurrently broadening current scholarship and understanding of the zombie film genre.

When film, fashion & interiors collide: Designing the After Darkly Graduate Fashion Show

In 2013 QUT Interior Design and Fashion Disciplines partnered to design the Catwalk for the QUT After Darkly Graduate Fashion Show. The ephemeral work (catwalk canopy and cinematic affects) was developed through collaboration between the authors based upon an undergraduate interior design unit ‘Filmic Interiors’ in which students were tasked with designing a fashion show. Filmic Interiors exploited the potential of film to influence, understand, and develop novel interior spaces through consideration of mise-en-scene, cinematic effects and atmospheric design strategies engaged by key film directors Jean Pierre Jeunet and Darren Aronofsky. The design outcome represents a hybridisation of student design proposals, contemplating both film and emerging collections from graduate fashion students. The work explored a number of iterations each testing material qualities and immaterial cinematic affects, as a means to develop new space. The process was led by experimentation undertaken by the designers through previous studio explorations surrounding the theme of ‘Strange Space’ and design practice ‘Making Strange’(Lindquist & Pytel, 2012). In doing so, the work paralleled the material formations of ‘obsessive collections’ and ‘making do’ evident in Jeunet’s scenography, rendering uncanny hybrid space (Ezra, 2008). Evocation of the immaterial found in much of director Aronofsky’s work, also became critical in the atmospheric experience intended for the show. This paper explores the process of collaboration and material experimentation in design, approached through a filmic lens. It provides insight into what happens when one enters into what can be termed an ‘ecology of production’, whereby the experimental making becomes the collaborative agent between designers, disciplines, and between stage and spectators. Finally it underlines the importance of ‘finding the work’ through material making and testing rather than through more controlled formalistic responses.

Secret Squirrel Stuff in the Australian Curriculum English: The genesis of the ‘new’ grammar

In much the same way that a squirrel stores a range of food in a range of places, the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority’s (ACARA) Australian Curriculum: English (ACARA, 2015) stores references to grammar in a range of places. This paper explores some seemingly ‘hidden’ grammars within the AC:E to (re)discover their genesis and how they unfold across Foundation to Year 6. The first ‘Secret Squirrel’ moment centres on the introduction of a new grammar which weaves traditional Latin-based and Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) theory. The second ‘Secret Squirrel’ moment centres on the use of one sub-system of SFL Theory, the System of Appraisal, and its potential to provide an analytical lens for ‘reading’ the interpersonal meaning within narratives. The remainder of the paper draws on Goodson’s (1990) notion of curriculum as a social construction, paying attention to the levels of processes and (potential) practice. This part of the paper focuses on the System of Appraisal as it is introduced in the AC:E and then translates the Content Descriptions to an example analysis. One stimulus text, Melanie Watt’s (2012) children’s picture book ‘Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach’, is introduced then analysed using the System of Appraisal as an analytical lens for identifying how language choices ‘go to work’ (Macken-Horarik, 2003, p. 285) on readers, that is how Watt’s language choices are crafted so a ‘compliant’ child reader (Martin & White, 2005, p. 62) has the opportunity to ‘feel with’ and thus ‘adjudicate’ the behaviour of characters in particular ways (Macken-Horarik, 2003, p. 285).

China, film coproduction and soft power competition

This thesis investigates China's film internationalism and coproduction strategy based on three cases: Hong Kong and China film coproduction; US and China without any state-level agreements; Australia and China based on an official coproduction treaty. It investigates the evolution of coproduction in the film industry, the process of coproduction, foreign film companies' strategies of adjustment to state policies, and the culture and complexities that hinder coproduction. It surveys the current environment for China film coproduction and investigates the degree to which film coproduction has been - to this stage - a contributor to China's global cultural presence – its soft power.

Thermal extrusion of starch film with alcohol

A one-step thermal extrusion process has been investigated for the modification of starch with alcohol in order to improve the film properties. Unmodified starch/glycerol mixtures containing Methanol (MetOH), ethanol (EtOH) and their combinations (5, 10 and 15 wt%) were thermally extruded to produce thermoplastic. The final hot-pressed film showed increased stiffness and crystallinity, while having decreased moisture uptake due to oxidation and alcohol complexing molecular interactions. The Young’s Modulus, tensile strength and elongation at break increased by 60%, 15% and 32% respectively, for 5 wt% MetOH derived film, compared to the control. The film moisture content was reduced by up to 15 wt% for 5 wt% EtOH-derived film. Generally the crystallinity increased in the alcohol-derived films due to an increased complexing of alcohol with starch forming the VH polymorph. Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1HNMR) spectroscopic analysis were used to discuss the molecular interactions between the starch and alcohol molecules.

Water bottles from China: Decoding visual grammar

On the ALEA Study Tour to China, Beryl Exley and her roomie Kathryn O’Sullivan pondered over their first night dilemma whilst staying at a hotel in Beijing. They read the room service guide (in English) which advised against drinking the tap water and confirming the supply of one bottle of complementary water per guest per day. The room service guide listed ‘special’ bottled water was the equivalent of $AUS7 per bottle. However the dilemma was this: sitting on the shelf above the fridge were three different kinds of water-like bottles. Each had a different label, written mainly in Chinese characters. Not wanting to mistake the bottles, Beryl and Kathryn set about decoding the text of the three bottles in question.

The effect of polyterpenol thin film surfaces on bacterial viability and adhesion

The nanometer scale surface topography of a solid substrate is known to influence the extent of bacterial attachment and their subsequent proliferation to form biofilms. As an extension of our previous work on the development of a novel organic polymer coating for the prevention of growth of medically significant bacteria on three-dimensional solid surfaces, this study examines the effect of surface coating on the adhesion and proliferation tendencies of Staphylococcus aureus and compares to those previously investigated tendencies of Pseudomonas aeruginosa on similar coatings. Radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition was used to coat the surface of the substrate with thin film of terpinen-4-ol, a constituent of tea-tree oil known to inhibit the growth of a broad range of bacteria. The presence of the coating decreased the substrate surface roughness from approximately 2.1 nm to 0.4 nm. Similar to P. aeruginosa, S. aureus presented notably different patterns of attachment in response to the presence of the surface film, where the amount of attachment, extracellular polymeric substance production, and cell proliferation on the coated surface was found to be greatly reduced compared to that obtained on the unmodified surface. This work suggests that the antimicrobial and antifouling coating used in this study could be effectively integrated into medical and other clinically relevant devices to prevent bacterial growth and to minimize bacteria-associated adverse host responses.

Elevated levels of PFOS and PFHxS in firefighters exposed to aqueous film forming foam (AFFF)

Exposure to aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) was evaluated in 149 firefighters working at AFFF training facilities in Australia by analysis of PFOS and related compounds in serum. A questionnaire was designed to capture information about basic demographic factors, lifestyle factors and potential occupational exposure (such as work history and self-reported skin contact with foam). The results showed that a number of factors were associated with PFAA serum concentrations. Blood donation was found to be linked to low PFAA levels, and the concentrations of PFOS and PFHxS were found to be positively associated with years of jobs with AFFF contact. The highest levels of PFOS and PFHxS were one order of magnitude higher compared to the general population in Australia and Canada. Study participants who had worked ten years or less had levels of PFOS that were similar to or only slightly above those of the general population. This coincides with the phase out of 3M AFFF from all training facilities in 2003, and suggests that the exposures to PFOS and PFHxS in AFFF have declined in recent years. Self-reporting of skin contact and frequency of contact were used as an index of exposure. Using this index, there was no relationship between PFOS levels and skin exposure. This index of exposure is limited as it relies on self-report and it only considers skin exposure to AFFF, and does not capture other routes of potential exposure. Possible associations between serum PFAA concentrations and five biochemical outcomes were assessed. The outcomes were serum cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoproteins, low density lipoproteins, and uric acid. No statistical associations between any of these endpoints and serum PFAA concentrations were observed.

Instrument for simultaneous assessment of tear film surface quality and subjective vision

To develop and test a custom-built instrument to simultaneously assess tear film surface quality (TFSQ) and subjective vision score (SVS).