Effects of Deflection on the Sio2 Barrier Layer and Mo Back Electrode of Cu（In,Ga）Se2 Thin-Film Solar Cells on Stainless Steel Substrates

This paper studies the effects of deflection on the SiO2 barrier layer and molybdenum(Mo)back electrode of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin-film solar cells,prepared via magnetron sputtering on type SUS431 stainless steel substrates.The surface micro-cracks and sheet resistance of thin films had been observed and measured for in-situ bend tests.Experimental results show that increasing the thickness of the SiOx barrier has a better property to prevent cracks induced by bending stress.The sheet resistance of a Mo film increases alongside the bending of the curvature radius.The maximum allowed value of the curvature radius of the SiOx barrier layer,molybdenum electrodes,and the thin film CIGS absorbing layer should be 16 mm,20 mm,and 26 mm,respectively.Therefore,the maximum curvature radius limit should be 26 mm or less for CIGS thin-film solar cells prepared via sputtering on type SUS431 stainless steel substrates.     

STUDY ON THE TANTALIZING ON THE SURFACE OF TITANIUM ALLOY BY NET-SHAPE CATHODE GLOW DISCHARGING

A new net-shape cathode sputtering target which has a simple structure and a high sputtering was put forward. The multiple-structure made of alloying and coating layers of tantalum was achieved on the surface of TC4 (Ti6AI4V) using this method in double glow surface alloying process. The tantalized samples were investigated by SEM, XRD and electrochemical corrosion method .Results show the complicated tissue of pure tantalizing layer and diffusion layer was successfully formed on the surface of TC4 with the method of net-shape cathode glow discharge, which further improved the corrosion-resistance of TC4 and formed good corrosion-resistant alloys.     

INVESTIGATION OF PHOTOELECTROCHROMIC THIN FILM AND DEVICE

Photoelectrochromic device is a combination of dye-sensitized solar cells and electrochromic WO3 layers. Ectrochroelmic WO3 layer and TiO2 layer had been prepared by the sol-gel process, then be assembled to pohotoelectrochromic device. The effects of heating temperature on photoelectrochromic were investigated. The results showed that thin films prepared by dip-coating and spin-coating had good film quality and the device made by the method mentioned in the paper had Rood photoelectrochromic properties.     

STRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT AND TEMPERATURE FIELD SIMULATION OF PREPARING NANOPOWDER BY EVAPORATION-CONDENSATION METHOD

A new apparatus, with a segregable conical water cooling condenser, which is heated by an electric arc using the evaporation-condensation method to prepare carbon-coated nanopowder, has been developed by the authors. Numerical simulation of the temperature field is done by the ANSYS software, and temperature in the reaction vessel is measured with the help of an experiment, to verify the simulation result. Influence of the temperature field in the reaction vessel, on the process of preparing nanopowder is then discussed simply. It is shown that the segregable conical water cooling condenser and carbon-coated surface process can be used to prepare steady carbon-coated metal nanopowder, at a lower cost and higher yield rate than the traditional structure. Simulation of the temperature field in the apparatus shows that the arc heating method can form a temperature field in the apparatus, which is quite favorable for nanopowder formation. Experiments show that the rational parameters using this apparatus, with the arc heating method to prepare carbon-coated nanopowder are electricity 60-100 A and arc length 5-8 mm.     

THE PREPARATION AND CHARACTERISTICS STUDY OF TiNxOy SPECTRAL SELECTIVE ABSORBING FILM BY MAGNETRON SPUTTERING

Spectral selective absorbent film is a crucial factor for the solar heating device. There are many kinds of spectral selective absorbing film made by different ways. TiNxOy thin film with excellent spectral selecting absobent property were successfully prepared by DC magnetron sputtering with Ar as working gas, N2 and O2 as reactive gas, 99.9% titanium as the target and is copper slice as the substrate. In this article, the optical characteristics and microstructure of TiNxOy thin film were studied. Inputing O2 can decrease the reflection of the visible lights, and double layer film can get good absorption for solar energy.     

Effect of growth time on morphology and photovoltaic properties of ZnO nanowire array films

Single-crystalline ZnO nanowire arrays with different aspect ratios and nanowire densities were prepared by the hydrothermal growing method using polyethyleneimine (PEI) as a surfactant. PEI can only hinder the lateral growth of the ZnO nanowires, which is observed by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) analysis. Dye-sensitized solar cells were assembled by the ZnO nanowire arrays with different thicknesses, which can be controlled by the growing time and characterized using photocurrent-voltage measurements. Their photocurrent densities and energy allover conversion efficiencies increased with increasing ZnO nanowire lengths. Short-circuit current den-sity of 4.31 mA-cm-2 and allover energy conversion efficiency of 0.87% were achieved with 12.9-μm-long ZnO nanowire arrays.     

Research progress in electron transport layer in perovskite solar cells

Since perovskite solar cells appeared in 2009, its simple preparation process, high photoelectric conversion efficiency and the characteristic of low cost in preparation process let it become the hot spot of both at-home and abroad. Owing to the constant efforts of scientists, the conversion efficiency of perovskite solar cells is more than 20% now. Perovskite solar cells are mainly composed of conductive glass, electron transport layer and hole transport layer, perovskite layer and electrode parts. This paper will briefly introduce the working principle and working process about the electron transport layer of perovskite solar cells. The paper focuses on aspects such as material types(e.g., inorganic electron transport materials, organic small molecule electron transport materials, surface modified electron transport materials and doped electron transport materials), preparation technology of electron transport layer, the effects of electron transport layer on the photovoltaic performance of the devices, and the electron transport layer in the future research.     

Effect of fabrication parameters on the microstructure,in-plane anisotropy and magnetostriction of Fe-Ga thin films

The microstructure,in-plane anisotropy,and magnetic properties of Fe-Ga thin films were investigated by X-ray diffraction analysis,vibrating sample magnetometer,and capacitive cantilever method.The in-plane induced anisotropy is well formed by the applied magnetic field during sputtering,and the anisotropy field Hk decreases with the sputtering power increasing.The coercivity of Fe-Ga thin films decreases with increasing power when the sputtering power is less than 60 W and increases when the power is larger than 60 W.The magnetostriction of the thin films reaches 66 × 10-6 at the sputtering power of 60 W.Excellent Fe-Ga films,which exhibit good field sensitivity,low coercivity and high magnetostriction,have been fabricated at the power of 60 W,and they can be used as the materials of magnetostrictive transducers.     

Effect of annealing treatment on the structural, optical, and electrical properties of Al-doped ZnO thin films

Highly conductive and transparent Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films were prepared from a zinc target containing Al (1.5 wt.%) by direct current (DC) and radio frequency (RF) reactive magnetron sputtering. The structural, optical, and electrical properties of AZO films as-deposited and submitted to annealing treatment (at 300 and 400 ℃, respectively) were characterized using various techniques. The experimental results show that the properties of AZO thin films can be further improved by annealing treatment. The crystallinity of ZnO films improves after annealing treatment. The transmittances of the AZO thin films prepared by DC and RF reactive magnetron sputtering are up to 80% and 85% in the visible region, respectively. The electrical resistivity of AZO thin films prepared by DC reactive magnetron sputtering can be as low as tering have better structural and optical properties than that prepared by DC reactive magnetron sputtering.     

Fabrication of the Coatings for the High-temperature Oxidation Resistance on Hydrogen Resistance Steel

Alumina coating is used to improve the performance of high-temperature oxidation resistance,which can be fabricated on the surface of hydrogen resistance steel by two methods,thermal oxidation of arc ion plated Al coating and reactive magnetron sputtering.Elemental composition,structures and surface morphologies of the coating were analyzed and compared in this paper.The surface of the coatings,which was made by the first method,was composed of α-Al2O3 phase and internal was Fe-Al alloy phase.The Alumina coatings made by the second method were amorphous.In addition,appearances of Alumina coatings fabricated by these two methods were quit different,which were grey and transparent respectively.Both of the two kinds of coatings meet to the needs of high-temperature oxidation resistance.     

Low-Temperature Nitriding by Means of SMAT

The microstructure in the surface layer of iron and steel samples can be refined at the nanometer scale by means of a surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) that generates repetitive severe plastic deformation to the surface layer.The subsequent nitriding kinetics of the as-treated samples with the nanostructured surface layer is greatly enhanced so that the nitriding temperatures can be reduce to 300 ～ 400℃ regions. This enhanced processing method demonstrates both the technological significance of nanomaterials in advancing the traditional processing techniques, and provides a new approach for selective surface reactions in solids. This article reviews the present state of the art in this field. The microstructure and properties of SMAT samples nitrided will be summarized. Further considerations of the development and applications of this new technique will also be presented.     

Theoretical and experimental investigation on giant magnetoresistive materials with amorphous ferromagnetic layer

Pseudo-spin-valve （PSV） sandwiches using amorphous CoNbZr alloy as soft magnetic layer were fabricated by magnetron sputtering. The giant magnetoresistance （GMR） and its dependence on the thickness of magnetic layer were investigated. Anti-parallel magnetization alignments were observed in the samples with very thin CoNbZr thickness （2-4 nm） and a maximum GMR ratio of 6.5% was obtained. The Camley-Barnas semiclassical model was extended for amorphous layer based ：nagnetic sandwiches by considering that the mixed layers exist between the ferromagnetic and nonmagnetic layer. The calculated results agree with the experimental results very well, indicating that the new model gives a more realistic picture of the physical processes that take place in the magnetic sandwiches. Moreover, the calculated results for amorphous sandwiches also clarify that the occurrence of maximum GMR at very small thickness of amorphous layer is ascribed to the short mean-flee-path in amorphous materials.     

Surface Cleaning or Activation？Control of Surface Condition Prior to Thermo-Chemical Heat Treatment

Actual heat treatment processes must face increasing specifications with reference to process quality, safety and results in terms of reproducibility and repeatability. They can be met only if the parts‘ surface condition is controlled during manufacturing and, especially, prior to the treatment. An electrochemical method for the detection of a steel part‘s surface condition is presented, together with results, consequences, and mechanisms concerning surface pre-treatment before the thermochemical process. A steel surface‘s activity or passivity can be detected electrochemically, independently from the chemical background. The selected method was the recording of potential vs. time curves at small constant currents, using a miniaturized electrochemical cell, a (nearly) non-destructive electrolyte and a potentio-galvanostatic setup. The method enables to distinguish types of surface contamination which do not interfere with the thermochemical process, from passive layers which do and must be removed. Whereas some types of passive layers can be removed using conventional cleaning processes and agents, others are so stable that their effects can only be overcome by applying an additional activation pre-treatment, e.g. oxynitriding.     

Development and characterization of vacuum plasma sprayed thin film solid oxide fuel cells

The vacuum plasma spraying (VPS) process allows the production of thin solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) with low internal resistances. This enables the reduction of the cell operating temperature without a significant decrease in power density. Consequently, the long-term stability of the cells can be improved and low-cost materials can be used. Different material combinations and spray parameter variations were applied to develop thin-film SOFCs, which were plasma sprayed in a consecutive deposition process onto different porous metallic substrates. The use of Laval nozzles, which were developed at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and the use of conical F4V standard nozzles enable the fabrication of thin gas tight yttria- and scandia-stabilized ZrO₂ (YSZ and ScSZ) electrolyte layers and of porous electrode layers with high material deposition rates. The optimization of the VPS parameters has been supported by laser doppler anemometry (LDA) investigations. The development of the plasma-sprayed cells with a total thickness of approximately 100 μm requires an overall electrical and electrochemical characterization process of the single layers and of the completely plasma-sprayed cell assembly. The plasma-sprayed cell layers reveal high electrical conductivities. The plasma-sprayed cells show very good electrochemical performance and low internal resistances. Power densities of 300 to 400 mW/cm² at low operating temperatures of 750 to 800 °C were achieved. These cells can be assembled to high performance SOFC stacks with active cell areas up to 400 cm², which can be operated at reduced temperatures and good long-term stability.     

Experimental Investigation on Microstructure and Segregation of Ultrahigh Strength Al-Zn-Mg-Cu-Zr-Sc-Ni Alloy during Homogenization

Ultrahigh strength Al-12Zn-2.4Mg-1.1Cu-0.20Zr-0.30Sc-0.30Ni alloy billets were fabricated by spray deposition method(the Osprey process). The effect of homogenization treatment on the microstructures and tensile properties were investigated by OM, SEM and EDS. The results show that adding small amount of Sc and Zr can greatly refine the grain size of the billet, with the average grain size of 10 μm. Grain-boundary becomes coarser firstly and then thinner under different homogenizing condition and grain coar...     

Fabrication of ceramic layer on an Al-Si alloy by MAO process

The MAO (Micro-Arc Oxidation) process is applied to a eutectic Al-Si alloy (Al-12.0%Si-1.0%Cu-0.9%Mg (mass fraction)). The oxide ceramic layer was fabricated with about 220 (J.m thickness and 3000 Hv micro-hardness. By XRD (X-ray diffractometry) and DSC (differential scanning calorimetry) analyses, the oxide layer consists of amorphous A12O3, which is distinct from the results reported by the other researchers. The SEM photographs of such layer show that the layer is fixed tightly on the substrate alloy. So this alloy can be used in the high temperature and friction environment after it is treated with such process.     

Finite element method simulation of shotpeening wing skin panel

Finite element method(FEM) was used to simulate the forming process of shotpeening the wing skin panel. Experiment of shotpeeing the wing skin panel was carried, out. The results show that equivalent deformation in shotpeening process can be obtained using the elongation and bending result caused by thermal stress that is induced by applying temperature load on the surface of the part. Deformation of the part in the shotpeeing process can be analyzed using this method. The parameters and their relationships are identified.     

Preparation of Single Crystal Copper with Large Diameter and Evolution of Solidification Structure

Single crystal copper with large diameter is prepared in vacuum induction furnace under the protection of argon using downward continuous unidirectional solidification method. The process parameters are determined through the experiments. The effects of the process parameters on solidification structure and surface quality of the single crystal copper with large diameter are investigated. The results show that single crystal copper of Φ16 mm with bright surface can be obtained continuously and stably under ...     

THE STRUCTURE CONTROL OF ALUMINUM FOAMS PRODUCED BY POWDER COMPACTED FOAMING PROCESS

A new technique, powder compact foaming process for the production of aluminum foams has been studied in this article. According to this method, the aluminum powder is mixed with a powder foaming agent (Till2). Subsequent to mixing, the powder blend is hot compacted to obtain a dense semi-finished product. Upon heating to temperatures within the range of the melting point, the foaming agent decomposes to evolve gas and the semi-finished product expands into a porous cellular aluminum. Foaming process is the key in this method. Based on experiments, the foaming characteristics were mainly analyzed and discussed. Experiments show that the aluminum-foam with closed pores and a uniform cell structure of high porosity can be obtained using this method by adjusting the foaming parameters: the content of foaming agent and foaming temperature.     

Effect of coating thickness on microstructures and mechanical properties of C/Cu/Al composites

The different copper coatings with thickness varying from 0.3 lain to 1.5 lain were deposited on carbon fibers using either eleetroless plating or electroplating method. The coated fibers were chopped and composites were fabricated with melting aluminum at 700 ℃. The effect of the copper layer on the microstructure in the system was discussed. The results show that the copper layer has fully reacted with aluminum matrix, and the intermetallic compound CuAl2 forms through SEM observation and XRD, EDX analysis. The results of tensile tests indicate that composites fabricated using carbon fibers with 0.7-1.1 lain copper coating perform best and the composites turn to more brittle as the thickness of copper coating increases. The fracture surface observation exhibits good interface bonding and ductility of the matrix alloy when the thickness of copper coating is about 0.7-1.1 μm.