Nanocrystalline indium tin oxide fabricated via sol-gel combustion for electrochemical luminescence cells

Nanoporous indium tin oxide (ITO) was synthesized via a sol-gel combustion hybrid method using Ketjenblack as a fuel. The effects of the sol-gel combustion conditions on the structures and morphology of the ITO particles were studied. The size of the nanoporous powder was found to be 20-30 nm in diameter. The layer of the nanoporous ITO electrode (-10 microm thickness) with large surface area (-360 m2/g) was fabricated for an electrochemical luminescence (ECL) cell. At 4 V bias, the ECL efficiency of the cell consisting of the nanoporous ITO layer was approximately 1050 cd/m2, which is significantly higher than the cell using only the FTO electrode (450 cd/m2). The nanoporous ITO layer was effective in increasing the ECL intensities.     

Effects of thermal treatment on the electrical and optical properties of silver-based indium tin oxide/metal/indium tin oxide structures

In this article, we report the results of the study of thermal treatment effects on the electrical and optical properties of silver-based indium tin oxide/metal/indium tin oxide (IMI) multilayer films. Heat treatment conditions such as temperature and gaseous atmosphere was varied to obtain better electrical and optical properties. We obtained improved electrical properties and observed considerable shift in the transmittance curves after heat treatment. Several analytical tools such as X-ray diffraction, spectroscopic ellipsometer and spectrophotometer were used to explore the causes of the changes in electrical and optical properties. The sheet resistance of the structure was severely influenced by deposition conditions of the indium tin oxide (ITO) layer at the top. Moreover, the shift of optical transmittance could be explained on the basis of the change in refractive indices of ITO layers during heat treatment. The properties of Ag-alloy-based IMI films were compared with those of pure Ag-based ones. Some defects originating from Ag layer corrosion were observed on the surface of ITO-pure Ag–ITO structures, however, their number decreased significantly in the cases of Ag-alloys containing Pd, Au and Cu, though the resistivity values of Ag-alloys were slightly higher than those of silver. Atomic force microscopy measurement results revealed that the surface of the IMI multilayer was so smooth that it meets the required qualifications as the bottom electrode of organic light emitting diodes.     

Dry-spray deposition of TiO2 for a flexible dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) using a nanoparticle deposition system (NPDS)

TiO2 powders were deposited on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates for application to the photoelectrode of a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). In the conventional DSSC manufacturing process, a semiconductor oxide such as TiO2 powder requires a sintering process at higher temperature than the glass transition temperature (T(g)) of polymers, and thus utilization of flexible polymer substrates in DSSC research has been constrained. To overcome this restriction related to sintering, we used a nanoparticle deposition system (NPDS) that could produce a thin coating layer through a dry-spray method under atmospheric pressure at room temperature. The powder was sprayed through a slit-type nozzle having a 0.4 x 10 mm2 rectangular outlet. In order to determine the deposited TiO2 thickness, five kinds of TiO2 layered specimens were prepared, where the specimens have single and double layer structures. Deposited powders on the ITO coated PET substrates were observed using FE-SEM and a scan profiler The thicker TiO2 photoelectrode with a DSSC having a double layer structure showed higher energy efficiency than the single layer case. The highest fabricated flexible DSSC displayed a short circuit current density J(sc) = 1.99 mA cm(-2), open circuit voltage V(oc) = 0.71 V, and energy efficiency eta = 0.94%. These results demonstrate the possibility of utilizing the dry-spray method to fabricate a TiO2 layer on flexible polymer substrates at room temperature under atmospheric pressure.     

Growth of optically active multilayer metal oxide films on a plastic substrate

An optically active ITO/Au/ITO multilayer coating (where ITO stands for an indium tin oxide with the composition 90% In₂O₃ + 10% SnO₂ and Au is nanoparticulate gold on a thin-film poly(ethylene terephthalate) substrate) has been prepared by a solution-phase process using an ITO nanopowder dispersion in isopropanol and a solution of chloroauric acid, which was converted to colloidal gold by photolysis. A sol–gel process has been proposed for the synthesis of tin-doped indium oxide nanopowder. The properties and composition of the powder were assessed by IR spectroscopy, thermal analysis, electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The phase composition of the ITO nanopowder and the optical properties of the films grown using the nanopowder have been shown to depend on the thermal annealing conditions during synthesis. Layer-by-layer growth of metal oxide films in ITO/Au/ITO coatings influences the absorption in the composite in the IR spectral region.     

Preparation of indium-tin oxide (ITO) aciculae by a novel concentration-precipitation and post-calcination method

Indium-tin oxide (ITO) aciculae were prepared by adding tin into indium hydroxide aciculae, which were synthesized by a concentration-precipitation method, and subsequent calcining. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) indicated that indium hydroxide aciculae were partially crystallized and ITO aciculae were a well-crystallized solid solution, and both of them had a cubic structure. Using scanning electron microscope (SEM), it was found that the cross-sectional diameters of most of ITO aciculae were in the range of 2 to 9 μm, and the aspect ratios of about 95% of aciculae were more than 6. Energy dispersion spectrometer (EDS) and phenylfluorone spectrophotometry analysis were used to measure Sn content of ITO aciculae, and it was revealed that the Sn content of the surface layer was higher than that of the bulk. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) showed that the intensive dehydration of In(OH)₃ took place in the temperature rage of 260–280 °C and the formation of ITO solid solution started at temperature higher than 280 °C. According to the results of XRD, TGA–DTA and N content analysis, indium-containing nitrates or nitrites maybe existed in indium hydroxide aciculae. The specific resistance of the pellet formed by pressing ITO aciculae at a pressure of 10 MPa was measured by a four-probe method at room temperature, and it was as low as 1.2×10⁻² Ω cm.     

Synthesis and electrical property of indium tin oxide nanofibers using electrospinning method

In this study indium tin oxide (ITO) nanofibers were synthesized using an electrospinning method. The morphological properties of the ITO nanofibers were considered and their specific resistances were measured to determine their applicability as filler for a transparent conducting film. ITO/PVP composite nanofibers were successfully obtained by electrospinning using a precursor solution containing indium nitrate, tin chloride, and poly(vinlypyrrolidone). After the heat treatment of ITO/PVP composite nanofibers at 600 degrees C and 1000 degrees C, ITO nanofibers with an average diameter of about 168 nm and 165 nm were synthesized, respectively.     

单分散纳米氧化铟锡粉末的水热合成

以金属铟和锡为原料,于碱性环境240℃水热合成12h并经500℃煅烧2h得到了 粒径为70±10nm,比表面积为11 m²／g的高纯氧化铟锡(ITO)粉末.由SEM、激光粒度测试 仪和BET三种方法分析得到的粉末平均粒径相吻合,证明制备的粉末是单分散状态的.研究 还发现,提高铟锡初始浓度和氢氧化钠过量浓度均有利于小粒径单分散ITO粉末的制备,但 过高的氢氧化钠过量浓度会使粉末出现团聚.     

Fabricating transparent waveguide for wireless communication

The high frequency characteristics of hybrid structures made from indium tin oxide (ITO) films and very fine gold (Au) lines were theoretically and experimentally investigated to develop invisible coplanar waveguide (CPW) structures for microwave and millimeter-wave applications. After optimizing the Au/ITO hybrid structures, we achieved fabrication of an invisible CPW structure showing both high transmission and low reflection characteristics in the GHz range. Electromagnetic simulations by using a finite elements method explained the reason for the improved characteristics of the optimized Au/ITO hybrid CPW.     

Preparation of transparent conductive indium tin oxide thin films from nanocrystalline indium tin hydroxide by dip-coating method

Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films with well-controlled layer thickness were produced by dip-coating method. The ITO was synthesized by a sol-gel technique involving the use of aqueous InCl₃, SnCl₄ and NH₃ solutions. To obtain stable sols for thin film preparation, as-prepared Sn-doped indium hydroxide was dialyzed, aged, and dispersed in ethanol. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) was applied to enhance the stability of the resulting ethanolic sols. The transparent, conductive ITO films on glass substrates were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The ITO layer thickness increased linearly during the dipping cycles, which permits excellent controllability of the film thickness in the range ~ 40-1160 nm. After calcination at 550 °C, the initial indium tin hydroxide films were transformed completely to nanocrystalline ITO with cubic and rhombohedral structure. The effects of PVP on the optical, morphological and electrical properties of ITO are discussed.     

铟锡氧化物陶瓷靶的制备

研究了铟锡氧化物(ITO)粉末退火后的组织和结构,比较了不同状态的粉末和制备工艺对ITO靶材的影响.结果表明,纳米ITO粉末在800℃以下具有体心立方In2O3结构,1100℃退火后由In2O3和SnO2两相组成;ITO粉末经过喷雾造粒后,形成了实心球形颗粒并具有合理的颗粒级配,通过气氛烧结可以制备出高密度优良的ITO...     

Modification of optical and electrical properties of ITO using a thin Al capping layer

In this study, the work function, transmittance, and resistivity of indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films were successfully modified by depositing an Al capping layer on top of ITO with subsequent thermal annealing. The 5 nm thick Al layer was deposited by a conventional dc magnetron sputtering method and the layer was converted into an aluminum oxinitride by subjecting the sample to rapid thermal annealing (RTA) under a nitrogen atmosphere. The films exhibited a high transmittance of 86% on average within the visible wavelength region with an average resistivity value of 7.9 × 10^− 4 Ω cm. Heat-treating the Al/ITO films via RTA resulted in the decrease of the optical band gap from that of bare ITO. In addition, the films showed red-shift phenomena due to their decreased band gaps when the heat-treatment temperature was increased. The resultant electrical and optical characteristics can be explained by the formation of aluminum oxinitride on the surface of the ITO films. The work function of the heat-treated films increased by up to 0.26 eV from that of a bare ITO film. The increase of the work function predicts the reduction of the hole-injection barrier in organic light-emitting diode (OLED) devices and the eventual use of these films could provide much improved efficiency of devices.     

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy investigation on indium tin oxide films under cathodic polarization in NaOH solution

The electrochemical corrosion behaviors of indium tin oxide (ITO) films under the cathodic polarization in 0.1 M NaOH solution were investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The as-received and the cathodically polarized ITO films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction for morphological, compositional and structural studies. The results showed that ITO films underwent a corrosion process during the cathodic polarization and the main component of the corrosion products was body-centered cubic indium. The electrochemical impedance parameters were related to the effect of the cathodic polarization on the ITO specimens. The capacitance of ITO specimens increased, while the charge transfer resistance and the inductance decreased with the increase of the polarization time. The proposed mechanism indicated that the corrosion products (metallic indium) were firstly formed during the cathodic polarization and then absorbed on the surface of the ITO film. As the surface was gradually covered by indium particles, the corrosion process was suppressed.     

Investigation on indium concentration dependence of solution processed indium tin oxide thin film transistors

The effect of the indium content in indium tin oxide (ITO) films fabricated using a solution-based process and ITO channel thin film transistors (TFTs) was examined as a function of the indium mole ratio. The carrier concentration and resistivity of the ITO films could be controlled by the appropriate treatments. The TFTs showed an increase in the off-current due to the enhanced conductivity of the ITO channel layer with increasing indium mole ratios, producing an increase in the field effect mobility. The characteristics of the a-ITO channel TFT showed the best performance (μ_FE of 3.0 cm² V^− 1 s^− 1, V_th of 2.0 V, and S value of 0.4 V/decade) at In:Sn = 5:1.     

Single step synthesis of indium tin oxide by ultrasonic spray and microwave assisted pyrolysis

Ultrafine indium tin oxide (ITO) powders were successfully synthesised by the combined methods of ultrasonic spray and microwave assisted pyrolysis, which is a single step, facile, rapid and continuous method without post-heating treatment. Crystallinity, morphology and microstructure of the samples were investigated by X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscope, selected area electron diffraction pattern and laser grain size analyser. Results indicate that pure solid solution ITO ultrafine powders with homogeneous and narrow size distribution, highly dense and smooth surface morphology can be obtained under optimum conditions. Each uniform spherical particle consisted of many smaller crystallites with diameter of <10 nm.     

Effect of Ag addition on the structural and electrical properties of ITO powder compact

Nanocrystalline ITO-Ag powders were prepared using a coprecipitation method. Surface modified silver nanoparticles were mixed with the indium tin hydroxide precursor before the sintering process. The ITO-Ag nanocomposite powder was formed into pellets by uniaxial pressing process. The effect of addition of silver to the electrical and structural properties of ITO powder compact was studied. The relative density of the metal filled composite ITO-Ag powder compact is higher than the pure ITO powder compact. The result may be attributed to the melted silver eventually fills the void space between agglomerate pores and hence enhances the interconnection between nanocrystalline ITO powders. The crystal phase and particle size of ITO powder and ITO-Ag powder were measured by powder X-ray diffraction and the surface morphology of powder compact was investigated using a scanning electron microscope.     

Enhanced photoefficiency in positive-tone direct patterning of metal complexes for forming patterned indium tin oxide films

The efficiency of positive-tone directly photo-patternable 4-(2-nitrobenzyloxycarbonyl)catechol and 4-(6-nitroveratryloxycarbonyl)catechol complexes of indium tin was improved by tuning the solubility of the complexes and by chelation of maltol as a cooperative photo-solvolytic component, such that films could be patterned at up to 4.88 mW·s/nm in terms of resultant indium tin oxide (ITO). Patterned indium tin complexes were thermally transformed to pattern shape preserved ITO by anisotropic contraction and oxidation. The photo-reaction of these ligands and related derivatives was characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance analysis showing decomposition to the respective carboxylic acid for which linear rate constants were approximated, further elucidating the mechanism and mechanics of selective solubility.     

Thin metallic oxides as transparent conductors

Films of tin oxide doped with fluorine or of indium oxide doped with tin (i.e. indium tin oxide (ITO)) can be obtained by standard procedures such as thermal evaporation or sputtering, or by other methods such as the hydrolysis of metallic chlorides (spraying) or the pyrolysis of organometallic compounds (chemical vapour deposition). The optical and electrical properties of these layers are very similar: for thicknesses in the range of a few hundred nanometers, a resistivity ? of the order of 4 × 10^?4 Ω cm and a transparency T of 80%–90% in the visible range of the spectrum are obtained. These layers are commonly used as transparent heating systems and in the field of digital display and light-emitting devices. More recently, some large-scale uses have been envisaged in the field of solar energy. Solar cells with a conversion efficiency of 12% have been obtained for ITO/Si or SnO₂/Si structures. Stack filters such as glass/SnO₂:F/(black molybdenum)/SnO₂:F have shown excellent properties as photothermal converters.     

Application of Microwave Melting for the Recovery of Tin Powder

The present work explores the application of microwave heating for the melting of powdered tin. The morphology and particle size of powdered tin prepared by the centrifugal atomization method were characterized. The tin particles were uniform and spherical in shape, with 90% of the particles in the size range of 38–75 μm. The microwave absorption characteristic of the tin powder was assessed by an estimation of the dielectric properties. Microwave penetration was found to have good volumetric heating on powdered tin. Conduction losses were the main loss mechanisms for powdered tin by microwave heating at temperatures above 150 °C. A 20 kW commercial-scale microwave tin-melting unit was designed, developed, and utilized for production. This unit achieved a heating rate that was at least 10 times higher than those of conventional methods, as well as a far shorter melting duration. The results suggest that microwave heating accelerates the heating rate and shortens the melting time. Tin recovery rate was 97.79%, with a slag ratio of only 1.65% and other losses accounting for less than 0.56%. The unit energy consumption was only 0.17 (kW·h)·kg^–1—far lower than the energy required by conventional melting methods. Thus, the microwave melting process improved heating efficiency and reduced energy consumption.     

Light-trapping design of graphene transparent electrodes for efficient thin-film silicon solar cells

In this paper, the performance of solar cells with graphene transparent electrodes is compared with cells using conventional indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes, and it is demonstrated the optical absorption of solar cells with bare graphene structure is worse than that of bare ITO structure because of the higher refractive index of graphene. To enhance the light trapping of graphene-based thin-film solar cells, a simple two-layer SiO₂/SiC structure is proposed as antireflection coatings deposited on top of graphene transparent electrodes, and the thickness of each layer is optimized by differential evolution in order to enhance the optical absorption of a-Si:H thin-film solar cells to the greatest degree. The optimization results demonstrate the optimal SiO₂/SiC/graphene structure can obtain 37.30% enhancement with respect to bare ITO structure, which has obviously exceeded the light-trapping enhancement of 34.15% for the optimal SiO₂/SiC/ITO structure. Therefore, with the aid of the light-trapping structure, the graphene films are a very promising indium-free transparent electrode substitute for the conventional ITO electrode for use in cost-efficient thin-film silicon solar cells.     

Laser-induced forward transfer of polymer light-emitting diode pixels with increased charge injection

Laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) has been used to print 0.6 mm × 0.5 mm polymer light-emitting diode (PLED) pixels with poly[2-methoxy, 5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene] (MEH-PPV) as the light-emitting polymer. The donor substrate used in the LIFT process is covered by a sacrificial triazene polymer (TP) release layer on top of which the aluminium cathode and functional MEH-PPV layers are deposited. To enhance electron injection into the MEH-PPV layer, a thin poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) layer on the Al cathode or a blend of MEH-PPV and PEO was used. These donor substrates have been transferred onto both plain indium tin oxide (ITO) and bilayer ITO/PEDOT:PSS (poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) poly(styrenesulfonate) blend) receiver substrates to create the PLED pixels. For comparison, devices were fabricated in a conventional manner on ITO substrates coated with a PEDOT:PSS hole-transporting layer. Compared to multilayer devices without PEO, devices with ITO/PEDOT:PSS/MEH-PPV:PEO blend/Al architecture show a 100 fold increase of luminous efficiency (LE) reaching a maximum of 0.45 cd/A for the blend at a brightness of 400 cd/m(2). A similar increase is obtained for the polymer light-emitting diode (PLED) pixels deposited by the LIFT process, although the maximum luminous efficiency only reaches 0.05 cd/A for MEH-PPV:PEO blend, which we have attributed to the fact that LIFT transfer was carried out in an ambient atmosphere. For all devices, we confirm a strong increase in device performance and stability when using a PEDOT:PSS film on the ITO anode. For PLEDs produced by LIFT, we show that a 25 nm thick PEDOT:PSS layer on the ITO receiver substrate considerably reduces the laser fluence required for pixel transfer from 250 mJ/cm(2) without the layer to only 80 mJ/cm(2) with the layer.