Dark Current Reduction of P3HT-Based Organic Photodiode Using a Ytterbium Fluoride Buffer Layer in Electron Transport

Photodiodes are widely used to convert lights into electrical signals. The conventional silicon (Si) based photodiodes boast high photoelectric conversion efficiency and detectivity. However, in general, inorganic-based photodiodes have low visible wavelength sensitivity due to their infrared wavelength absorption. Recently, electrical conducting polymer-based photodiodes have received significant attention due to their flexibility, low cost of production and high sensitivity of visible wavelength ranges. In the present work, we fabricated an organic photodiode (OPD) consisting of ITO/ NiOx/ P3HT:PC60BM/ YbF3/ Al. In the OPD, a yitterbium fluoride (YbF3) buffer layer was used as the electron transport layer. The OPD was analyzed for its optical-electrical measurements, including J-V characteristics, detectivity and dynamic characteristics. We have investigated the physical effects of the YbF3 buffer layer on the performance of OPD such as its carrier extraction, leakage current and ohmic characteristics

The characteristics of electronic training collars for dogs

A wide range of electronic dog training collars (e-collars) is available in the UK, yet there is no means by which purchasers can meaningfully compare their electrical characteristics at the point of sale. In this research the electrical characteristics of 13 models of e-collar were examined and an approach to ranking the strength of the electrical stimuli was developed. The electrical impedance of dogs’ necks was measured so that e-collars could be tested under realistic conditions. This impedance was found to be about 10kΩ for wet dogs and 640kΩ for dry dogs. Two copies of each of eight e-collar models and one copy of a further five models were tested. The stimuli generated by these collars comprised sequences of short high voltage pulses. There were large differences between e-collar models in the peak voltage, number of pulses and duration of the pulses but little variation between the duplicates. The peak voltage varied with the impedance of the dog, from 6000V at an impedance of 500kΩ to 100V at 5kΩ. The highest voltages were generated for only a few millionths of a second. A stimulus strength ranking index (SSRI) was developed based on the subjective response of human subjects to electrical stimuli. This index is used to compare the strength of e-collars with diverse electrical characteristics. It shows a wide range in the stimulus strengths of collars and that the relationships between ‘momentary’ and ‘continuous’ stimuli for various models differ significantly

Evaluation of the volumetric erosion of spherical electrical contacts using the defect removal method

Volumetric erosion is regarded as a significant index for studying the erosion process of electrical switching contacts. Three-dimensional (3-D) surface measurement techniques provide an approach to investigate the geometric characteristics and volumetric erosion of electrical contacts. This paper presents a concrete data-processing procedure for evaluating volumetric erosion of spherical electrical contacts from 3-D surface measurement data using the defect removal method (DRM). The DRM outlined by McBride is an algorithm for evaluating the underlying form (prior to erosion) parameters of the surfaces with localized erosion and allowing the erosion characteristics themselves to be isolated. In this paper, a number of spherical electrical contacts that had undergone various electrical operations were measured using a 3-D surface profiler, the underlying form parameters of the eroded contacts were evaluated using the DRM, and then the volumetric erosions were isolated and calculated. The analysis of the correlations between the volumetric erosion and the number of switching cycles of electrical operation that the contacts had undergone showed a more accurate and reliable volumetric erosion evaluation using the DRM than that without using the DRM

Electrical and radiation characteristics of semilarge photoconductive terahertz emitters

We present experimental characterization of semilarge photoconductive emitters, including their electrical/photoconductive parameters and terahertz spectra. A range of emitters were studied and fabricated on both LT-GaAs and SI-GaAs, having a variety of electrode geometries. The spatial cone of terahertz radiation was defined. The dependencies of the photocurrent and the terahertz power on the bias voltage and the laser power were determined. A Fourier-transform interferometer is used to determine the terahertz spectra and to clarify the effects of the substrate and electrode geometry

Pulse rise time and amplitude detector Patent

Development and characteristics of electric circuitry for detecting electrical pulses rise time and amplitud

Electrical permittivity and resistivity time lapses of multiphase DNAPLs in a lab test

Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids (DNAPLs) induce variation in electromagnetic characteristics of the ground e.g. electric permittivity and resistivity. The most used indirect methods in the mapping of these physical characteristics are electrical resistivity and ground penetrating radar. To better understand the effect of DNAPL release on electrical permittivity and resistivity in a water saturated medium, we carried out a controlled laboratory experiment where the host material was simulated by glass beads and the DNAPL by HFE-7100 (hydrofluoroether). The experiment measured the electric resistivity and permittivity of each fluid, the multi-phase fluid system, and the host material, along with time-lapse electrical resistivity and GPR measurements in a controlled cell. We found that the different phases of DNAPL within a saturated medium (free, dissolved and gaseous phase) affect the physical characteristics differently. The reflection pull-up behind contaminated sediments, which is normally detected by GPR, was mainly inferred from the HFE free phase. The dissolved phase causes small variations in electric permittivity not usually readily detected by GPR measurements. Both the dissolved and free HFE phases induce variation in resistivity. The study showed that GPR and electrical resistivity differ in sensitivity to the different HFE phases, and can be complementary in the characterization of DNAPL contaminated sites

Electrical behaviour, characteristics and properties of anodic aluminium oxide films coloured by nickel electrodeposition

Porous anodic films on 1050 aluminium substrate were coloured by AC electrodeposition of nickel. Several experiments were performed at different deposition voltages and nickel concentrations in the electrolyte in order to correlate the applied electrical power to the electrical behaviour, as well as the characteristics and properties of the coatings. The content of nickel inside the coatings reached 1.67 g/m2, depending on the experimental conditions. According to the applied AC voltage in comparison with the threshold voltage Ut, the coating either acted only as a capacitor when U\Ut and, when U[Ut, the behaviour during the anodic and cathodic parts of the power sine wave was different. In particular, due to the semi-conducting characteristics of the barrier layer, additional oxidation of the aluminium substrate occurred during the anodic part of the electrical signal, whilst metal deposition (and solvent reduction) occurred during the cathodic part; these mechanisms correspond to the blocked and pass directions of the barrier layer/electrolyte junction, respectively

Electrical characteristics of amorphous iron-tungsten contacts on silicon

The electrical characteristics of amorphous Fe-W contacts have been determined on both p-type and n-type silicon. The amorphous films were obtained by cosputtering from a composite target. Contact resistivities, pc=1×10^−7 and pc=2.8×10^−6, were measured on n+ and p+ silicon, respectively. These values remain constant after thermal treatment up to at least 500°C. A barrier height, φBn=0.61 V, was measured on n-type silicon

Acousto-electrical speckle pattern in Lorentz force electrical impedance tomography

Ultrasound speckle is a granular texture pattern appearing in ultrasound imaging. It can be used to distinguish tissues and identify pathologies. Lorentz force electrical impedance tomography is an ultrasound-based medical imaging technique of the tissue electrical conductivity. It is based on the application of an ultrasound wave in a medium placed in a magnetic field and on the measurement of the induced electric current due to Lorentz force. Similarly to ultrasound imaging, we hypothesized that a speckle could be observed with Lorentz force electrical impedance tomography imaging. In this study, we first assessed the theoretical similarity between the measured signals in Lorentz force electrical impedance tomography and in ultrasound imaging modalities. We then compared experimentally the signal measured in both methods using an acoustic and electrical impedance interface. Finally, a bovine muscle sample was imaged using the two methods. Similar speckle patterns were observed. This indicates the existence of an "acousto-electrical speckle" in the Lorentz force electrical impedance tomography with spatial characteristics driven by the acoustic parameters but due to electrical impedance inhomogeneities instead of acoustic ones as is the case of ultrasound imaging