Enhanced Light Extraction from p‑Si Nanowires/n-IGZO Heterojunction LED by Using Oxide–Metal–Oxide Structured Transparent Electrodes

Heterojunction light-emitting diodes (LEDs) comprising p-type Si nanowires (p-Si NWs) and n-type indium gallium zinc oxide (n-IGZO) were fabricated with the different top electrode materials: Al, indium zinc oxide (IZO), and IZO/Ag/IZO oxide–metal–oxide (OMO) multilayer. All the LEDs exhibited typical rectifying behaviors of the p–n junction. Moreover, broad light-emission spectra in the visible range were observed because of the quantum confinement effect (QCE) of the Si NW and Si nanocrystals/nonstoichiometric Si oxide (SiO_<i>x</i>) (<i>x</i> < 2) interfaces. In comparison to the LEDs with Al and single IZO electrode, the LED with the OMO multilayer electrode exhibited an enhanced optical performance because the OMO multilayer had an excellent transmittance of 87.7% in the visible range with a low sheet resistance of 5.65 Ω/sq. Furthermore, by investigating the transmittance spectra of the single IZO and OMO multilayer electrodes as a function of the light incidence angle, the OMO multilayer electrode is confirmed to be more suitable for white light emission from p-Si NWs/n-IGZO heterojunction LED

Effect of Nonionic Surfactant Additive in PEDOT:PSS on PFO Emission Layer in Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Light-Emitting Diode

Poly­(9,9-dioctylfluorene) (PFO) has attracted significant interests owing to its versatility in electronic devices. However, changes in its optical properties caused by its various phases and the formation of oxidation defects limit the application of PFO in light-emitting diodes (LEDs). We investigated the effects of the addition of Triton X-100 (hereinafter shortened as TX) in poly­(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly­(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) to induce interlayer diffusion between PEDOT:PSS and PFO to enhance the stability of the PFO phase and suppress its oxidation. Photoluminescence (PL) measurement on PFO/TX-mixed PEDOT:PSS layers revealed that, upon increasing the concentration of TX in the PEDOT:PSS layer, the β phase of PFO could be suppressed in favor of the glassy phase and the wide PL emission centered at 535 nm caused by ketone defects formed by oxidation was decreased considerably. LEDs were then fabricated using PFO as an emission layer, TX-mixed PEDOT:PSS as hole-transport layer, and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods as electron-transport layer. As the TX concentration reached 3 wt %, the devices exhibited dramatic increases in current densities, which were attributed to the enhanced hole injection due to TX addition, along with a shift in the dominant emission wavelength from a green electroluminescence (EL) emission centered at 518 nm to a blue EL emission centered at 448 nm. The addition of TX in PEDOT:PSS induced a better hole injection in the PFO layer, and through interlayer diffusion, stabilized the glassy phase of PFO and limited the formation of oxidation defects

Micropatternable Double-Faced ZnO Nanoflowers for Flexible Gas Sensor

Micropatternable double-faced (DF) zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoflowers (NFs) for flexible gas sensors have been successfully fabricated on a polyimide (PI) substrate with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) as electrode. The fabricated sensor comprises ZnO nanoshells laid out on a PI substrate at regular intervals, on which ZnO nanorods (NRs) were grown in- and outside the shells to maximize the surface area and form a connected network. This three-dimensional network structure possesses multiple gas diffusion channels and the micropatterned island structure allows the stability of the flexible devices to be enhanced by dispersing the strain into the empty spaces of the substrate. Moreover, the micropatterning technique on a flexible substrate enables highly integrated nanodevices to be fabricated. The SWCNTs were chosen as the electrode for their flexibility and the Schottky barrier they form with ZnO, improving the sensing performance. The devices exhibited high selectivity toward NO₂ as well as outstanding sensing characteristics with a stable response of 218.1, fast rising and decay times of 25.0 and 14.1 s, respectively, and percent recovery greater than 98% upon NO₂ exposure. The superior sensing properties arose from a combination of high surface area, numerous active junction points, donor point defects in the ZnO NRs, and the use of the SWCNT electrode. Furthermore, the DF-ZnO NF gas sensor showed sustainable mechanical stability. Despite the physical degradation observed, the devices still demonstrated outstanding sensing characteristics after 10 000 bending cycles at a curvature radius of 5 mm

Highly Scalable Synthesis of MoS₂ Thin Films with Precise Thickness Control via Polymer-Assisted Deposition

Highly Scalable Synthesis of MoS₂ Thin Films with Precise Thickness Control via Polymer-Assisted Depositio

High-Performance Green Light-Emitting Diodes Based on MAPbBr₃–Polymer Composite Films Prepared by Gas-Assisted Crystallization

The morphology of perovskite films has a significant impact on luminous characteristics of perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs). To obtain a highly uniform methylammonium lead tribromide (MAPbBr₃) film, a gas-assisted crystallization method is introduced with a mixed solution of MAPbBr₃ precursor and polymer matrix. The ultrafast evaporation of the solvent causes a high degree of supersaturation which expedites the generation of a large number of nuclei to form a MAPbBr₃–polymer composite film with full surface coverage and nano-sized grains. The addition of the polymer matrix significantly affects the optical properties and morphology of MAPbBr₃ films. The PeLED made of the MAPbBr₃–polymer composite film exhibits an outstanding device performance of a maximum luminance of 6800 cd·m^–2 and a maximum current efficiency of 1.12 cd·A^–1. Furthermore, 1 cm² area pixel of PeLED displays full coverage of a strong green electroluminescence, implying that the high-quality perovskite film can be useful for large-area applications in perovskite-based optoelectronic devices

Low-Temperature Facile Synthesis of Sb-Doped p‑Type ZnO Nanodisks and Its Application in Homojunction Light-Emitting Diode

This study explores low-temperature solution-process-based seed-layer-free ZnO p–n homojunction light-emitting diode (LED). In order to obtain p-type ZnO nanodisks (NDs), antimony (Sb) was doped into ZnO by using a facile chemical route at 120 °C. The X-ray photoelectron spectra indicated the presence of (Sb_Zn–2V_Zn) acceptor complex in the Sb-doped ZnO NDs. Using these NDs as freestanding templates, undoped n-type ZnO nanorods (NRs) were epitaxially grown at 95 °C to form ZnO p–n homojunction. The homojunction with a turn-on voltage of 2.5 V was found to be significantly stable up to 100 s under a constant voltage stress of 5 V. A strong orange-red emission was observed by the naked eye under a forward bias of 5 V. The electroluminescence spectra revealed three major peaks at 400, 612, and 742 nm which were attributed to the transitions from Zn_i to VBM, from Zn_i to O_i, and from V_O to VBM, respectively. The presence of these deep-level defects was confirmed by the photoluminescence of ZnO NRs. This study paves the way for future applications of ZnO homojunction LEDs using low-temperature and low-cost solution processes with the controlled use of native defects

Self-Seeded Growth of Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) Nanofibrils by a Cycle of Cooling and Heating in Solutions

In spite of the recent successes in transistors and solar cells utilizing poly­(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) nanofibrils, systematic analysis on the growth kinetics has not been reported due to the lack of analytical tools. This study proposed a simple spectroscopic method to obtain the crystallinity of P3HT in solutions. On the basis of the analytical approach, we found that the crystallinity hysteresis upon temperature is a simple function of the solubility parameter difference (Δδ) between the P3HT and the solvents. When Δδ ≥ 0.7, a cooling (−20 °C)-and-heating (25 °C) process allowed the preparation of solutions including 1D crystal seeds dispersed in the solution. Simple coating of the seeded solutions completed the growth of the seeds into long nanofibrils at the early stage of the coating and thereby achieved almost 100% crystallinity in the resulting films without any postannealing process. The existence of PCBM for bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells did not affect the nucleation and growth of the nanofibrils during the cooling-and-heating process. The solar cells prepared from the solutions with Δδ ≥ 0.7 had solar conversion efficiencies higher than the conventional thermally annealed cells

Assembled Monolayers of Hydrophilic Particles on Water Surfaces

A facile and quick approach to prepare self-assembled monolayers of water-dispersible particles on the water surface is presented. Particle suspensions in alcohols were dropped on a water reservoir to form long-range ordered monolayers of various particles, including spherical solid particles, soft hydrogel particles, metal nanoparticles, quantum dots, nanowires, single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), nanoplates, and nanosheets. A systematic study was conducted on the variables affecting the monolayer assembly: the solubility parameter of spreading solvents, particle concentration, zeta potential of the particles in the suspension, surface tension of the water phase, hardness of the particles, and addition of a salt in the suspension. This method requires no hydrophobic surface treatment of the particles, which is useful to exploit these monolayer films without changing the native properties of the particles. The study highlights a quick 2D colloidal assembly without cracks in the wafer scale as well as transparent conductive thin films made of SWCNTs and graphenes

Assembled Monolayers of Hydrophilic Particles on Water Surfaces

A facile and quick approach to prepare self-assembled monolayers of water-dispersible particles on the water surface is presented. Particle suspensions in alcohols were dropped on a water reservoir to form long-range ordered monolayers of various particles, including spherical solid particles, soft hydrogel particles, metal nanoparticles, quantum dots, nanowires, single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), nanoplates, and nanosheets. A systematic study was conducted on the variables affecting the monolayer assembly: the solubility parameter of spreading solvents, particle concentration, zeta potential of the particles in the suspension, surface tension of the water phase, hardness of the particles, and addition of a salt in the suspension. This method requires no hydrophobic surface treatment of the particles, which is useful to exploit these monolayer films without changing the native properties of the particles. The study highlights a quick 2D colloidal assembly without cracks in the wafer scale as well as transparent conductive thin films made of SWCNTs and graphenes

Adopting Novel Strategies in Achieving High-Performance Single-Layer Network Structured ZnO Nanorods Thin Film Transistors

High-performance, solution-processed transparent and flexible zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods (NRs)-based single layer network structured thin film transistors (TFTs) were developed on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate at 100 °C. Keeping the process-temperature under 100 °C, we have improved the device performance by introducing three low temperature-based techniques; regrowing ZnO to fill the void spaces in a single layer network of ZnO NRs, passivating the back channel with polymer, and adopting ZrO₂ as the high-<i>k</i> dielectric. Notably, high-<i>k</i> amorphous ZrO₂ was synthesized and deposited using a novel method at an unprecedented temperature of 100 °C. Using these methods, the TFTs exhibited a high mobility of 1.77 cm²/V·s. An insignificant reduction of 2.18% in mobility value after 3000 cycles of dynamic bending at a radius of curvature of 20 mm indicated the robust mechanical nature of the flexible ZnO NRs SLNS TFTs