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A wide range of optical bandgap modulation up to 5.1 eV was achieved for quaternary BeMgZnO thin films prepared using plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy, enabling development of UV emitters and solar-blind photodetectors. The significantly improved structural quality and bandgap widening in BeMgZnO layers as compared to those of BeZnO and MgZnO ternaries indicate enhanced incorporation of both Be and Mg on Zn sites in the wurtzite lattice. Correlation of lattice parameters with optical bandgaps reveals that co-alloying MgO and BeO with ZnO helps overcome the impediment of limited bandgap extension offered by the corresponding ternary compounds due to phase separation and allows lattice-matched or nearly lattice-matched BeMgZnO/ZnO heterostructures. Optimization of growth conditions at higher Mg and/or Be fluxes is expected to provide bandgaps beyond 5.1 eV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have investigated the N- and Ga-polar faces of bulk GaN substrates with photoluminescence (PL) and the surface photovoltage (SPV) technique using a Kelvin probe attached to an optical cryostat. Experiments were conducted in vacuum. Some of the surfaces were mechanically polished (MP), while others were epi-ready after a chemical-mechanical polish (CMP). From the SPV measurements, the band bending in a sample having both surfaces treated with the CMP method was calculated to be about 0.83 and 0.70 eV for the Ga- and N-polar surfaces, respectively. The restoration of the SPV after ceasing the UV illumination showed that the SPV from CMP-treated surfaces behaved as predicted by a thermionic model, whereas the SPV from MP-treated surfaces restored with a much faster-than-predicted rate. This result can be interpreted by the hopping of charge carriers in the highly-defective near-surface layer of the MP-treated samples. Remarkably, removing the top 700 nm defective layer by dry etching restored the quality of the electrical and optical properties of GaN. (© 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In the last decade, the photovoltaic industry grew at a rate exceeding 30% per year. Currently, solar-cell modules based on single-crystal and large-grain polycrystalline silicon wafers comprise more than 80% of the market. Bulk Si photovoltaics, which benefit from the highly advanced growth and fabrication processes developed for microelectronics industry, is a mature technology. The light-to-electric power conversion efficiency of the best modules offered on the market is over 20%. While there is still room for improvement, the device performance is approaching the thermodynamic limit of ∼28% for single-junction Si solar cells. The major challenge that the bulk Si solar cells face is, however, the cost reduction. The potential for price reduction of electrical power generated by wafer-based Si modules is limited by the cost of bulk Si wafers, making the electrical power cost substantially higher than that generated by combustion of fossil fuels. One major strategy to bring down the cost of electricity generated by photovoltaic modules is thin-film solar cells, whose production does not require expensive semiconductor substrates and very high temperatures and thus allows decreasing the cost per unit area while retaining a reasonable efficiency. Thin-film solar cells based on amorphous, microcrystalline, and polycrystalline Si as well as cadmium telluride and copper indium diselenide compound semiconductors have already proved their commercial viability and their market share is increasing rapidly. Another avenue to reduce the cost of photovoltaic electricity is to increase the cell efficiency beyond the Shockley–Queisser limit. A variety of concepts proposed along this avenue forms the basis of the so-called third generation photovoltaics technologies. Among these approaches, high-efficiency multi-junction solar cells based on III–V compound semiconductors, which initially found uses in space applications, are now being developed for terrestrial applications. In this article, we discuss the progress, outstanding problems, and environmental issues associated with bulk Si, thin-film, and high-efficiency multi-junction solar cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Recently it has been demonstrated that the domain of robust chaos close to the periodic domain, which is organized by the period-adding structure, contains an infinite number of interior crisis bifurcation curves. These curves form the so-called bandcount adding scenario, which determines the occurrence of multi-band chaotic attractors. The analytical calculation of the interior crisis bifurcations represents usually a quite sophisticated and cumbersome task. In this work we demonstrate that, using the map replacement approach, the bifurcation curves can be calculated much easier. Moreover, using this approach recursively, we confirm the hypothesis regarding the self-similarity of the bandcount adding structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In both light emitting devices such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), and light absorbing devices such as solar cells (also photodetectors), which are gaining considerable interest for their energy saving and energy production capability, respectively, a compromise must be struck between the need to increase the light emitting/absorbing area/potential and the need for low series resistance of the metal contact grid. This undesirable compromise can be mitigated by using transparent conducting oxides (TCOs), which heretofore have been dominated by ITO (indium tin oxide—an In-rich alloy of indium oxide and tin oxide). Due to the expected scarcity of Indium used in ITO, efforts are underway to develop indium-free TCOs for the above-mentioned devices as well as flat panel displays. ZnO heavily doped with Ga or Al (GZO or AZO) is becoming a very attractive candidate for future generation TCOs. GZO and AZO as well as multilayer TCOs consisting of two TCO layers with a thin metal layer in between have been widely investigated for LEDs and solar cells to enhance device performance. This article succinctly reviews the latest developments in and properties of TCOs, particularly in relation to thin film transparent electrode applications for LEDs and solar cells. Pertinent critical issues and possible solutions are provided as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Single-crystal Pb(Zr x Ti1− x )O3 thin films have been grown on (001) SrTiO3 and SrTiO3:Nb substrates by molecular beam epitaxy using metal-organic source of Zr and two different sources of reactive oxygen—RF plasma and hydrogen-peroxide sources. The same growth modes and comparable structural properties were observed for the films grown with both oxygen sources, while the plasma source allowed higher growth rates. The films with x up to 0.4 were single phase, while attempts to increase x beyond gave rise to the ZrO2 second phase. The effects of growth conditions on growth modes, Zr incorporation, and phase composition of the Pb(Zr x Ti1− x )O3 films are discussed. Electrical and ferroelectric properties of the Pb(Zr x Ti1− x )O3 films of ~100nm in thickness grown on SrTiO3:Nb were studied using current–voltage, capacitance–voltage, and polarization–field measurements. The single-phase films show low leakage currents and large breakdown fields, while the values of remanent polarization are low (around 5μC/cm2). It was found that, at high sweep fields, the contribution of the leakage current to the apparent values of remanent polarization can be large, even for the films with large electrical resistivity (∼108–109 Ωcm at an electric filed of 1MV/cm). The measured dielectric constant ranges from 410 to 260 for Pb(Zr0.33Ti0.67)O3 and from 313 to 213 for Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3 in the frequency range from 100 to 1MHz. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]