Properties of Dinickel-Silicides Counter Electrodes with Rapid Thermal Annealing

Kim, Kwangbae,Noh, Yunyoung,Song, Ohsung Materials Research Society of Korea 2017 한국재료학회지 Vol.27 No.2

Dinickel-silicide $(Ni_2Si)/glass$ was employed as a counter electrode for a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) device. $Ni_2Si$ was formed by rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at $700^{\circ}C$ for 15 seconds of a 50 nm-Ni/50 nm-Si/glass structure. For comparison, $Ni_2Si$ on quartz was also prepared through conventional electric furnace annealing (CEA) at $800^{\circ}C$ for 30 minutes. XRD, XPS, and EDS line scanning of TEM were used to confirm the formation of $Ni_2Si$. TEM and CV were employed to confirm the microstructure and catalytic activity. Photovoltaic properties were examined using a solar simulator and potentiostat. XRD, XPS, and EDS line scanning results showed that both CEA and RTA successfully led to tne formation of nano $thick-Ni_2Si$ phase. The catalytic activity of $CEA-Ni_2Si$ and $RTA-Ni_2Si$ with respect to Pt were 68 % and 56 %. Energy conversion efficiencies (ECEs) of DSSCs with $CEA-Ni_2Si$ and $RTA-Ni_2Si$catalysts were 3.66 % and 3.16 %, respectively. Our results imply that nano-thick $Ni_2Si$ may be used to replace Pt as a reduction catalytic layer for a DSSCs. Moreover, we show that nano-thick $Ni_2Si$ can be made available on a low-cost glass substrate via the RTA process.

Pre-Stabilization of Zr Getters for 5-Nine Purity Nitrogen Gas Purification

Kim, Kwangbae,Jin, Saera,Lim, Yesol,Lee, Hyunjun,Kim, Seonghoon,Noh, Yunyoung,Song, Ohsung Materials Research Society of Korea 2021 한국재료학회지 Vol.31 No.4

We confirm whether Zr powders can restrain a rapid nitrification reaction and offer a stable oxidation reaction according to temperatures in nitrogen gas purification. A pellet-type, porous Zr getter is prepared (diameter: 10 and thickness: 3 mm) using Zr powder with an average particle size of 45 ㎛. While maintaining the whole system, the Zr getter reaction is confirmed with an increase in temperature from 150 to 550 ℃ at increments of 100 ℃ under 99.999 % purity nitrogen atmosphere comprising of 10 ppm of impurity. Surface color, pore size, stabilized layer, and phase change are confirmed with optical microscopy, SEM-EDS, Micro-Raman, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) according to the Zr getter temperature. The surface color of the Zr getter changes from metallic silver to dark gray as temperature increases. In the EDS results, the nitrogen component is not observed, and oxygen content increases from each surface at elevated temperatures. The Raman and XRD results show the oxidation layer as a result of 350 ℃ annealing. Therefore, the Zr getter can be applied as a nitrogen getter under 5-nine purity nitrogen atmosphere after appropriate oxidized pre-stabilization process to prevent rapid nitrification reaction.

Photoactive Layer Formation with Oven Annealing for a Carbon Electrode Perovskite Solar Cell

Kwangbae Kim,Ohsung Song 한국재료학회 2020 한국재료학회지 Vol.30 No.11

The photovoltaic properties of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with a carbon electrode fabricated using different annealing processes are investigated. Perovskite formation (50 oC, 60 min) using a hot-plate and an oven is carried out on cells with a glass/fluorine doped TiO2/TiO2/ZrO2/carbon structure, and the photovoltaic properties of the PSCs are analyzed using a solar simulator. The microstructures of the PSCs are characterized using an optical microscope, a field emission scanning electron microscope, and an electron probe micro-analyzer (EPMA). Photovoltaic analysis shows that the energy conversion efficiency of the samples fabricated using the hot-plate and the oven processes are 2.08% and 6.90%, respectively. Based on the microstructure of the samples and the results of the EPMA, perovskite is formed locally on the carbon electrode surface as the γ-butyrolactone (GBL) solvent evaporates and moves to the top of the carbon electrode due to heat from the bottom of the sample during the hot plate process. When the oven process is used, perovskite forms evenly inside the carbon electrode, as the GBL solvent evaporates extremely slowly because heat is supplied from all directions. The importance of the even formation of perovskite inside the carbon electrode is emphasized, and the feasibility of oven annealing is confirmed for PSCs with carbon electrodes.

Effects of Molding Pressure and Sintering Temperature on Properties of Foamed Glass without Blowing Agent

Kim, EunSeok,Kim, Kwangbae,Lee, Hyeryeong,Kim, Ikgyu,Song, Ohsung The Korean Ceramic Society 2019 한국세라믹학회지 Vol.56 No.2

A process of fabricating the foamed glass that has closed pores with 8 ~ 580 ㎛ sizes without a blowing agent by sintering 10 ㎛ boron-free glass powder composed of CaO, MgO, SO₃, Al₂O₃-83 wt% SiO₂ at a molding pressure of 0 ~ 120 MPa and a sintering temperature of 750 ~ 1000℃ was investigated. To analyze the glass transition temperature of glass powder, thermogravimetric analysis-differential thermal analysis (TGA-DTA) method were used. The microstructure and pore size of foamed glass were examined using the optical microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). For the thermal diffusivity and color of the fabricated samples, a heat flow meter and ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared (UV-VIS-NIR)-colormetry were used, respectively. In the TGA-DTA result, the glass transition temperature of glass powder was confirmed to be 626℃. In the microstructure result, closed pores of 7 ~ 20 ㎛ were formed at 750 ~ 900℃, and they were not affected by the molding pressure and sintering temperature. However, at 1,000℃, when there was 0 MPa molding pressure, closed pores of 580 ㎛ were confirmed, and the pore size decreased as the molding pressure increased. Moreover, at a molding pressure of 30 MPa or higher, closed pores of approximately 400 ㎛ were formed. The porosity showed an increasing trend of smaller molding pressure and larger sintering temperature, and it was controllable in the range of 5.69 ~ 68.45%. In the thermal diffusivity result, there was no change according to the molding pressure, and, by increasing the sintering temperature, up to 0.115 W/m·K could be obtained. The Lab color index (CIE-Lab) results all showed a similar translucent white color regardless of molding pressure and sintering temperature. Therefore, based on the foamed glass without boron and blowing agent, it was confirmed that white foamed glass, which has closed pores of 8 ~ 580 ㎛ and a thermal diffusivity characteristic of 0.115 W/m·K, can be fabricated by changing the molding pressure and sintering temperature.

An Oxidative Chloride Stripping Solution for 14K Gold Alloys

Kim, Kwangbae,Kim, Ikgyu,Song, Ohsung Materials Research Society of Korea 2020 한국재료학회지 Vol.30 No.8

We propose a novel stripping solution containing acids (HCl and HNO₃), an oxidant [(NH₄)₂S₂O₈], and complexing agents (NaCl and citric acid) to remove surface passivation layers from 14K gold alloys fabricated using an investment casting process. The optimized solution employing only HCl acid is determined by varying molar fractions of HCl and HNO₃ on 14K yellow gold samples. Stripping properties are also identified for red and white gold alloy samples under the optimized stripping conditions. The removal of passivation layers, weight loss, and microstructure evolution are characterized using Raman spectroscopy, a precision scale, and optical microscopy. The proposed stripping solution effectively removes passivation layers more rapidly than conventional cyanide stripping. Weight loss increases linearly for up to 5 min for all 14K gold alloys. Red gold exhibits the greatest weight loss, followed by yellow gold and white gold. The results of microstructural analysis reveal that the conformal stripping occurs according to time. These results imply that the proposed oxidative chloride stripping might replace conventional cyanide stripping.

Properties of Dye Sensitized Solar Cells with Adding Nano Carbon Black into Blocking Layer

Kim, Kwangbae,Noh, Yunyoung,Song, Ohsung The Korean Ceramic Society 2015 한국세라믹학회지 Vol.52 No.4

Blocking layers with nano carbon blacks (NCBs) were prepared by adding 0.0 ~ 0.5 wt% NCBs to the $TiO_2$ blocking layer. Then, dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were fabricated with a $0.45cm^2$ active area. TEM and micro-Raman spectroscopy were used to characterize the microstructure and phases of the NCBs, respectively. Optical microscopy and AFM were used to analyze the microstructure of the $TiO_2$ blocking layer with NCBs. UV-VIS-NIS spectroscopy was used to determine the band gap of the $TiO_2$ blocking layer with NCBs. A solar simulator and potentiostat were used to determine the photovoltaic properties and impedance of DSSCs with NCBs. The energy conversion efficiency (ECE) increased from 3.53 to 6.20 % when the NCB content increased from 0.0 to 0.3 wt%. This indicates that the effective surface area and electron mobility increased in the $TiO_2$ blocking layer with NCBs. However, the ECE decreased when the NCB content was increased to over 0.4 wt%. This change occurred because the effective electron transport area decreased with the addition of excessive NCBs to the $TiO_2$ blocking layer. The results of this study suggest that the ECE of DSSCs can be enhanced by adding the appropriate amount of NCBs to the $TiO_2$ blocking layer.

Properties of Carbon Pastes Prepared with Mixing Ratios of Nano Carbon and Graphite Flakes

Kim, Kwangbae,Song, Ohsung Materials Research Society of Korea 2018 한국재료학회지 Vol.28 No.11

To produce carbon electrodes for use in perovskite solar cells, electrode samples are prepared by mixing various weight ratios of 35 nm nano carbon(NC) and $1{\mu}m$ graphite flakes(GF), GF/(NC+GF) = 0, 0.5, 0.7, and 1, in chlorobenzene(CB) solvent with a $ZrO_2$ binder. The carbon electrodes are fabricated as glass/FTO/carbon electrode devices for microstructure characterization using transmission electron microscopy, optical microscopy, and a field emission scanning electron microscopy. The electrical characterization is performed with a four-point probe and a multi tester. The microstructure characterization shows that an electrode with excellent attachment to the substrate and no surface cracks at weight ratios above 0.5. The electrical characterization results show that the sheet resistance is <$70{\Omega}/sq$ and the interface resistance is <$70{\Omega}$ at weight ratios of 0.5 and 0.7. Therefore, a carbon paste electrode with microstructure and electrical properties similar to those of commercial carbon electrodes is proposed with an appropriate mixing ratio of NC and GF containing a CB solvent and $ZrO_2$.

Speedy Two-Step Thermal Evaporation Process for Gold Electrode in a Perovskite Solar Cell

Kim, Kwangbae,Park, Taeyeul,Song, Ohsung Materials Research Society of Korea 2018 한국재료학회지 Vol.28 No.4

We propose a speedy two-step deposit process to form an Au electrode on hole transport layer(HTL) without any damage using a general thermal evaporator in a perovskite solar cell(PSC). An Au electrode with a thickness of 70 nm was prepared with one-step and two-step processes using a general thermal evaporator with a 30 cm source-substrate distance and $6.0{\times}10^{-6}$ torr vacuum. The one-step process deposits the Au film with the desirable thickness through a source power of 60 and 100 W at a time. The two-step process deposits a 7 nm-thick buffer layer with source power of 60, 70, and 80 W, and then deposits the remaining film thickness at higher source power of 80, 90, and 100 W. The photovoltaic properties and microstructure of these PSC devices with a glass/FTO/$TiO_2$/perovskite/HTL/Au electrode were measured by a solar simulator and field emission scanning electron microscope. The one-step process showed a low depo-temperature of $88.5^{\circ}C$ with a long deposition time of 90 minutes at 60 W. It showed a high depo-temperature of $135.4^{\circ}C$ with a short deposition time of 8 minutes at 100 W. All the samples showed an ECE lower than 2.8 % due to damage on the HTL. The two-step process offered an ECE higher than 6.25 % without HTL damage through a deposition temperature lower than $88^{\circ}C$ and a short deposition time within 20 minutes in general. Therefore, the proposed two-step process is favorable to produce an Au electrode layer for the PSC device with a general thermal evaporator.

Photovoltaic Properties of Perovskite Solar Cells According to TiO₂ Particle Size

Kim, Kwangbae,Lee, Hyeryeong,Song, Ohsung Materials Research Society of Korea 2019 한국재료학회지 Vol.29 No.5

The photovoltaic properties of $TiO_2$ used for the electron transport layer in perovskite solar cells(PSCs) are compared according to the particle size. The PSCs are fabricated and prepared by employing 20 nm and 30 nm $TiO_2$ as well as a 1:1 mixture of these particles. To analyze the microstructure and pores of each $TiO_2$ layer, a field emission scanning electron microscope and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET) method are used. The absorbance and photovoltaic characteristic of the PSC device are examined over time using ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared spectroscopy and a solar simulator. The microstructural analysis shows that the $TiO_2$ shape and layer thicknesses are all similar, and the BET analysis results demonstrate that the size of $TiO_2$ and in surface pore size is very small. The results of the photovoltaic characterization show that the mean absorbance is similar, in a range of about 400-800 nm. However, the device employing 30 nm $TiO_2$ demonstrates the highest energy conversion efficiency(ECE) of 15.07 %. Furthermore, it is determined that all the ECEs decrease over time for the devices employing the respective types of $TiO_2$. Such differences in ECE based on particle size are due to differences in fill factor, which changes because of changes in interfacial resistance during electron movement owing to differences in the $TiO_2$ particle size, which is explained by a one-dimensional model of the electron path through various $TiO_2$ particles.

Properties of Working Electrodes with IGZO layers in a Dye Sensitized Solar Cell

Kim, Gunju,Noh, Yunyoung,Choi, Minkyoung,Kim, Kwangbae,Song, Ohsung The Korean Ceramic Society 2016 한국세라믹학회지 Vol.53 No.1

We prepared a working electrode (WE) coated with 0 ~ 50 nm-thick indium gallium zinc oxide(IGZO) by using RF sputtering to improve the energy conversion efficiency (ECE) of a dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC). Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) were used to analyze the microstructure and composition of the IGZO layer. UV-VIS-NIR spectroscopy was used to determine the transparency of the WE with IGZO layers. A solar simulator and a potentiostat were used to confirm the photovoltaic properties of the DSSC with IGZO layer. From the results of the microstructural analysis, we were able to confirm the successful deposition of an amorphous IGZO layer with the expected thickness and composition. From the UV-VIS-NIR analysis, we were able to verify that the transparency decreased when the thickness of IGZO increased, while the transparency was over 90% for all thicknesses. The photovoltaic results show that the ECE became 4.30% with the IGZO layer compared to 3.93% without the IGZO layer. As the results show that electron mobility increased when an IGZO layer was coated on the $TiO_2$ layer, it is confirmed that the ECE of a DSSC can be enhanced by employing an appropriate thickness of IGZO on the $TiO_2$ layer.