Many-particle charged-particle plasma simulations using spatial meshes for the electromagnetic field solutions, particle-in-cell (PIC) merged with Monte Carlo collision (MCC) calculations, are coming into wide use for application to partially ionized gases. The author emphasizes the development of PIC computer experiments since the 1950s starting with one-dimensional (1-D) charged-sheet models, the addition of the mesh, and fast direct Poisson equation solvers for 2-D and 3-D. Details are provided for adding the collisions between the charged particles and neutral atoms. The result is many-particle simulations with many of the features met in low-temperature collision plasmas; for example, with applications to plasma-assisted materials processing, but also related to warmer plasmas at the edges of magnetized fusion plasmas. >

Particle-in-Cell Charged Particle Simulations, plus Monte Carlo Collisions with Neutral Atoms, PIC-MCC

Solid films are usually metastable or unstable in the as-deposited state, and they will dewet or agglomerate to form islands when heated to sufficiently high temperatures. This process is driven by surface energy minimization and can occur via surface diffusion well below a film's melting temperature, especially when the film is very thin. Dewetting during processing of films for use in micro- and nanosystems is often undesirable, and means of avoiding dewetting are important in this context. However, dewetting can also be useful in making arrays of nanoscale particles for electronic and photonic devices and for catalyzing growth of nanotubes and nanowires. Templating of dewetting using patterned surface topography or prepatterning of films can be used to create ordered arrays of particles and complex patterns of partially dewetted structures. Studies of dewetting can also provide fundamental new insight into the effects of surface energy anisotropy and facets on shape evolution.

Solid-State Dewetting of Thin Films

More than a decade of research in the field of thermal, motion, vibration and electromagnetic radiation energy harvesting has yielded increasing power output and smaller embodiments. Power management circuits for rectification and DC-DC conversion are becoming able to efficiently convert the power from these energy harvesters. This paper summarizes recent energy harvesting results and their power management circuits.

Micropower energy harvesting

The first fifty years of chemoresistive sensors for gas detection are here reviewed, focusing on the main scientific and technological innovations that have occurred in the field over the course of these years. A look at advances made in fundamental and applied research and leading to the development of actual high performance chemoresistive devices is presented. The approaches devoted to the synthesis of novel semiconducting materials with unprecedented nanostructure and gas-sensing properties have been also presented. Perspectives on new technologies and future applications of chemoresistive gas sensors have also been highlighted.

First Fifty Years of Chemoresistive Gas Sensors

Disc-shaped objects can be induced to form columnar assemblies whether their scale is tens of Angstroms (molecular), tens of nanometers (macromolecular or supramolecular), hundreds of nanometers (colloidal) or tens of microns (‘manufactured’ platelets). The last couple of years have seen rapid progress in the development of conducting columnar systems and in controlling the orientation of discotic mesophases. The first serious commercial development has also emerged. Fuji Film Company has perfected and marketed optical compensating films based on cross-linked nematic discogens with controlled hybrid orientation.

Discotic liquid crystals 25 years on

Ionization gas sensors using vertically aligned multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) are demonstrated The sharp tips of the nanotubes generate large non-uniform electric fields at relatively low applied voltage The enhancement of the electric field results in field emission of electrons that dominates the breakdown mechanism in gas sensor with gap spacing below 14 μm More than 90% reduction in breakdown voltage is observed for sensors with MWCNT and 7 μm gap spacing Transition of breakdown mechanism, dominated by avalanche electrons to field emission electrons, as decreasing gap spacing is also observed and discussed

Breakdown voltage reduction by field emission in multi-walled carbon nanotubes based ionization gas sensor

The thermal agglomeration of ultrathin silicon-on-insulator (SOI) layers with different crystalline orientations [(110)-, (100)-, and (111)-oriented SOI layers] is reported. (110) SOI agglomeration leads to the formation of Si island arrays along and directions, while (100) and (111) SOI agglomerations result in Si island arrays in directions and Si wires in directions, respectively. The {311} facets mainly determine the direction of the agglomerated shape, whereas the symmetric and asymmetric facet properties are responsible for Si island and wires formation, respectively. These results indicate that Si islands or wires can be formed in certain directions by selecting the appropriate SOI crystalline orientation.

Thermal Agglomeration of Ultrathin Silicon-on-Insulator Layers: Crystalline Orientation Dependence

Transparent conductive electrodes (TCE) made of carbon nanotube (CNT) and graphene composite for GaN-based light emitting diodes (LED) are presented. The TCE with 533-Ω/□ sheet resistance and 88% transmittance were obtained when chemical-vapor-deposition grown graphene was fused across CNT networks. With an additional 2-nm thin NiOx interlayer between the TCE and top p-GaN layer of the LED, the forward voltage was reduced to 5.12 V at 20-mA injection current. Four-fold improvement in terms of light output power was observed. The improvement can be ascribed to the enhanced lateral current spreading across the hybrid CNT-graphene TCE before injection into the p-GaN layer.

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Carbon nanotube-graphene composite film as transparent conductive electrode for GaN-based light-emitting diodes

Hybrid film of single-layer graphene and carbon nanotube as transparent conductive electrode for organic light emitting diode

The demand for carbon dioxide (CO2) gas detection is increasing nowadays. However, its fast detection at room temperature (RT) is a major challenge. Graphene is found to be the most promising sensing material for RT detection, owing to its high surface area and electrical conductivity. In this work, we report a highly edge functionalized chemically synthesized reduced graphene oxide (rGO) thin films to achieve fast sensing response for CO2 gas at room temperature. The high amount of edge functional groups is prominent for the sorption of CO2 molecules. Initially, rGO is synthesized by reduction of GO using ascorbic acid (AA) as a reducing agent. Three different concentrations of rGO are prepared using three AA concentrations (25, 50, and 100 mg) to optimize the material properties such as functional groups and conductivity. Thin films of three different AA reduced rGO suspensions (AArGO25, AArGO50, AArGO100) are developed and later analyzed using standard FTIR, XRD, Raman, XPS, TEM, SEM, and four-point probe measurement techniques. We find that the highest edge functionality is achieved by the AArGO25 sample with a conductivity of ~1389 S/cm. The functionalized AArGO25 gas sensor shows recordable high sensing properties (response and recovery time) with good repeatability for CO2 at room temperature at 500 ppm and 50 ppm. Short response and recovery time of ~26 s and ~10 s, respectively, are achieved for 500 ppm CO2 gas with the sensitivity of ~50 Hz/µg. We believe that a highly functionalized AArGO CO2 gas sensor could be applicable for enhanced oil recovery, industrial and domestic safety applications.

Zainal Arif Burhanudin

Papers

Breakdown voltage reduction by field emission in multi-walled carbon nanotubes based ionization gas sensor

Thermal Agglomeration of Ultrathin Silicon-on-Insulator Layers: Crystalline Orientation Dependence

Carbon nanotube-graphene composite film as transparent conductive electrode for GaN-based light-emitting diodes

Hybrid film of single-layer graphene and carbon nanotube as transparent conductive electrode for organic light emitting diode

Functionalized Reduced Graphene Oxide Thin Films for Ultrahigh CO2 Gas Sensing Performance at Room Temperature