Shih-Wei Chen

13% Efficiency Hybrid Organic/Silicon-Nanowire Heterojunction Solar Cell via Interface Engineering

Interface carrier recombination currently hinders the performance of hybrid organic-silicon heterojunction solar cells for high-efficiency low-cost photovoltaics. Here, we introduce an intermediate 1,1-bis[(di-4-tolylamino)phenyl]cyclohexane (TAPC) layer into hybrid heterojunction solar cells based on silicon nanowires (SiNWs) and conjugate polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy-thiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). The highest power conversion efficiency reaches a record 13.01%, which is largely ascribed to the modified organic surface morphology and suppressed saturation current that boost the open-circuit voltage and fill factor. We show that the insertion of TAPC increases the minority carrier lifetime because of an energy offset at the heterojunction interface. Furthermore, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy reveals that TAPC can effectively block the strong oxidation reaction occurring between PEDOT:PSS and silicon, which improves the device characteristics and assurances for reliability. These learnings point toward future directions for versatile interface engineering techniques for the attainment of highly efficient hybrid photovoltaics.

Continuous wave operation of current injected GaN vertical cavity surface emitting lasers at room temperature

We report the demonstration of the continuous wave laser action on GaN-based vertical cavity surface emitting lasers at room temperature. The laser structure consists of a ten-pair Ta2O5/SiO2 distributed Bragg reflector (DBR), a 7λ-thick optical cavity, ten-pairs InGaN/GaN multiquantum wells with an AlGaN electron blocking layer, and a 29-pair AlN/GaN DBR. The laser has a threshold current of about 9.7 mA corresponding to the current density of about 12.4 kA/cm2 and a turn-on voltage about 4.3 V at 300 K. The lasing wavelength was 412 nm with a linewidth of about 0.5 nm. A spontaneous emission coupling efficiency factor of about 5×10−3 and the degree of polarization of about 55% were measured, respectively. The laser beam has a narrow divergence angle of about 8°.

GaN-based two-dimensional surface-emitting photonic crystal lasers with AlN∕GaN distributed Bragg reflector

GaN-based two-dimensional (2D) surface-emitting photonic crystal (PC) lasers with AlN∕GaN distributed Bragg reflectors are fabricated and demonstrated. The lasing threshold energy density is about 3.5mJ∕cm2 per pulse under optical pumping at room temperature. Only one dominant emission wavelength of 424.3nm with a narrow linewidth of 1.1A above the threshold is observed. The laser emission covers whole circularly 2D PC patterns (50μm in diameter) with a small divergence angle. The lasing wavelength emitted from 2D PC lasers with different lattice constants occurs at the calculated band-edges provided by the PC patterns. The characteristics of large area, small divergence angle, and single mode emission from the GaN-based 2D surface-emitting PC lasers should be promising in high power blue-violet emitter applications.

Optically Pumped GaN-based Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers: Technology and Characteristics

We review the fabrication technology and performance characteristics of optically pumped GaN-based vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs). Two types of VCSELs with different microcavity structures are described. First type of VCSEL has a hybrid microcavity structure that consists of an epitaxially grown AlN/GaN distributed Bragg reflector (DBR), a GaN active layer with InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs), and a Ta2O5/SiO2 dielectric DBR. Second type of VCSEL has a dielectric DBR microcavity structure that has a similar InGaN/GaN MQWs active layer sandwiched in two dielectric DBRs formed by Ta2O5/SiO2 and TiO2/SiO2. Both types of VCSELs achieved laser action under optical pumping at room temperature with emission wavelength of 448 and 414 nm for hybrid DBR VCSEL and dielectric DBR VCSEL, respectively. Both lasers showed narrow emission linewidth with high degree of polarization and large spontaneous emission coupling factors of about 10-2. In addition, a high characteristic temperature of over 240 K was measured, and a distinct spatially inhomogeneous emission pattern was observed.

Characteristics of GaN-based photonic crystal surface emitting lasers

Characteristics of GaN-based photonic crystal surface emitting lasers (PCSELs) were investigated and analyzed. The GaN-based PCSEL emits a blue wavelength at 401.8 nm with a linewidth of 1.6 A and shows a threshold energy density about 2.7 mJ/cm2 under the optical pumping at room temperature. The lasing wavelength emitted from PCSELs with different lattice constants occurs at the calculated band edges showing different polarization angles due to the light diffracted in specific directions, corresponding exactly to Γ, K, and M directions in the K-space. Furthermore, the PCSEL also shows a spontaneous emission coupling efficiency β of about 5×10−3 and a characteristic temperature of 148 K.

Characteristics of Current-Injected GaN-Based Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers

This paper reviews the fabrication technology and performance characteristics of current-injected GaN-based vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) with hybrid distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs). The GaN-based VCSEL consists of a ten-pair Ta2O5/SiO2 top DBR, a 7 λ-thick optical cavity embedded with 10 InGaN/GaN multiquantum wells, and a 29-pair AlN/GaN bottom DBR. Lasing action is observed under continuous-wave operation at room temperature. The laser characteristics, such as temperature-dependent laser threshold current, emission wavelength, and spontaneous emission coupling factors, have been measured and discussed.

Development of GaN-Based Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers

This paper reviews the fabrication technology and performance characteristics of optically pumped and electrically pumped GaN-based vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs). The lasing action of optically pumped hybrid GaN-based VCSELs has been observed at room temperature due to the employment of high-quality and high-reflectivity AlN/GaN-based distributed Bragg reflectors in the VCSEL structure. Based on the device structure of the optically pumped hybrid GaN-based VCSELs, we further achieved the lasing action of electrically pumped GaN-based VCSELs under continuous-wave operation at 77 K. The laser has a threshold injection current of 1.4 mA and emits a blue wavelength at 462 nm together with a narrow linewidth of about 0.15 nm. The laser beam has a divergence angle of about 11.7deg with a polarization ratio of 80%. A very strong spontaneous coupling efficiency of 7.5 times 10-2 was measured.

Microstructure and magnetic properties of oxidized titanium nitride thin films in situ grown by pulsed laser deposition

Different oxidation states of titanium nitride thin films, including pure TiN(h 0 0), TiN1−xOx(h 0 0), Ti2O3(0 0 l) and pure anatase TiO2(0 0 l), were prepared by pulsed laser deposition with various oxygen pressures using a TiN target. Elaborative evolutions of the crystal and electronic structures of the obtained films were examined systematically by x-ray diffraction and x-ray absorption spectroscopy. We found that the Ti2O3(0 0 l) film, which was prepared at oxygen pressures , exhibited the maximum room temperature ferromagnetism (RTFM) behaviour. The bound magnetic polaron model is used to clarify the origin of RTFM in these films.

Study of a Nanoparticle Charger Containing Multiple Discharging Wires in a Tube

Abstract A unipolar charger containing multiple discharging wires in a tube (inner diameter: 50 mm) was developed and tested in order to increase the aerosol flow rate and the charging efficiency of nanoparticles. Four gold wires of 25 µm in diameter and 15 mm in length were used as the discharging electrodes to generate positive ions (Ni) from 2.72 × 108 ions/cc to 3.87 × 109 ions/cc in concentration at the discharging voltage of + 4.0 ∼ + 10 KV. Monodisperse NaCl particles of 10 ∼ 50 nm in diameter were used to test the charging efficiency and the particle loss of charged particles with different aerosol flow rates, corona voltages and sheath flow rates. The sheath air near the tube wall was found to increase the extrinsic charging efficiency, and the highest efficiency was obtained at + 6.0 KV discharging voltage, 10 L/min aerosol flow rate and 9 L/min sheath flow rate. The extrinsic charging efficiency increased from 10.6% to 74.2% when the particle diameter was increased from 10 to 50 nm. The TDMA (tandem differential mobility analyzer) method was used to determine the charge distribution and the mean charge per particle and it was found that the Fuchs charging theory corrected for the extrinsic charging efficiency matched with the experimental data very well.

Lasing Behavior, Gain Property, and Strong Coupling Effects in GaN-Based Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers

The optical properties of a GaN-based vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) with two dielectric distributed Bragg reflectors were investigated under optically pumped operation. The laser emits blue-violet light at a wavelength of 414 nm at room temperature with a high spontaneous emission coupling factor (� -factor) of 2 � 10 � 2 and a linewidth of 0.25 nm. The optical gain was determined by the Hakki–Paoli method by measuring the photoluminescence spectra below threshold conditions. At room temperature, an optical gain of 2900 cm � 1 was obtained under threshold condition. The linewidth enhancement factor (� -factor) is estimated from the ratio of the wavelength and gain derivation with respect to the carrier density, and the � -factor at room temperature is estimated to be 2.8. Strong exciton-photon coupling in the microcavity was observed at room temperature. A 9 meV Rabi splitting with 60% peak-to-valley contrast was determined from the photoluminescence measurements. Emission spectra showing the evolution of anticrossing behavior were also observed. [DOI: 10.1143/JJAP.47.6655]