| AVS 59th Annual International Symposium and Exhibition | |
| Thin Film | Thursday Sessions |
| Session TF+EM+SE+NS-ThM |
| Session: | Nanostructuring Thin Films |
| Presenter: | K. Ostrikov, CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, Australia |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
In this presentation, several examples of uniquely plasma-enabled nanostructuring of thin film materials for applications in energy conversion and storage, environmental monitoring, and bio-sensing. Strong emphasis is made on atom-, energy-efficiency, and environment-friendliness of plasma-based nanotechnologies.
1. Introduction: Atom- and energy-efficient nanotechnology is the ultimate Grand Challenge for basic energy sciences as has recently been road-mapped by the US Department of Energy. This ability will lead to the energy- and matter-efficient production of functional nanomaterials and devices for a vast range of applications in energy, environmental and health sectors that are critical for a sustainable future. Here we present examples related to atom- and energy-efficient nanoscale synthesis of advanced nanomaterials for energy conversion and storage, environmental sensing, and also discuss effective cancer cell treatment using low-temperature plasmas.
2. Atom- and energy-efficient nanostructure production for energy storage: Here we show an example of a recent achievement of a very low amount of energy per atom (~100 eV/atom) in the synthesis of MoO3 nanostructures for energy storage (e.g., Li-ion battery) applications. This was achieved by using time-programmed nanosecond repetitive spark in open air between Mo electrodes. Highly-controlled dosing of Mo and O atoms was achieved through the controlled evaporation and dissociation reactions and maintaining reactive chemistry in air. These nanomaterials show excellent electrochemical and energy storage performance.
3. Environment-friendly, single-step solar cell production: Highly-efficient (conversion efficiency 11.9%, fill factor 70 %) solar cells based on the vertically-aligned single-crystalline nanostructures have been produced without any pre-fabricated p-n junctions in a very simple, single-step process of Si nanoarray formation by etching p-type Si wafers in low-temperature environment-friendly plasmas of argon and hydrogen mixtures. The details of this process and the role of the plasma are discussed.
4. Metal-nanotube/graphene environmental and bio-sensors: Plasma processing was successfully applied for the fabrication of hybrid nanomaterials based on metal-decorated carbon nanotubes and vertically aligned graphenes. The applications of these structures in environmental (gas) and bio-sensing (SERC/plasmonic) platforms are presented. The vertically-aligned graphene structures have been grown without catalyst and any external substrate heating, owing to the unique plasma properties.