Magister Educationis - MEd / This study investigated 1) the conceptions on capacitors held by a group teachers in the Western Cape; 2) the effect of a dialogical argumentation instructional model on the teachers’ conceptions on the capacitor; and 3) the teachers’ perceptions on the implementation of this instructional model. The theoretical framework of the study was based on Toulmin’s Argumentation Pattern (TAP) and Ogunniyi’s Contiguity Argumentation Theory (CAT). The objective was to retrain science teachers in their awareness and understanding of the Nature of Science and Indigenous Knowledge Systems thereby enhancing their ability and efficacy in integrating science and Indigenous Knowledge Systems. The study involved workshop activities that included the teachers’ Reflective Diary, interview sessions, and video-taped lesson observations. The study adopted a Case Study approach and the data was analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The findings of the study showed that: 1) the teachers held varying conceptions of the capacitor; 2) the teachers’ conceptions of the capacitor improved after being exposed to the Dialogical Argumentation Instructional Model and 3) the teachers were dominantly in favour of the Dialogical Argumentation Instruction Model as a teaching method to be introduced at schools. The implications of the findings for school science and pedagogy were highlighted for closer observation.

Hierarchical Kroll-carbons (KCs) with combined micro- and mesopore systems are prepared from silica and alumina templates by a reductive carbochlorination reaction of fumed silica and alumina nanoparticles inside a dense carbon matrix. The resulting KCs offer specific surface areas close to 2000 m2 g−1 and total pore volumes exceeding 3 cm3 g−1, resulting from their hierarchical pore structure. High micropore volumes of 0.39 cm3 g−1 are achieved in alumina-based KCs due to the enhanced carbon etching reaction being mainly responsible for the evolution of porosity. Mesopore sizes are uniform and precisely controllable over a wide range by the template particle dimensions. The possibility of directly recycling the process exhaust gases for the template synthesis and the use of renewable carbohydrates as the carbon source lead to a scalable and efficient alternative to classical hard- and soft templating approaches for the production of mesoporous and hierarchical carbon materials. Silica- and alumina-based Kroll-carbons are versatile electrode materials in electrochemical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs). Specific capacitances of up to 135 F g−1 in an aqueous electrolyte (1 M sulfuric acid) and 174 F g−1 in ionic liquid (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate) are achieved when measured in a symmetric cell configuration up to voltages of 0.6 and 2.5 V, respectively. 90% of the capacitance can be utilized at high current densities (20 A g−1) and room temperature rendering Kroll-carbons as attractive materials for EDLC electrodes resulting in high capacities and high rate performance due to the combined presence of micro- and mesopores.

We report the experimental observation of hysteresis-free negative capacitance (NC) in thin ferroelectric Hf₀.₅Zr₀.₅O₂ (HZO) films through high-speed pulsed charge-voltage measurements. Hysteretic switching is suppressed by the addition of thin Al₂O₃ layers on top of the HZO to prevent the screening of the polarization. We observe an S-shaped polarization-electric field dependence without hysteresis in agreement with Landau theory, which enables direct extraction of NC modeling parameters for ferroelectric HZO. Hysteresis-free NC is demonstrated down to 100 ns pulse widths limited only by our measurement setup. These results give critical insights into the physics of ferroelectric NC and practical NC device design using ferroelectric HZO.

Cílem práce byl návrh a implementace řídicích algoritmů pro optimalizaci spotřeby energie elektrického vozidla. Hlavním úkolem byla optimalizace rozložení energie mezi hlavním zdrojem energie (bateriemi) a super-kapacitory v průběhu jízdního cyklu. Jízdní výkonový profil je odhadován a předpovězen na základě 3D geografických souřadnic a matematického modelu vozidla. V první části jsou uvedeny komponenty vozidla a jejich modely. Poté jsou představeny algoritmy na základě klouzavého průměru a dynamického programování. Byly provedeny simulace a analýzy pro demostraci přínosů algoritmů. V poslední části je popsána Java implementace algoritmů a také aplikace pro operační systém Android.

In this thesis, new all-printed capacitors are developed for the applications of energy storage, filter, and resonant circuits by using new dielectric material and an advanced technology. The innovative devices provide satisficing electrical performances with high breakdown voltages and capacitance densities. The main body of this thesis is divided in three parts. The first part is to introduce the fundamental background of printing technologies, electrical capacitors and printable materials. Among all the printing technologies, direct writing family is the most advantageous in the small-scale and fast production of printed electronics due to the properties of masterless processing, digital control, and print-on-demand. Both inkjet printing and ultrasonic fluid dispensing applied in this work are grouped into the direct writing family. A cross-linkable dielectric material poly(methyl methacrylate)84/(4-benzoylphenyl methacrylate)16 [P(MMA84/BPMA16)] exhibits the optimized chemical and mechanical stabilities in comparison with uncross-linked poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). Poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoro ethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)] exhibits a high dielectric constant of 16. The great advantages of both polymeric dielectrics make them ideal for printed electronics. The second part is devoted to the preparation of printed thin-film capacitors by providing four different layouts and architectures for multiple electronic applications. The printing setup, process setting and steps are summarized in detail. The following part which is the major content of this thesis is divided into two aspects: in the first aspect, the intriguing new form of continuous solution dispensing technology, ultrasonic fluid dispensing, is demonstrated as an alternative printing technology for the commonly applied ones. In comparison with the widely-used inkjet printing, continuous solution dispensing is the most advantageous in thin-film capacitor processing with metal nanoparticle and polymer dielectric inks. It enables precise pattern transfers with low surface roughness, small feature size (as small as 5 μm), and accurate positioning (5 μm resolution). Most importantly, problems due to discrete droplets and nozzle clogging in inkjet printing are avoided in continuous solution dispensing. All the inks applied for printed capacitors in this work are printed successfully with this innovating technology. Direct printing on demand and rapid switching among different inks are some other attributes of this printing technology that enable high throughput. The second aspect of this part is to characterize and evaluate the fabricated capacitors. The measured values include capacitor dimension, dielectric strength, capacitance density, energy density, charge/discharge behavior and so on. In summary, this work provides not only the use of the advantageous materials P(MMA84/BPMA16) and P(VDF-TrFE) in high-performance capacitors, but also paves the way of developing thin-film capacitors with a new continuous solution dispensing technology which makes the low-cost and high-quality manufacture of printed devices possible.

Supercapacitors have aroused considerable attention due to their high power capability, which enables charge storage/output in minutes or even seconds. However, to achieve a high energy density in a supercapacitor has been a long‐standing challenge. Here, graphite is reported as a high‐energy alternative to the frequently used activated carbon (AC) cathode for supercapacitor application due to its unique Faradaic pseudocapacitive anion intercalation behavior. The graphite cathode manifests both higher gravimetric and volumetric energy density (498 Wh kg−1 and 431.2 Wh l−1) than an AC cathode (234 Wh kg−1 and 83.5 Wh l−1) with peak power densities of 43.6 kW kg−1 and 37.75 kW l−1. A new type of Li‐ion pseudocapacitor (LIpC) is thus proposed and demonstrated with graphite as cathode and prelithiated graphite or Li4Ti5O12 (LTO) as anode. The resultant graphite–graphite LIpCs deliver high energy densities of 167–233 Wh kg−1 at power densities of 0.22–21.0 kW kg−1 (based on active mass in both electrodes), much higher than 20–146 Wh kg−1 of AC‐derived Li‐ion capacitors and 23–67 Wh kg−1 of state‐of‐the‐art metal oxide pseudocapacitors. Excellent rate capability and cycling stability are further demonstrated for LTO‐graphite LIpCs.

Le titanate de baryum dopé (BaTiO3, BT) avec des éléments de terres rares est utilisé comme diélectrique dans la fabrication de condensateurs céramiques multicouches (MLCC). L'oxyde de terres rares le plus couramment utilisé comme dopant dans la formulation commerciale de la poudre BT pour la fabrication de MLCC est Y2O3, car il a des propriétés similaires à celles de l'ajout de Ho2O3, Er2O3 ou Dy2O3 et il est moins coûteux. D'autres additifs, tels que Mn, Mg et Ca contribuent à la répartition globale des défauts électroniques pouvant être générés lorsque les ions dopants sont insérés dans le réseau, tandis que SiO2 est utilisé comme additif de frittage. La structure pérovskite du BT peut héberger une large gamme de dopants pouvant remplacer Ba ou Ti dans le réseau. Aussi, des phases secondaires, notamment celles connues sous le nom de pyrochlores Y2Ti2O7, associées à l'Y2O3 en tant que dopant BT, supposées être á l'origine des mécanismes de défaillance à long terme des MLCC, apparaissent. Le but de ce travail est de caractériser le BT dopé avec différentes concentrations d'Y2O3, en validant son éventuelle contribution à la formation de phases secondaires et en évaluant la fiabilité des MLCC préparées avec ce type de matériaux. Le rôle de Y2O3 a été évalué sur deux types de matières premières, le premier est du BaTiO3 pur (<100 ppm en Y) et le second est une formulation commerciale conçue pour les MLCC connus sous le nom de X7R (-55 °C et 125 °C, ±15 %) qui, entre autres éléments, contient déjà 1% en poids de Y2O3. Des poudres et des céramiques avec différentes concentrations d'Y3+, telles qu'Y2O3, de dopage (1% en poids à 20% en poids) ont été préparées puis traitées thermiquement ou frittées. Le traitement thermique de la poudre a été effectué à l'air, tandis que le frittage de la céramique (poudre compactée à 2 MPa) a été effectué à la fois dans l'air et dans une atmosphère réductrice (1310 °C à l'air pendant 3 h, deux étapes: 1310 °C puis 1150 °C 15 h et une atmosphère réductrice N2, H2, H2O à 1310 °C pendant 3 h). En ce qui concerne l'addition d'Y2O3, la transition de phase de tétragonal à un mélange de tétragonal et de cubique a été observée lorsque la concentration en Y2O3 augmentait dans la poudre traitée thermiquement et dans la céramique correspondante. [...] / Doped barium titanate (BaTiO3, BT) with rare-earth elements (REE) is used as dielectric in the manufacture of multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs). The most common REE oxide employed as dopant in the commercial formulation of BT powder for fabrication of MLCCs is Y2O3, because it results in similar properties than adding Ho2O3, Er2O3 or Dy2O3, and it is less expensive. Other additives, such as Mn, Mg, and Ca contribute to the global distribution of the electronic defects that can be generated when the doping ions are inserted into the lattice, while SiO2 is used as a sintering additive. The perovskite structure of the BT can host a wide range of dopants that can substitute either Ba or Ti in the lattice. There are reports of secondary phases, particularly those known as pyrochlores Y2Ti2O7, related to Y2O3 as BT dopant, that are supposed to be the cause of long term failure mechanisms of MLCC's under nominal operation. The purpose of this work is to characterize BT doped with different concentrations of Y2O3, validating its possible contribution to the formation of secondary phases, and evaluating reliability of MLCCs prepared with this kind of materials. The role of Y2O3 was evaluated on two kinds of raw materials, the first one is pure BaTiO3 (< 100 ppm Y) and the second kind is a commercial formulation designed for MLCCs known as X7R (-55 °C and 125 °C, 15% tolerance) which, among other elements, already contains 1 wt% of Y2O3. Powders and ceramics with different Y3+, as Y2O3, doping concentration (1 wt% up to 20 wt%) were prepared and subsequently thermally treated or sintered, respectively. Heat treatment of powder was conducted on air, while sintering of ceramics (powder compacted at 2 MPa) was carried out both, in air and reducing atmosphere (1310 °C in air for 3 h, two steps: 1310 °C then 1150 °C 15 h, and a reducing atmosphere N2, H2, H2O at 1310 °C for 3 h). Regarding Y2O3 addition, the phase transition from tetragonal to a mixture of tetragonal and cubic was observed as Y2O3 concentration increases in the thermally treated powder and in the corresponding ceramics. [...]

Ferroelectrics are theoretically an ideal solution for low write power nonvolatile memories. However, the complexity of ferroelectric perovskites has hindered the scaling of such devices to competitive feature sizes. The discovery of ferroelectricity in hafnium oxide solved this issue. Ferroelectric memories in three variants, capacitor based ferroelectric RAM, ferroelectric field effect transistors and ferroelectric tunneling junctions have become competitors for future memory solutions again. In this paper, the basics and current status of hafnium oxide based ferroelectric memory devices is described and recent results are shown.

No description available.

Dans le cadre de l’intégration tridimensionnelle (3D) associée à l’utilisation d’un nombre croissant de circuits intégrés (CIs), le besoin en condensateurs de découplage à forte densité de capacité (≥ 1 μF.cm-2), capables d’opérer sur une gamme de fréquences de plus en plus étendue, est crucial afin de limiter les fluctuations de tension d’alimentation au niveau des CIs. Le principal frein au développement de ces condensateurs réside dans l’obtention de couches minces (≤ 100 nm) à partir de matériaux ayant une forte permittivité relative (ε_r > 200 à 1 GHz), des technologies compatibles avec une intégration à grande échelle, et peu coûteux.L’approche proposée dans cette thèse s’appuie d’une part, sur la possibilité de synthétiser des nanoparticules diélectriques à base de Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 [BST] (Ø = 16 ± 2 nm, ε_r = 260 à 1 kHz) - obtenues en milieux fluides supercritiques - comme matériau diélectrique et d’autre part, sur la pulvérisation de jets ou spray coating comme technologie de dépôt en couches minces. Dans un premier temps, les nanoparticules de BST ont été synthétisées et fonctionnalisées par l’acide 3-aminopropylphosphonique (APA), dans le but de les disperser dans un solvant et d’obtenir des suspensions colloïdales stables. Les ligands ont aussi pour fonction d’améliorer la tenue mécanique des films (auto-assemblage) sur le substrat de cuivre (Cu). La variation de paramètres liés à la solution à base des nanoparticules (concentration, durée de dispersion mécanique) et à la technique de dépôt (température du substrat, débit), ont permis d’optimiser les conditions pour obtenir des films uniformes à base de nanoparticules fonctionnalisées (BST-APA). Des films de 200 ± 50 nm d’épaisseur ont ainsi pu être obtenus. Après dépôt de plots d’aluminium (Al) sur les films à base de BST-APA et utilisés comme électrode supérieure, les caractéristiques capacité-tension (C-V) et courant-tension (I-V) des condensateurs de structure Al/BST-APA/Cu ont permis d’extraire une densité de capacité élevée (0.71 μF.cm-2) et une densité de courant de fuite (25 μA.cm-2) mesurées à 1 V. Les résultats obtenus au cours de cette thèse montent que la pulvérisation de jets est une alternative aux procédés coûteux reportés (ablation laser, pulvérisation) dans l’état de l’art, pour la fabrication de condensateurs de hautes performances.Mots clés : Condensateurs MIM, couches minces, fluides supercritiques, diélectriques, Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3, pulvérisation de jets, nanofabrication. / Within the three-dimensional (3D) integration associated with the use of an increasing amount of integrated circuits (ICs), there is strong need of high capacitance density (≥ 1 μF.cm-2) decoupling capacitors, able to operate on large frequency bandwidth, in order to reduce the noise that can compromise the signal integrity in ICs. The main challenge of these capacitors relies on the deposition of thin films (≤ 100 nm) using innovative materials with high relative permittivity (ε_r > 200 à 1 GHz) and «low cost» technologies compatible with large scale integration.On one hand, the proposed approach in this thesis benefits from the possibility of synthetizing – by the supercritical fluid technology – and using Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 (BST) nanoparticles (Ø = 16 ± 2 nm, ε_r = 260 at1 kHz) as dielectric material and on the other hand, from the use of spray coating as technique for the deposition of these materials as thin films. First of all, the BST nanoparticles synthesized are functionalized with specific ligands (3-aminopropylphosphonic acid, APA), in order to obtain colloidal suspensions composed by aggregates with size (Ø < 100 nm) showing few fluctuations during two months. The other function of ligands is to improve the adhesion of the deposited films (self-assembling) on the copper (Cu) substrate. Different solvent are studied for the preparation of the solutions : N-méthyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), water, methanol and ethanol. The variation of different parameters related to the solution and the deposition technique helped us to define the optimal conditions leading to different thickness of film (200 – 1000 nm) based on pristine (BST) and functionalized nanoparticles (BST-APA). Using ethanol instead of NMP as solvent, enabled us to prevent de formation of a copper oxide layer and organic residues. After deposition of aluminum pads (Al) on BST or BST-APA films and used as top electrode, the capacitance-voltage (C-V) and current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of capacitors with metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structure enabled us to achieve high capacitance density (~ 0.7 μF.cm-2) and low leakage current (~ 25 μA.cm-2) at 1 V.Keywords: MIM capacitors, thin films, supercritical fluids, Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3, spray coating, nanofabrication in cleanroom.