L’une des solutions proposées pour la diminution du coût par watt d'électricité produite par le photovoltaïque est de réduire la quantité des matériaux semiconducteurs entrants dans la fabrication de la cellule solaire. La 3ème génération des cellules solaires en couches minces nanostructurées vient pour répondre à cette exigence. Les matériaux CIGS sous leurs structures chalcopyrites, sont de nouveaux matériaux semiconducteurs fortement recommandés pour la fabrication des cellules solaires à base de couches minces. La synthèse par la méthode de pulvérisation cathodique et la caractérisation de ces derniers matériaux ont été l’objectif général de cette thèse. Toutes les couches ont été déposées grâce à une seule cible constituée par des grains nanométriques de CIGS, ces derniers ont été obtenus par la voie solvothermale. Dans la première partie de ce travail, nous avons étudié l’effet des différents paramètres de synthèse (température, durée de synthèse, le traitement thermique et l’effet du taux molaire de gallium et d’indium) sur les propriétés des nanoparticules CIGS, les mécanismes réactionnels mis en jeu ont été aussi étudié. Les conditions de synthèse optimales sont une température et une durée de synthèse égale à 220 °C et 24 heures. Après un traitement thermique, les nanoparticules de CIGS sont cristallisées suivant la structure chalcopyrite, avec l’absence des pics correspond aux phases secondaires, les diamètres des grains varie entre 15 et 30 nm. Dans la deuxième partie, Nous sommes intéressés à l’élaboration et la caractérisation des couches absorbantes ternaire et quaternaire de type CIS et CIGS (x = 0 et x = 0.3) obtenues par pulvérisation cathodique en variant la puissance de dépôt de 60 à 100 W. Toutes les couches élaborées présentent la phase chalcopyrite avec (112) comme axe d’orientation préférentiel de croissance. La taille moyenne des grains a le même ordre de grandeur que les poudres initiales. Les couches de CIGS sont généralement de type de conduction p avec des faibles valeurs de résistivités. Les caractérisations optiques des couches présentent une bonne absorption de l’ordre de 95 % dans la gamme de visible et le proche infra-rouge. La variation du coefficient d’absorption en fonction de l’énergie du photon, nous a permis de déterminer l’énergie du gap optique. Les valeurs obtenues pour les différentes couches sont cohérentes avec l’optimum pour la conversion photovoltaïque. / One of the proposed solutions for reducing the cost of electricity produced by the photovoltaic is to reduce the amount of incoming semiconductor materials in the manufacture of the solar cell. The 3rd generation solar cells based on nanostructured thin film come in response to this requirement. CIGS under their structures chalcopyrite are highly recommended for the manufacture of this solar cells type. The synthesis of these materials using sputtering method and their characterization were the overall goal of this thesis. All films were deposited onto glass substrates from single target composed trough nanoparticles of CIGS, which are obtained by the solvothermal route. In the first part of this work, we studied the effect of different synthesis parameters (temperature, synthesis time, the heat treatment and the effect of the molar ratio of gallium and indium) on the properties of CIGS nanoparticles. The reaction mechanisms were also studied. The optimum synthesis conditions are a temperature and a synthesis time equal to 220 ° C and 24 hours. After heat treatment, the nanoparticles are crystallized according CIGS chalcopyrite structure, with the absence of the peaks corresponding to the secondary phases, grain size between 15 and 30 nm. In the second part, we are interested in the deposition and characterization of ternary and quaternary absorbent thin film CIS and CIGS (x = 0 and x = 0.3) obtained by sputtering deposition by varying the power of pulverization from 60 to 100 W. All layers have crystallized in the chalcopyrite structure with the preferential orientation in the (112) plane were obtained. The average grain size has the same order of magnitude as the initial powders. All films are generally p-type conduction with low resistivity values. Optical characterizations of the layers exhibit a good absorption in the visible range and the near infrared. The variation of the absorption coefficient as a function of photon energy enabled us to determine the energy of the optical gap. The values obtained for the different layers are consistent with the optimum for the photovoltaic conversion.

A diminuição nos custos de fabricação das SOFC e também a flexibilização do combustível utilizado em seu abastecimento são obstáculos que, uma vez transpostos, podem possibilitar a utilização em larga escala das SOFC. A melhoria no desempenho dos componentes das SOFC pode fazer esse dispositivo trabalhar em temperaturas mais baixas, facilitando a operação do dispositivo e aumentando sua vida útil. Nesse sentido, é útil o desenvolvimento de métodos de fabricação simples e de baixo custo de componentes de SOFC, que atualmente são obtidos na forma de filmes finos cerâmicos. Assim, é proposto o desenvolvimento de uma nova técnica baseada na reação de combustão para síntese de pós e a aerografia, no intuito de, por via úmida, obter filmes finos porosos de composições cerâmicas. Foram realizadas deposições de manganitas de lantânio dopadas com estrôncio e cromo (LSM e LSCM) e óxido de cério dopado com lantânio (LCO) sobre substratos de zircônia estabilizada com ítria (YSZ) e de aço AISI 430, com o propósito de verificar a viabilidade do método de combustão de solução aspergida (CSA) proposto neste trabalho. Embora vários dos filmes fabricados tenham ficado descontínuos ou com uma quantidade excessiva de trincas, alguns resultados foram satisfatórios. Alguns filmes de LSM depositados sobre YSZ apresentaram tamanho de grão reduzido, da ordem de algumas dezenas de nanômetros, e uma porosidade fina e interconectada que levou o material a apresentar um bom desempenho eletroquímico, visando sua aplicação como cátodo de SOFC. A partir das suas propriedades eletroquímicas e, principalmente, pela energia de ativação dos processos do eletrodo, verificou-se que a microestrutura conferida pelo método de CSA proporcionou uma melhoria no desempenho da LSM. Os filmes de LSM obtidos nesse trabalho apresentaram energias de ativação inferiores a 1,26 eV, enquanto na literatura são encontrados valores mais altos para meia-células semelhantes. / Lowering fabrication costs of SOFC’s and also their fuel flexibility are obstacles that, once transposed, can make possible the mass utilization of such devices. The improvement on the performance of SOFC’s components can allow these devices to work in lower temperatures, facilitating their operation and increasing their lifespan. In this sense, is very useful the development of simple and cheap fabrication techniques of SOFC’s components, which are nowadays obtained in the form of thin ceramic films. Thus, the development of a new fabrication method is proposed, based on the solution combustion synthesis reaction and airbrush painting, in order to obtain, by a wet chemical route, thin and porous ceramic films. Depositions of strontium and cobalt doped lanthanum manganites (LSM and LSCM) and lanthanum doped cerium oxide (LCO) were carried out over yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and AISI 430 steel with the intent of verifying the viability of the Airbrushed Solution Combustion (ASC) method, proposed in this work. Although several films fabricated by ASC were discontinuous or excessively cracked, some results were satisfactory. Some LSM films deposited over YSZ showed reduced grain size, in the order of tens of nanometers, and a fine interconnected porosity, which led the material to present good electrochemical performance, aiming its application as a SOFC’s cathode. From their electrochemical properties and, mainly, through activation energy of the electrode processes, it was seeing that the microstructure acquired with the ASC method enhanced the overall performance of LSM. The LSM films obtained in this work showed activation energies below 1,26 eV, while in the literature the values are higher than this for similar half-cells.

A diminuição nos custos de fabricação das SOFC e também a flexibilização do combustível utilizado em seu abastecimento são obstáculos que, uma vez transpostos, podem possibilitar a utilização em larga escala das SOFC. A melhoria no desempenho dos componentes das SOFC pode fazer esse dispositivo trabalhar em temperaturas mais baixas, facilitando a operação do dispositivo e aumentando sua vida útil. Nesse sentido, é útil o desenvolvimento de métodos de fabricação simples e de baixo custo de componentes de SOFC, que atualmente são obtidos na forma de filmes finos cerâmicos. Assim, é proposto o desenvolvimento de uma nova técnica baseada na reação de combustão para síntese de pós e a aerografia, no intuito de, por via úmida, obter filmes finos porosos de composições cerâmicas. Foram realizadas deposições de manganitas de lantânio dopadas com estrôncio e cromo (LSM e LSCM) e óxido de cério dopado com lantânio (LCO) sobre substratos de zircônia estabilizada com ítria (YSZ) e de aço AISI 430, com o propósito de verificar a viabilidade do método de combustão de solução aspergida (CSA) proposto neste trabalho. Embora vários dos filmes fabricados tenham ficado descontínuos ou com uma quantidade excessiva de trincas, alguns resultados foram satisfatórios. Alguns filmes de LSM depositados sobre YSZ apresentaram tamanho de grão reduzido, da ordem de algumas dezenas de nanômetros, e uma porosidade fina e interconectada que levou o material a apresentar um bom desempenho eletroquímico, visando sua aplicação como cátodo de SOFC. A partir das suas propriedades eletroquímicas e, principalmente, pela energia de ativação dos processos do eletrodo, verificou-se que a microestrutura conferida pelo método de CSA proporcionou uma melhoria no desempenho da LSM. Os filmes de LSM obtidos nesse trabalho apresentaram energias de ativação inferiores a 1,26 eV, enquanto na literatura são encontrados valores mais altos para meia-células semelhantes. / Lowering fabrication costs of SOFC’s and also their fuel flexibility are obstacles that, once transposed, can make possible the mass utilization of such devices. The improvement on the performance of SOFC’s components can allow these devices to work in lower temperatures, facilitating their operation and increasing their lifespan. In this sense, is very useful the development of simple and cheap fabrication techniques of SOFC’s components, which are nowadays obtained in the form of thin ceramic films. Thus, the development of a new fabrication method is proposed, based on the solution combustion synthesis reaction and airbrush painting, in order to obtain, by a wet chemical route, thin and porous ceramic films. Depositions of strontium and cobalt doped lanthanum manganites (LSM and LSCM) and lanthanum doped cerium oxide (LCO) were carried out over yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and AISI 430 steel with the intent of verifying the viability of the Airbrushed Solution Combustion (ASC) method, proposed in this work. Although several films fabricated by ASC were discontinuous or excessively cracked, some results were satisfactory. Some LSM films deposited over YSZ showed reduced grain size, in the order of tens of nanometers, and a fine interconnected porosity, which led the material to present good electrochemical performance, aiming its application as a SOFC’s cathode. From their electrochemical properties and, mainly, through activation energy of the electrode processes, it was seeing that the microstructure acquired with the ASC method enhanced the overall performance of LSM. The LSM films obtained in this work showed activation energies below 1,26 eV, while in the literature the values are higher than this for similar half-cells.

A diminuição nos custos de fabricação das SOFC e também a flexibilização do combustível utilizado em seu abastecimento são obstáculos que, uma vez transpostos, podem possibilitar a utilização em larga escala das SOFC. A melhoria no desempenho dos componentes das SOFC pode fazer esse dispositivo trabalhar em temperaturas mais baixas, facilitando a operação do dispositivo e aumentando sua vida útil. Nesse sentido, é útil o desenvolvimento de métodos de fabricação simples e de baixo custo de componentes de SOFC, que atualmente são obtidos na forma de filmes finos cerâmicos. Assim, é proposto o desenvolvimento de uma nova técnica baseada na reação de combustão para síntese de pós e a aerografia, no intuito de, por via úmida, obter filmes finos porosos de composições cerâmicas. Foram realizadas deposições de manganitas de lantânio dopadas com estrôncio e cromo (LSM e LSCM) e óxido de cério dopado com lantânio (LCO) sobre substratos de zircônia estabilizada com ítria (YSZ) e de aço AISI 430, com o propósito de verificar a viabilidade do método de combustão de solução aspergida (CSA) proposto neste trabalho. Embora vários dos filmes fabricados tenham ficado descontínuos ou com uma quantidade excessiva de trincas, alguns resultados foram satisfatórios. Alguns filmes de LSM depositados sobre YSZ apresentaram tamanho de grão reduzido, da ordem de algumas dezenas de nanômetros, e uma porosidade fina e interconectada que levou o material a apresentar um bom desempenho eletroquímico, visando sua aplicação como cátodo de SOFC. A partir das suas propriedades eletroquímicas e, principalmente, pela energia de ativação dos processos do eletrodo, verificou-se que a microestrutura conferida pelo método de CSA proporcionou uma melhoria no desempenho da LSM. Os filmes de LSM obtidos nesse trabalho apresentaram energias de ativação inferiores a 1,26 eV, enquanto na literatura são encontrados valores mais altos para meia-células semelhantes. / Lowering fabrication costs of SOFC’s and also their fuel flexibility are obstacles that, once transposed, can make possible the mass utilization of such devices. The improvement on the performance of SOFC’s components can allow these devices to work in lower temperatures, facilitating their operation and increasing their lifespan. In this sense, is very useful the development of simple and cheap fabrication techniques of SOFC’s components, which are nowadays obtained in the form of thin ceramic films. Thus, the development of a new fabrication method is proposed, based on the solution combustion synthesis reaction and airbrush painting, in order to obtain, by a wet chemical route, thin and porous ceramic films. Depositions of strontium and cobalt doped lanthanum manganites (LSM and LSCM) and lanthanum doped cerium oxide (LCO) were carried out over yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and AISI 430 steel with the intent of verifying the viability of the Airbrushed Solution Combustion (ASC) method, proposed in this work. Although several films fabricated by ASC were discontinuous or excessively cracked, some results were satisfactory. Some LSM films deposited over YSZ showed reduced grain size, in the order of tens of nanometers, and a fine interconnected porosity, which led the material to present good electrochemical performance, aiming its application as a SOFC’s cathode. From their electrochemical properties and, mainly, through activation energy of the electrode processes, it was seeing that the microstructure acquired with the ASC method enhanced the overall performance of LSM. The LSM films obtained in this work showed activation energies below 1,26 eV, while in the literature the values are higher than this for similar half-cells.

The scope of this work is to fathom different possibilities to create functional coatings with polymer brushes. The immobilization of nanoparticles and enzymes is investigated, as well as the affection of their properties by the stimuli-responsiveness of the brushes. Another aspect is the coating of 3D-nanostructures by polymer brushes and the investigation of the resulting functional properties of the hybrid material. The polymer brush coatings are characterized by a variety of microscopic and spectroscopic techniques, with a special emphasis on the establishment of the combinatorial quartz crystal microbalance/spectroscopic ellipsometry technique as a tool to characterize the functional properties of the polymer brush systems insitu. The pH-responsive swelling of the polyelectrolyte brushes poly(acrylic acid) and poly(2-vinylpyridine), as well as the thermoresponsive swelling of poly(N-isopropylacryl amide) is studied in detail by this technique. Poly(2-vinylpyridine) and binary poly(N-isopropylacryl amide)-poly (2-vinylpyridine) brushes are used as templates for the insitu-synthesis of palladium and platinum nanoparticles with catalytic activity. As an example for the use of polymer brushes to immobilize enzymes, the model enzyme glucose oxidase is physically adsorbed to poly (2-vinylpyridine) and poly (acrylic acid) brushes and also covalently bound to poly (acrylic acid) brushes. In the last part of this thesis, sculptured thin films are coated with poly (acrylic acid) and poly (N-isopropylacryl amide) brushes and the swelling characteristics as well as the adsorption behavior of the model protein bovine serum albumin are investigated.

The scope of this work is to fathom different possibilities to create functional coatings with polymer brushes. The immobilization of nanoparticles and enzymes is investigated, as well as the affection of their properties by the stimuli-responsiveness of the brushes. Another aspect is the coating of 3D-nanostructures by polymer brushes and the investigation of the resulting functional properties of the hybrid material. The polymer brush coatings are characterized by a variety of microscopic and spectroscopic techniques, with a special emphasis on the establishment of the combinatorial quartz crystal microbalance/spectroscopic ellipsometry technique as a tool to characterize the functional properties of the polymer brush systems insitu. The pH-responsive swelling of the polyelectrolyte brushes poly(acrylic acid) and poly(2-vinylpyridine), as well as the thermoresponsive swelling of poly(N-isopropylacryl amide) is studied in detail by this technique. Poly(2-vinylpyridine) and binary poly(N-isopropylacryl amide)-poly (2-vinylpyridine) brushes are used as templates for the insitu-synthesis of palladium and platinum nanoparticles with catalytic activity. As an example for the use of polymer brushes to immobilize enzymes, the model enzyme glucose oxidase is physically adsorbed to poly (2-vinylpyridine) and poly (acrylic acid) brushes and also covalently bound to poly (acrylic acid) brushes. In the last part of this thesis, sculptured thin films are coated with poly (acrylic acid) and poly (N-isopropylacryl amide) brushes and the swelling characteristics as well as the adsorption behavior of the model protein bovine serum albumin are investigated.

Planetary ball milling (PBM) is a well-known technique for efficient size reduction and homogenization of materials that has been used for many decades in various engineering and industrial processes. More recently, it has emerged as a unique top-down nanofabrication approach for nanomaterials based on nanoscale grinding. However, its potential application in nanostructured thin film fabrication has not been fully explored, as only a limited number of studies have been carried out. In this work, the effects of different grinding parameters (speed, time and solvents) were used to create previously unstudied nanoscale grinding conditions for nanostructured thin film materials via PBM with distinct and novel properties: Nanoparticles of silicon, titanium disilicide (TiSi2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) ground in different solvents (deionized (DI) water/ ethylene glycol (EG)/isopropyl alcohol) resulted in colloidal suspensions (or nanoinks) that could be used to coat various substrates (wafers, glass, flexible substrates, etc.) via drop casting, doctor blading or dip coating. Thin film properties such as wettability, electrical conductivity and gas sensing behavior are studied. The fabricated thin film coating properties could be tuned depending on the combination of starting powder materials, grinding parameters and resulting nanoparticle size/geometry: The influence of surface chemistry, solvent type, particle geometry, surface roughness and defects was shown to alter the conductivity and surface wettability of the resultant films. Thus, thin films formed using PBM nanoinks allow varied and tunable properties for advanced multi-functional coatings and devices. To demonstrate the feasibility of PBM nanoinks for thin film device applications, ZnO nanoinks were used to create chemiresistive gas sensors that operate at room temperature. By varying grinding parameters (speed, time and solvent) thin film sensors with differing particle sizes and porosity were produced and tested with air/oxygen against hydrogen, argon and methane target gas species, in addition to relative humidity. Grinding speeds of up to 1000 rpm produced particle sizes and RMS thin film roughness below 100 nm, as measured by atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence and x-ray analysis confirmed the purity and structure of resulting films. The peak gas sensor response was found for grinding parameters of 400 rpm (average particle size 275 nm) and 30 minutes (average particle size 225 nm) in EG and DI water, respectively, which could be correlated to an increased film porosity and an enhanced electron concentration resulting from adsorption/desorption of oxygen ions on the surface of ZnO nanoparticles. Similarly, gas response and dynamic behavior were found to improve as the operating temperature was increased between 100 and 150 °C. These results demonstrate the use of low-cost PBM nanoinks to optimize the active materials for solution-processed thin film gas/humidity sensors that can operate at room temperature for use in environmental, medical, food packaging, laboratory, and industrial applications. Overall, the nanogrinding technique can produce large amounts of nanoparticle suspension with variable particle sizes for creating thin films with tunable properties. By adjusting grinding parameters, the nanoparticle shape/size and properties can be varied resulting in nanoparticle inks for inexpensive coatings on various substrates and for use in different applications. / Graduate

The invention of the Glancing Angle Deposition (GLAD) technique a decade ago enabled the fabrication of nanostructured thin films with highly tailorable structural, electrical, optical, and magnetic properties. Here a three-dimensional atomic-scale growth simulator has been developed to model the growth of thin film materials fabricated with the GLAD technique, utilizing the Monte Carlo (MC) and Kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) methods; the simulator is capable of predicting film structure under a wide range of deposition conditions with a high degree of accuracy as compared to experiment. The stochastic evaporation and transport of atoms from the vapor source to the substrate is modeled as random ballistic deposition, incorporating the dynamic variation in substrate orientation that is central to the GLAD technique, and surface adatom diffusion is modeled as either an activated random walk (MC), or as energy dependent complete system transitions with rates calculated based on site-specific bond counting (KMC). The Sculptured Nanostructured Film Simulator (SNS) provides a three-dimensional physical prediction of film structure given a set of deposition conditions, enabling the calculation of film properties including porosity, roughness, and fractal dimension. Simulations were performed under various growth conditions in order to gain an understanding of the effects of incident angle, substrate rotation, tilt angle, and temperature on the resulting morphology of the thin film. Analysis of the evolution of film porosity during growth suggests a complex growth dynamic with significant variations with changes in tilt or substrate motion, in good agreement with x-ray reflectivity measurements. Future development will merge the physical structure growth simulator, SNS, with Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) electromagnetics simulation to allow predictive design of nanostructured optical materials. / Thesis (Master, Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy) -- Queen's University, 2009-03-31 13:22:11.843