Atomic Layer Deposition For Energy Conversion And Storage Applications

Combining the two topics for the first time, this book begins with an introduction to the recent challenges in energy conversion devices from a materials preparation perspective and how they can be overcome by using atomic layer deposition (ALD). By bridging these subjects it helps ALD specialists to understand the requirements within the energy conversion field, and researchers in energy conversion to become acquainted with the opportunities offered by ALD. With its main focus on applications of ALD for photovoltaics, electrochemical energy storage, and photo- and electrochemical devices, this is important reading for materials scientists, surface chemists, electrochemists, electrotechnicians, physicists, and those working in the semiconductor industry.

Combining the two topics for the first time, this book begins with an introduction to the recent challenges in energy conversion devices from a materials preparation perspective and how they can be overcome by using atomic layer deposition (ALD). By bridging these subjects it helps ALD specialists to understand the requirements within the energy conversion field, and researchers in energy conversion to become acquainted with the opportunities offered by ALD. With its main focus on applications of ALD for photovoltaics, electrochemical energy storage, and photo- and electrochemical devices, this is important reading for materials scientists, surface chemists, electrochemists, electrotechnicians, physicists, and those working in the semiconductor industry.

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a thin film deposition process renowned for its ability to produce layers with unrivaled control of thickness and composition, conformability to extreme three-dimensional structures, and versatility in the materials it can produce. These range from multi-component compounds to elemental metals and structures with compositions that can be adjusted over the thickness of the film. It has expanded from a small-scale batch process to large scale production, also including continuous processing – known as spatial ALD. It has matured into an industrial technology essential for many areas of materials science and engineering from microelectronics to corrosion protection. Its attributes make it a key technology in studying new materials and structures over an enormous range of applications. This Special Issue contains six research articles and one review article that illustrate the breadth of these applications from energy storage in batteries or supercapacitors to catalysis via x-ray, UV, and visible optics.

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a cyclic, multi-step thin film chemical vapor deposition process based on sequential self-limiting surface reactions. It has been widely applied for synthesizing various three dimensional (3D) nanoscale morphologies. Recently, based on ALD process, a surface-reaction-limited pulsed chemical vapor deposition (SPCVD) technique was developed for 3D hierarchical branched nanowire (NW) architecture with super high surface area density and good electronic transport properties. This new ALD-based nanomanufacturing technique demonstrated great potential to conduct large-area and low-cost fabrication of high-density 3D nanomaterials for energy harvesting and storage applications, such as photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting, solar cells, batteries and supercapacitors. In this dissertation, a series of experimental work is presented regarding fundamental understandings and rational controls of the SPCVD process in branched nanorod (NR) synthesis, as well as the application potentials of 3D branched nanowire architectures. First, the composition control ability of SPCVD was studied on nitrogen-doped TiO2 NRs to overcome the intrinsically visible light absorption constrains of metal oxide semiconductors. Second, to further improve the porosity and surface area while maintain good redox reaction kinetics, several 3D cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) templated fibrous TiO2 nanoarchitectures were synthesized. By integrating the strong capillary property of CNF film, the capillary PEC and capillary photocatalytic systems were developed by performing water redox reactions outside of the body of electrolyte with enhanced reaction kinetics and higher efficiency. At last, SPCVD was applied to the growth of high-density vanadium oxide (VOx) NR branches on Si NW backbones. Such a 3D hierarchical VOx/Si NW structure exhibited enhanced performance as a supercapacitor. These achievements open a new avenue of ALD for large-area, low-cost, and green fabrication of materials, which would be used in solar energy conversion and electrical energy storage.

Atomic layer deposition, formerly called atomic layer epitaxy, was developed in the 1970s to meet the needs of producing high-quality, large-area fl at displays with perfect structure and process controllability. Nowadays, creating nanomaterials and producing nanostructures with structural perfection is an important goal for many applications in nanotechnology. As ALD is one of the important techniques which offers good control over the surface structures created, it is more and more in the focus of scientists. The book is structured in such a way to fi t both the need of the expert reader (due to the systematic presentation of the results at the forefront of the technique and their applications) and the ones of students and newcomers to the fi eld (through the first part detailing the basic aspects of the technique). This book is a must-have for all Materials Scientists, Surface Chemists, Physicists, and Scientists in the Semiconductor Industry.

The continuously expanding realm of Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) Applications is the focus of this reoccurring symposium. ALD can enable the precise deposition of ultra-thin, highly conformal coatings over complex 3D topographies with controlled thickness and composition. This issue of ECS Transactions contains peer reviewed papers presented at the symposium. A broad spectrum of ALD applications is featured, including novel nano-composites and nanostructures, dielectrics for state-of-the-art transistors and capacitors, optoelectronics, and a variety of other emerging applications.

Emerging Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage presents the state-of-art of emerging materials for energy conversion technologies (solar cells and fuel cells) and energy storage technologies (batteries, supercapacitors and hydrogen storage). The book is organized into five primary sections, each with three chapters authored by worldwide experts in the fields of materials science, physics, chemistry and engineering. It covers the fundamentals, functionalities, challenges and prospects of different classes of emerging materials, such as wide bandgap semiconductors, oxides, carbon-based nanostructures, advanced ceramics, chalcogenide nanostructures, and flexible organic electronics nanomaterials. The book is an important reference for students and researchers (from academics, but also industry) interested in understanding the properties of emerging materials. Explores the fundamentals, challenges and prospects for the application of emerging materials in the development of energy conversion and storage devices Presents a discussion of solar cell and photovoltaic, fuel cell, battery electrode, supercapacitor and hydrogen storage applications Includes notable examples of energy devices based on emerging materials to illustrate recent advances in this field