New directions in Transparent Conducting Oxides

TCO是现代设备中的关键组件;它们能够轻松传导电荷，但在可见光谱中保持透明，这使得它们在光电研究中无处不在。值得注意的技术示例包括移动的手机上的触摸屏显示器和太阳能电池设备中的电极。行业标准材料是氧化铟锡，这也是20世纪90年代末发现的第一种TCO材料。人们对这种材料进行了大量的研究和开发，以提高其性能，有证据表明这种材料正在接近最佳导电性。如果我们想进一步发展，就需要新的材料。我们的团队专注于新TCO材料的晶体生长和表征。我们的方法是用其他后过渡金属离子，特别是锑和碲，取代昂贵而稀缺的铟。这些材料的单晶非常罕见，因为由于过渡金属离子的挥发性和不稳定性，它们非常难以生长。我们已经开发出一种新的方法，使用化学气相传输技术合成这些化合物的晶体。该项目将致力于新TCO化合物的晶体生长和表征。多种表征方法，包括电阻率、霍尔效应、光吸收光谱和光电子能谱，以探测性能。

TCOs are a crucial component in modern devices; their ability to conduct charge easily but maintain transparency in the visible spectrum make them ubiquitous in optoelectronic research. Notable examples of tech include touch screen displays on mobile phones and electrodes in solar cell devices. The industry standard material is indium tin oxide, which was also the first TCO material to be discovered in the late 1990s. Much research and development has been lavished on this material to improve its performance and there is evidence that this material is approaching optimal conductivity. If we want to develop further, new materials are required. Our group specialises in crystal growth and characterisation of new TCO materials. Our approach is to switch out indium, which is expensive and scarce, with other post-transition metal ions, notably antimony and telurium. Single crystals of these materials are very rare as they are incredibly difficult to grow due to the volatility and instability of the transition metal ion. We have developed a new method of synthesizing crystals of these compounds using a chemical vapour transport technique. This project will pursue crystal growth and characterisation of new TCO compounds. Multiple characterisation methods including resistivity, Hall effect, optical absorption spectroscopy and photoelectron spectroscopy to probe the properties.