UNLABELLED Single-crystalline Cu7In3/CuIn0.8Ga0.2Se2 (CI/CIGS) core/shell nanowires are fabricated by pulsed laser deposition with Ni nanoparticles as catalyst. The CI/CIGS core/shell nanowires are made up of single-crystalline CI cores surrounded by single-crystalline CIGS shells. The CI/CIGS nanowires are grown at a considerably low temperature (350°C ~ 450°C) by vapor-liquid-solid mode combi...

BACKGROUND Many misperceptions of both risks and opportunities of e-cigarettes (e-cigs) exist among the general population and among physicians, although e-cigs could be a valuable harm reduction tool for current smokers. METHODS Two groups in Flanders, namely general practitioners (GPs; family doctors) and tobacco counselors filled out an online questionnaire with regard to their attitudes a...

Chemically deposited ZnS has been investigated as a buffer layer alternative to CdS in polycrystalline thin-film Cu(In1-xGax)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells. Cells with efficiency of up to 18.1 % based on CBD-ZnS/CIGS heterostructures have been fabricated. This paper presents the performance and loss analyses of these cells based on the current-voltage (J-V) and spectral response curves, as well as comp...

We investigate general sentiments and information dissemination concerning electronic cigarettes or e-cigs using Twitter. E-cigs are relatively new products, and hence, not much research has been conducted in this area using large-scale social media data. However, the fact that e-cigs contain potentially dangerous substances makes them an interesting subject to study. In this paper, we propose ...

Justification in the field of radiology refers to the appropriate use of radiologic imaging modalities, and may be achieved by establishing clinical imaging guidelines (CIGs). Recently, CIGs have been shown to be useful in selecting the proper medical imaging modality, resulting in the reduction of inappropriate radiologic examinations, thereby enhancing justifications. However, the development...

Reducing absorber layer thickness below 500 nm in regular Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells decreases cell efficiency considerably, as both short-circuit current and open-circuit voltage are reduced because of incomplete absorption and high Mo/CIGS rear interface recombination. In this work, an innovative rear cell design is developed to avoid both effects: a highly reflective rear surface passiv...

This work presents the systematic studies of bulk hybrid heterojunction solar cells based on Cu(In, Ga)Se2 (CIGS) nanocrystals (NCs) embedded in poly(3-hexylthiophene) matrix. The CIGS NCs of approximately 17 nm in diameter were homogeneously blended with P3HT layer to form an active layer of a photovoltaic device. The blend ratios of CIGS NCs to P3HT, solvent effects on thin film morphologies,...

The CIGS research effort at the University of Illinois represents a three-pronged approach to understanding and solving some of the most critical issues in CIGS device. These three prongs are: (1) development of a basic understanding of the issues limiting performance in CIGS devices, (2) advancing the performance of the devices through single crystal epitaxial layers for integration into high-...

Device modeling and simulation of a mechanically stacked CuGaSe2/Cu(In1-x,Gax)Se2 (CGS/CIGS) tandem solar cell have been carried out in this study. The physical model consists of a CIGS bottom cell with a double graded band-gap profile in the space charge region (SCR) and the backside of the absorber layer and a uniform band-gap CGS top cell. By varying the absorber layer thickness of the CGS t...