Abstract: A method for synthesizing a nano-structured material, including four primary steps: (A) providing a reaction chamber wherein the nano-structured material is generated from at least a starting material selected from the group consisting of a metal, a metal alloy, a metal compound, and a ceramic; (B) operating a twin-wire arc nozzle, comprising two wires and a working gas being controllably fed into the chamber, to form an arc between two converging leading tips of the two wires to heat and melt the starting material at the leading tips for providing a stream of liquid droplets traveling in a predetermined direction (preferably vertically downward); (C) operating at least a second high energy source for producing a vaporizing zone adjacent to the arc and inside the chamber wherein the liquid droplets are vaporized to form vapor species; and (D) cooling the vapor species for forming the nano-structured material.

Abstract: A method for depositing a coating onto a solid substrate for the fabrication of a functional layer in a solar cell device wherein the functional layer is used as an anti-reflection layer, an active layer for photon absorption and charge generation, a buffer layer, a window layer, or an electrode layer.

Abstract: A system for synthesizing a nano-scaled powder material, including several sub-systems: (A) a chamber for containing nano-scaled cluster generating devices from a material selected from the group consisting of a metal, a metal compound, and a ceramic; (B) a twin-wire electrode device disposed within this chamber with this electrode device including: (i) two wires made up of this material, each having a leading tip and each being continuously or intermittently fed into the chamber in such a fashion that the two leading tips are maintained at a desired separation; and (ii) power supply for providing electric current and gas supply for providing a working gas flow for creating an ionized arc between the two leading tips for melting and/or vaporizing the material to generate nano-scaled clusters; (C) devices for injecting a quench gas and/or a reaction gas into a quenching/reaction zone inside the chamber at a point downstream from the arc to produce nano-scaled powder particles; and (D) devices such as a cyclone

Abstract: A porous carbon-based electrode and a method for producing such an electrode according to a predetermined, two-dimensional or three-dimensional porous template. The method includes the steps of: (A) preparing a porous template by taking the sub-steps of (i) dissolving a first material in a volatile solvent to form an evaporative solution, (ii) depositing a thin film or lamina of this solution onto a substrate, and (iii) exposing this solution film to a moisture environment while allowing the solvent of the solution to evaporate for forming the template, which is a lamina constituted of an ordered array of micrometer- or nanometer-scaled air bubbles being surrounded with walls made of the first material; and (B) operating material treatment means to convert the first material into a carbonaceous material by which meso-scaled pores are also produced in the bubble walls.

Abstract: A method for producing a nano-porous coating onto a solid substrate from a precursor material selected from the group consisting of a metal, metal alloy, metal compound, and ceramic material.

Abstract: A method for synthesizing a nano-scaled powder material, including: (A) providing a chamber for receiving nano-scaled clusters generated from an electrically conductive starting material selected from the group consisting of a metal, a metal alloy, a metal compound, and a ceramic; (B) operating a twin-wire arc nozzle, with two wires and a working gas flow, to form an arc between two converging leading tips of the two wires to heat and at least partially vaporize the starting material at the leading tips for providing a stream of nanometer-sized vapor clusters of the starting material; (C) injecting a quench gas and/or a reaction gas into a quenching/reaction zone at a point inside the arc or downstream from the arc to facilitate the formation of nano-scaled clusters in a vapor, liquid or high temperature solid state; and (D) operating a cooling device to cool the clusters into a nano-scaled solid powder and a powder classifier/separator device to collect the resulting nano-scaled solid powder material.

Abstract: A method for producing a nano-porous coating onto a substrate, including the steps of: (a) operating a twin-wire arc nozzle to heat and at least partially vaporize two wires of a metal for providing a stream of nanometer-sized vapor clusters of the metal into a chamber in which the substrate is disposed; (b) injecting a stream of reactive gas into the chamber to impinge upon the stream of metal vapor clusters and exothermically react therewith to produce substantially nanometer-sized metal compound or ceramic clusters; (c) operating heat treatment devices to heat treat the metal compound or ceramic clusters so that a non-zero proportion of the clusters is in a solid state when impinging upon the substrate; and (d) directing the metal compound or ceramic clusters to impinge and deposit onto the substrate for forming the nano-porous coating.