Abstract: A PV panel uses an array of small silicon sphere diodes (10-300 microns in diameter) connected in parallel. The spheres are embedded in an uncured aluminum-containing layer, and the aluminum-containing layer is heated to anneal the aluminum-containing layer as well as p-dope the bottom surface of the spheres. A phosphorus-containing layer is deposited over the spheres to dope the top surface n-type, forming a pn junction. The phosphorus layer is then removed. A conductor is deposited to contact the top surface. Alternatively, the spheres are deposited with a p-type core and an n-type outer shell. After deposition, the top surface is etched to expose the core. A first conductor layer contacts the bottom surface, and a second conductor layer contacts the exposed core. A liquid lens material is deposited over the rounded top surface of the spheres and cured to provide conformal lenses designed to increase the PV panel efficiency.

Abstract: An electrically, thermally, or electrically and thermally actuated device is disclosed herein. The device includes a substrate, a first electrode established on the substrate, an active region established on the electrode, and a second electrode established on the active region. A pattern is defined in at least one of the substrate, the first electrode, the second electrode, or the active region. At least one of grain boundaries are formed within, or surface asperities are formed on, at least one of the electrodes or the active region. The pattern controls the at least one of the grain boundaries or surface asperities.

Abstract: A configurable memristive device (300) for regulating an electrical signal includes a memristive matrix (350) containing a first dopant species; emitter (320), collector (310), and a base electrodes (330, 340) which are in contact with the memristive matrix (350); and a mobile dopant species contained within a central region (360) contiguous with the base electrodes (330, 340), the mobile dopant species moving within the memristive matrix (350) in response to a programming electrical field. A method of configuring and using a memristive device (300) includes: applying a programming electrical field across a memristive matrix (350) such that a mobile dopant species creates a central doped region (360) which bisects the memristive matrix (350); and applying a control voltage to the central doped region (360) to regulate current flow between an emitter electrode (320) and a collector electrode (310).

Abstract: Multilayer carbon nanotube capacitors, and methods and printable compositions for manufacturing multilayer carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are disclosed. A first capacitor embodiment comprises: a first conductor; a plurality of fixed CNTs in an ionic liquid, each fixed CNT comprising a magnetic catalyst nanoparticle coupled to a carbon nanotube and further coupled to the first conductor; and a first plurality of free CNTs dispersed and moveable in the ionic liquid. Another capacitor embodiment comprises: a first conductor; a conductive nanomesh coupled to the first conductor; a first plurality of fixed CNTs in an ionic liquid and further coupled to the conductive nanomesh; and a plurality of free CNTs dispersed and moveable in the ionic liquid. Various methods of printing the CNTs and other structures, and methods of aligning and moving the CNTs using applied electric and magnetic fields, are also disclosed.

Abstract: Multilayer carbon nanotube capacitors, and methods and printable compositions for manufacturing multilayer carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are disclosed. A first capacitor embodiment includes: a first conductor; a plurality of fixed CNTs in an ionic liquid, each fixed CNT comprising a magnetic catalyst nanoparticle coupled to a carbon nanotube and further coupled to the first conductor; and a first plurality of free CNTs dispersed and moveable in the ionic liquid. Another capacitor embodiment includes: a first conductor; a conductive nanomesh coupled to the first conductor; a first plurality of fixed CNTs in an ionic liquid and further coupled to the conductive nanomesh; and a plurality of free CNTs dispersed and moveable in the ionic liquid. Various methods of printing the CNTs and other structures, and methods of aligning and moving the CNTs using applied electric and magnetic fields, are also disclosed.

Abstract: A representative printable composition comprises a liquid or gel suspension of a plurality of conductive particles; a first solvent comprising a polyol or mixtures thereof, such as glycerin, and a second solvent comprising a carboxylic or dicarboxylic acid or mixtures thereof, such as glutaric acid. In various embodiments, the conductive particles are comprised of a metal, a semiconductor, an alloy of a metal and a semiconductor, or mixtures thereof, and may have sizes between about 5 nm to about 1.5 microns in any dimension. A representative conductive particle ink can be printed and annealed to produce a conductor.

Abstract: A representative printable composition comprises a liquid or gel suspension of a plurality of metallic particles; a plurality of semiconductor particles; and a first solvent. The pluralities of particles may also be comprised of an alloy of a metal and a semiconductor. The composition may further comprise a second solvent different from the first solvent. In a representative embodiment, the first solvent comprises a polyol or mixtures thereof, such as glycerin, and the second solvent comprises a carboxylic or dicarboxylic acid or mixtures thereof, such as glutaric acid. In various embodiments, the metallic particles and the semiconductor particles are nanoparticles between about 5 nm to about 1.5 microns in any dimension. A representative metallic and semiconductor particle ink can be printed and annealed to produce a conductor.

Abstract: A representative printable composition comprises a liquid or gel suspension of a plurality of substantially spherical semiconductor particles; and a first solvent comprising a polyol or mixtures thereof, such as glycerin; and a second solvent different from the first solvent, the second solvent comprising a carboxylic or dicarboxylic acid or mixtures thereof, such as glutaric acid. The composition may further comprise a third solvent such as tetramethylurea, butanol, or isopropanol. In various embodiments, the plurality of substantially spherical semiconductor particles have a size in any dimension between about 5 nm and about 100?. A representative composition can be printed and utilized to produce diodes, such as photovoltaic diodes or light emitting diodes.

Abstract: Representative embodiments provide a composition for printing a liquid or gel separator utilized to separate and space apart first and second conductors or electrodes of an energy storage device, such as a battery or a supercapacitor. A representative composition comprises a plurality of particles, typically having a size (in any dimension) between about 0.5 to about 50 microns; a first, ionic liquid electrolyte; and a polymer or polymeric precursor. In another representative embodiment, the plurality of particles comprise diatoms, diatomaceous frustules, and/or diatomaceous fragments or remains. Another representative embodiment further comprises a second electrolyte different from the first electrolyte; the plurality of particles are comprised of silicate glass; the first and second electrolytes comprise zinc tetrafluoroborate salt in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ionic liquid; and the polymer comprises polyvinyl alcohol (“PVA”) or polyvinylidene fluoride (“PVFD”).

Abstract: Representative embodiments provide a liquid or gel separator utilized to separate and space apart first and second conductors or electrodes of an energy storage device, such as a battery or a capacitor. A representative liquid or gel separator comprises a plurality of particles selected from the group consisting of: diatoms, diatomaceous frustules, diatomaceous fragments, diatomaceous remains, and mixtures thereof; a first, ionic liquid electrolyte; and a polymer or, in the printable composition, a polymer or a polymeric precursor. Another representative embodiment further comprises a second electrolyte different from the first electrolyte; the first and second electrolytes comprise zinc tetrafluoroborate salt in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidalzolium tetrafluoroborate ionic liquid; and the polymer comprises polyvinyl alcohol (“PVA”) or polyvinylidene fluoride (“PVFD”). Additional components, such as additional electrolytes and solvents, may also be included.

Abstract: Representative embodiments provide a liquid or gel separator utilized to separate and space apart first and second conductors or electrodes of an energy storage device, such as a battery or a supercapacitor. A representative liquid or gel separator comprises a plurality of particles, typically having a size (in any dimension) between about 0.5 to about 50 microns; a first, ionic liquid electrolyte; and a polymer. In another representative embodiment, the plurality of particles comprise diatoms, diatomaceous frustules, and/or diatomaceous fragments or remains. Another representative embodiment further comprises a second electrolyte different from the first electrolyte; the plurality of particles are comprised of silicate glass; the first and second electrolytes comprise zinc tetrafluoroborate salt in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidalzolium tetrafluoroborate ionic liquid; and the polymer comprises polyvinyl alcohol (“PVA”) or polyvinylidene fluoride (“PVFD”).

Abstract: A nanowire device includes a nanowire having differently functionalized segments. Each of the segments is configured to interact with a species to modulate the conductance of a segment. The nanowire is grown from a single catalyst and the segments include a first segment at a non-linear angle from a second segment.

Abstract: An electrically actuated device includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and an active region disposed between the first and second electrodes. At least two dopants are present in a spatially varying region of the active region prior to device actuation. The at least two dopants have opposite conductivity types and different mobilities.

Abstract: A photonic device (200) and method (100) of making the photonic device (200) employs preferential etching of grain boundaries of a polycrystalline semiconductor material layer (210). The method (100) includes growing (110) the polycrystalline layer (210) on a substrate (201). The polycrystalline layer includes a transition region (212) of variously oriented grains and a region (214) of columnar grain boundaries (215) adjacent to the transition region. The method further includes preferentially etching (120) the columnar grain boundaries to provide tapered structures (220) of the semiconductor material that are continuous (217) with respective aligned grains (213) of the transition region. The tapered structures are predominantly single crystal. The method further includes forming (140) a conformal semiconductor junction (240) on the tapered structures and providing (160) first and second electrodes.

Abstract: A sub-wavelength grating device having controlled phase response includes a grating layer having line widths, line thicknesses, line periods, and line spacings selected to produce a first level of control in phase changes of different portions of a beam of light reflected from the grating layer. The device also includes a substrate affixed to the grating layer that produces a second level of control in phase changes of different portions of a beam of light reflected from the grating layer, the second level of control being accomplished abrupt stepping of the substrate in a horizontal dimension, ramping the substrate in a horizontal dimension, or changing the index of refraction in a horizontal dimension.

Abstract: A thermoelectric device (100) includes a pair of spaced apart oppositely doped structures (110, 120) connecting between a common electrode (140) at a first end and different ones of a pair (150) of separate electrodes (150a, 150b) at a second end of the structures. Each oppositely doped structure includes a first material (112, 122) of a respectively doped semiconductor bounded by a second material (114, 124, 116, 126). Boundaries (111, 121) between the respective first and second materials are parallel to a charge carrier conduction path between the common electrode and the separate electrodes. The respectively doped semiconductor has a thickness configured to be less than a phonon scattering length.

Abstract: A method of positioning a catalyst nanoparticle that facilitates nanowire growth for nanowire-based device fabrication employs a structure having a vertical sidewall formed on a substrate. The methods include forming the structure, forming a targeted region in a surface of either the structure or the substrate, and forming a catalyst nanoparticle in the targeted region using one of a variety of techniques. The techniques control the position of the catalyst nanoparticle for subsequent nanowire growth. A resonant sensor system includes a nanowire-based resonant sensor and means for accessing the nanowire. The sensor includes an electrode and a nanowire resonator. The electrode is electrically isolated from the substrate. One or more of the substrate is electrically conductive, the nanowire resonator is electrically conductive, and the sensor further comprises another electrode. The nanowire resonator responds to an environmental change by displaying a change in oscillatory behavior.

Abstract: A method of making a crystalline semiconductor structure provides a photonic device by employing low thermal budget annealing process. The method includes annealing a non-single crystal semiconductor film formed on a substrate to form a polycrystalline layer that includes a transition region adjacent to a surface of the film and a relatively thicker columnar region between the transition region and the substrate. The transition region includes small grains with random grain boundaries. The columnar region includes relatively larger columnar grains with substantially parallel grain boundaries that are substantially perpendicular to the substrate. The method further includes etching the surface to expose the columnar region having an irregular serrated surface.

Abstract: A signal-amplification device for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The signal-amplification device includes a non-SERS-active (NSA) substrate, a plurality of multi-tiered non-SERS-active nanowire (MNSANW) structures and a plurality of metallic SERS-active nanoparticles. In addition, a MNSANW structure of the plurality of MNSANW structures includes a main arm of a plurality of main arms and a plurality of arms of at least secondary order. The plurality of main arms is disposed on the NSA substrate; and, a secondary arm of the plurality of arms is disposed on the main arm. Moreover, a metallic SERS-active nanoparticle of the plurality of metallic SERS-active nanoparticles is disposed on a surface of the MNSANW structure.

Abstract: A photonic structure includes a plurality of annealed, substantially smooth-surfaced ellipsoids arranged in a matrix. Additionally, a method of producing a photonic structure is provided. The method includes providing a semiconductor material, providing an etch mask comprising a two-dimensional hole array, and disposing the etch mask on at least one surface of the semiconductor material. The semiconductor material is then etched through the hole array of the etch mask to produce holes in the semiconductor material and thereafter applying a passivation layer to surfaces of the holes. Additionally, the method includes repeating the etching and passivation-layer application to produce a photonic crystal structure that contains ellipsoids within the semiconductor material and annealing the photonic crystal structure to smooth the surfaces of the ellipsoids.