Electrochemical devices, features

Mobile ions, such as sodium or potassium, tend to migrate to thep-n junction of the IC device where they acquire an electron, and deposit as the corresponding metal on the p-n junction this consequendy destroys the device. Furthermore, mobile ions also support leakage currents between biased device features, which degrade device performance and ultimately destroy the devices by electrochemical processes such as metal conductor dissolution. 

We managed to obtain dense and solid thin films of 3d-metal oxides using the techniques of electrochemical deposition from aqueous fluorine-containing electrolytes. The films have been studied as a possible cathode material for secondary cells. The best samples show good cycle retention and acceptable specific capacity in the range of 180 mAh/g. They also feature a plateau of electrochemical potential at approximately 3,5 V, which is acceptable for present industrially produced electrochemical devices. 

Electrochemical devices allow for the conversion of chemical energy or information into electrical energy or information, or vice versa. One characteristic feature of the solid state in this respect is the thermal and mechanical stability which allows performance at... 

Electrolyte solutions are essential for electrochemical devices. However, almost all the solvents for electrolyte solutions have a crucial drawback they are volatile solvents. Recently ionic liquids (ILs), which are liquids composed only of ions, have received much attention as new electrolyte materials. These ILs have two attractive features of very high concentrations of ions and high mobilities of the component ions at room temperature, and many of these ILs show the ionic conductivity of over 10 S cm at room temperature [1-3]. In this chapter we focus on the conductivity of ILs. Ionic conductivity is generally given by the equation... 

As device features diminish in size, Cu CMP has become the dominant CMP process for processing this device in the back end. Cu has several attributes that make it attractive as an interconnect material for such devices.f Electrochemically, Cu is noble compared to W and Al. Its hardness falls between W and A1 and will not scratch as easily as Al. It has higher electromigration resistance than W or Al/Cu, which has been conventionally used as the interconnect metal in current devices. 

Electrochemical detection has been regarded as particularly appropriate strategy for microfluidic chip systems. Electrochemical biosensors in microfluidic chips enable high sensitivity, low detection limits, reusability, and long-term stability. And the detection mechanism and instmmentation for realization are simple and cost-effective. These valuable features have made electrochemical devices receive considerable attention [20,94,95]. The electrochemical detectors are commercially available for a variety of analyses [96]. The review written by Wang summarized the principles of electrochemical biosensors, important issues, and the state-of-the-art [97]. Lad et al. described recent developments in detecting creatinine by using electrochemical techniques [98]. 

The most important aspects of the study of oxygen conductors are the abilities to enhance their ionic conductivity and reaction kinetics. Both features are essential for the development of electrochemical devices including fuel cells, gas sensors and ionic membranes. These devices have the potential to deliver high economic and ecological benefits however to achieve satisfactory performance, it is necessary to optimize the ionic conductivity of the solid electrolytes. 

To manufacture electronic components, one generally must be able to produce conducting lines, insulating lines (and layers, if multilayer devices are to be constructed), and electronically active lines (channels in transistors, etc.). Auxiliary features, such as encapsulation to protect the device from its surroundings or electrolytes in electrochemical devices, may also be required. Each layer typically... 

Abstract This chapter is dedicated to some significant applications of membranes in the field of energy, focusing on fuel cells and electrolytic cells. Both electrochemical devices are part of an international effort at both fundamental and demonstration levels and, in some specific cases, market entry has already begun. Membranes can be considered as separators between cathodes and anodes. As fuel cells are extremely varied, with working temperatures between 80°C and 900°C, and electrolytes from liquid to solid passing by molten salts, they are of particular interest for the research and development of new membranes. The situation is quite similar to the case of electrolysers dedicated to water electrolysis. The principal features of these devices will be outlined, with emphasis on the properties of the state-of-the-art membranes and on the present innovations in this area. 

All the electrochemical devices that will be introduced in this chapter are constituted by a central membrane, the electrolyte, and they involve an electrochemical circuit. The role of fuel cells will be detailed because, under this name, different systems are involved with varied features and scientific technical aspects, for example, according to the temperature and the electrolyte, different kinds of electrochemistry can be seen solid-state, molten salt, ionic liquids and more common aqueous solutions. Furthermore, fuel cells have reached a state of maturity and are excellent examples for understanding the behaviour of membranes in electrochemical devices. As electrolysis is constituted of similar elements to fuel cells, we will be much more synthetic with respect to this thematic. 

The key feature of any fuel cell is that it converts the chemical energy of an incoming fuel stream directly into electrical energy via an electrochemical reaction [6j. As with other electrochemical devices, a fuel cell relies on an... 

Overall, this chapter will feature about the preparation, most important electrochemical characterization, and application of advanced carbon materials used in SPE electrochemical devices [e.g., graphite, boron-doped diamond, graphene, carbon nanotubes, carbon black. 

Conductive polymeric nanostructures can be prepared by using hard or soft templates or with template-free methods. The template method has been extensively used because of its simplicity, versatility and controllability. Some further features on this topic are reported in Section 1.3. A typical hard template material can be a thin porous film of aluminum oxide or polycarbonate and polymeric materials ean be deposited into the pores to form nanotubes or nanowires. The electrochemical template method enables a better control of the dimensions compared with the chemical methods. In addition, the nanostructures produced by the electrochemical method are in solid contact with a base electrode that is beneficial for further processing steps when building an electrochemical device. 

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