Interfaces electronic properties

The primary effect of the anode modification on the enhancement in luminous efficiency and the increased stability of OLEDs can be attributed to an improved hole-electron current balance. By choosing an interlayer with a suitable thickness of a few nanometers, anode modification enables engineering of the interface electronic properties. The above results indicate that conventional dual-layer OLEDs of ITO/NPB/Alq3/cathode have an inherent weakness of instability that can be improved by the insertion of an ultrathin interlayer between ITO and HTL. The improvements are attributed to an improved ITO-HTL interfacial quality and a more balanced hole electron current that enhances the OLED performance. 

Nakano and Jimbo investigated the interface electronic properties of thermally oxidized n-type GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors [230]. The formation of an intermediate gallium oxide nitride layer vith a graded composition could provide the origin of a small capacitance transient observed experimentally. 

The chemical and electronic properties of elements at the interfaces between very thin films and bulk substrates are important in several technological areas, particularly microelectronics, sensors, catalysis, metal protection, and solar cells. To study conditions at an interface, depth profiling by ion bombardment is inadvisable, because both composition and chemical state can be altered by interaction with energetic positive ions. The normal procedure is, therefore, to start with a clean or other well-characterized substrate and deposit the thin film on to it slowly at a chosen temperature while XPS is used to monitor the composition and chemical state by recording selected characteristic spectra. The procedure continues until no further spectral changes occur, as a function of film thickness, of time elapsed since deposition, or of changes in substrate temperature. 

Traditionally, the chemical stability of the electrode/electrolyte interface and its electronic properties have not been given as much consideration as structural aspects of solid electrolytes, in spite of the fact that the proper operation of a battery often depends more on the interface than on the solid electrolyte. Because of the high ionic conductivity in the electrolyte and the high electronic conductivity in the electrode, the voltage falls completely within a very narrow region at the electrolyte/electrode interface. 

We start by considering a schematic representation of a porous metal film deposited on a solid electrolyte, e.g., on Y203-stabilized-Zr02 (Fig. 5.17). The catalyst surface is divided in two distinct parts One part, with a surface area AE is in contact with the electrolyte. The other with a surface area Aq is not in contact with the electrolyte. It constitutes the gas-exposed, i.e., catalytically active film surface area. Catalytic reactions take place on this surface only. In the subsequent discussion we will use the subscripts E (for electrolyte) and G (for gas), respectively, to denote these two distinct parts of the catalyst film surface. Regions E and G are separated by the three-phase-boundaries (tpb) where electrocatalytic reactions take place. Since, as previously discussed, electrocatalytic reactions can also take place to, usually,a minor extent on region E, one may consider the tpb to be part of region E as well. It will become apparent below that the essence of NEMCA is the following One uses electrochemistry (i.e. a slow electrocatalytic reaction) to alter the electronic properties of the metal-solid electrolyte interface E. 

This perturbation is then propagated via the spatial constancy of the Fermi level Ef throughout the metal film to the metal-gas interface G, altering its electronic properties thus causing ion migration and thus influencing catalysis, i.e. catalytic reactions taking place on the metal-gas interface G. 

Figure 5.17. Schematic representation of a metal crystallite deposited on YSZ and of the changes induced in its electronic properties upon polarizing the catalyst-solid electrolyte interface and changing the Fermi level (or electrochemical potential of electrons) from an initial value p to a new value p -eri30 31 Reprinted with permission from Elsevier Science.

The late 1980s saw the introduction into electrochemistry of a major new technique, scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM), which allows real-space (atomic) imaging of the structural and electronic properties of both bare and adsorbate-covered surfaces. The technique had originally been exploited at the gas/so id interface, but it was later realised that it could be employed in liquids. As a result, it has rapidly found application in electrochemistry. 

Buckminsterfullerene, the most representative example among the fullerenes, have been extensively explored. Their intrinsic properties such as their size, hydrophobicity, three-dimensionality, and electronic properties have made them extremely promising nanostructures, offering interesting features at the interface of various scientific disciplines, ranging from material sciences207 to biological and medicinal chemistry.208-210... 

For these volumes in the Springer book review series Topics in Current Chemistry, it seemed natural to blend a mix of theory and experiment in chemistry, materials science, and physics. The content of this volume ranges from conducting polymers and charge-transfer conductors and superconductors, to single-molecule behavior and the more recent understanding in single-molecule electronic properties at the metal-molecule interface. 

The fundamental physical properties of nanowire materials can be improved even more to surpass their bulk counterpart using precisely engineered NW heterostructures. It has been recently demonstrated that Si/Ge/Si core/shell nanowires exhibit electron mobility surpassing that of state-of-the-art technology.46 Group III-V nitride core/shell NWs of multiple layers of epitaxial structures with atomically sharp interfaces have also been demonstrated with well-controlled and tunable optical and electronic properties.47,48 Together, the studies demonstrate that semiconductor nanowires represent one of the best-defined nanoscale building block classes, with well-controlled chemical composition, physical size, and superior electronic/optical properties, and therefore, that they are ideally suited for assembly of more complex functional systems. 

These two features exemplify the behavior of interface states, which are states that are not seen for either component of a bimetallic surface alloy but which exist because of the abrupt change in electronic properties at the interface. 

These studies indicate that the charge transfer at the metal-oxide interface alters the electronic structure of the metal thin film, which in turn affects the adsorption of molecules to these surfaces. Understanding the effect that an oxide support has on molecular adsorption can give insight into how local environmental factors control the reactivity at the metal surface, presenting new avenues for tuning the properties of metal thin films and nanoparticles. Coupled with the knowledge of how particle size and shape modify the metal s electronic properties, these results can be used to predict how local structure and environment influence the reactivity at the metal surface. 

The metal-solution interface as the locus of the deposition processes. This interface has two components a metal and an aqueous ionic solution. To understand this interface, it is necessary to have a basic knowledge of the structure and electronic properties of metals, the molecular structure of water, and the structure and properties of ionic solutions. The structure and electronic properties of metals are the subject matter of solid-state physics. The structure and properties of water and ionic solutions are (mainly) subjects related to chemical physics (and physical chemistry). Thus, to study and understand the structure of the metal-solution interface, it is necessary to have some knowledge of solid-state physics as well as of chemical physics. Relevant presentations of these subjects are given in Chapters 2 and 3. 

Hirose Y, Kahn A, Aristov V, Soukiassian P, Bulovic V, Forrest SR (1996) Chemistry and electronic properties of metal-organic semiconductor interfaces Al, Ti, In, Sn, Ag, and Au on PTCDA. Phys Rev B 54 13748... 

---