Misfit p-type transparent conductive oxide (tco) films, methods and applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017025196-A1
Application number	US-201515302319-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 9, 2015
Priority date	Apr 9, 2014
Publication date	Jan 26, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A p-type transparent conductive oxide (TCO) mixed metal oxide material layer formed upon a substrate has a formula M1 x M2 y O z generally, Ca x Co y O z more specifically, and Ca 3 C o 4O 9 most specifically. Embodiments provide that the p-type TCO mixed metal oxide material may be formed absent an epitaxial crystalline relationship with respect to the substrate while using a sol-gel synthesis method that uses a chelating polymer material and not a block copolymer material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A structure comprising:
a substrate; and an at least partially crystalline p-type mixed metal oxide material having a chemical composition M1 x M2 y O z and located upon the substrate without an epitaxial crystalline relationship with respect to the substrate.

2 . The structure of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises an optically transparent substrate.

3 . The structure of claim 1 wherein:
M1 is at least one metal selected from the group consisting of alkali metals, alkali earth metals and post transition metals that are lighter than radon;
M2 is a least one metal selected from the group consisting of transition metals that are lighter than radon; further wherein:
when x is normalized to unity y ranges from 0.2 to 5.0, including stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric compositions; and
z is determined consistent with x and y, considering oxidation states of M1 and M2.

4 . The structure of claim 3 wherein:
M1 as an alkali metal is selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium and cesium;
M1 as an alkali earth metal is selected from the group consisting of beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium and barium;
M1 as a post transition metal lighter than radon is selected from the group consisting of copper aluminum, bismuth and zinc; and
M2 is selected from the group consisting of chromium, nickel, cobalt, iron, manganese, ruthenium and rhodium.

5 . A structure comprising:
a substrate; and an at least partially crystalline non-stoichiometric p-type mixed metal oxide material having a chemical composition Ca x Co y O z and located upon the substrate without an epitaxial crystalline relationship with respect to the substrate, wherein:
when x is normalized to unity y ranges from about 1.2 to about 1.5;
z is selected consistent with x and y, considering the oxidation states of Ca and Co.

6 . The structure of claim 5 wherein the substrate comprises an optically transparent substrate.

7 . A structure comprising:
a substrate; and an at least partially crystalline p-type mixed metal oxide material having a chemical composition Ca 3 Co 4 O 9 and located upon the substrate without an epitaxial crystalline relationship with respect to the substrate.

8 . The structure of claim 7 wherein the substrate comprises an optically transparent substrate.

9 . The structure of claim 8 wherein:
the mixed metal oxide material has an optical transparency in the visible range from about 31 to about 67 percent; and
the mixed metal oxide material comprises a misfit crystal material.

10 . The structure of claim 9 wherein the mixed metal oxide material shows no more than five peaks in an x-ray diffraction spectrum from 10 to 40 degrees position of 2θ.

11 . A method for preparing a mixed metal oxide material comprising:
mixing within a solvent material at least an M1 metal oxide precursor material and an M2 metal oxide precursor material different from the M1 metal oxide precursor material with a chelating polymer material that is not a block copolymer material to provide at least an M1/M2 chelated polymer material; and desolvating and calcining the at least the M1/M2 chelated polymer material to provide a mixed metal oxide material of chemical composition M1 x M2 y O z .

12 . The method of claim 11 wherein the chelating polymer material is selected from the group consisting of polyacrylic chelating polymer materials, polyacrylate chelating polymer materials, polyamine chelating polymer materials, polyammonium chelating polymer materials and polyhydroxyl chelating polymer materials.

13 . The method of claim 11 wherein:
M1 is at least one metal selected from the group consisting of alkali metals, alkali earth metals and post transition metals that are lighter than radon; and
M2 is a least one metal selected from the group consisting of transition metals that are lighter than radon, wherein:
when x is normalized to unity y ranges from 0.2 to 5.0, including stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric compositions; and
z is selected consistent with x and y, considering oxidation states of calcium and cobalt.

14 . The method of claim 13 wherein:
M1 as an alkali metal is selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium and cesium;
M1 as an alkali earth metal is selected from the group consisting of beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium and barium
M1 as a post transition metal lighter than radon is selected from the group consisting of copper aluminum, bismuth and zinc; and
M2 is selected from the group consisting of chromium, nickel, cobalt, iron, manganese, ruthenium and rhodium.

15 . A method for preparing a mixed metal oxide material comprising:
mixing within a solvent material at least a calcium metal oxide precursor material and at least a cobalt metal oxide precursor material with a chelating polymer material that is not a block copolymer material to provide at least a calcium and cobalt chelated polymer material; and desolvating and calcining the calcium and cobalt chelated polymer material to provide a calcium and cobalt mixed metal oxide material of chemical composition Ca x Co y O z wherein:
when x is normalized to unity y ranges from 1.2 to 1.5, including non-stoichiometric compositions; and
z is selected consistent with x and y, considering oxidation states of calcium and cobalt.

16 . A method for preparing a mixed metal oxide material comprising:
mixing within a solvent material at least a calcium metal oxide precursor material and at least a cobalt metal oxide precursor material with a chelating polymer material that is not a block copolymer material to provide at least a calcium and cobalt chelated polymer material; and desolvating and calcining the calcium and cobalt chelated polymer material to provide a calcium and cobalt mixed metal oxide material of chemical composition Ca 3 Co 4 O 9 .

17 . The method of claim 16 wherein the chelating polymer material is selected from the group consisting of polyacrylic chelating polymer materials, polyacrylate chelating polymer materials, polyamine chelating polymer materials, polyammonium chelating polymer materials and polyhydroxyl chelating polymer materials.

18 . The method of claim 16 wherein:
the mixed metal oxide material has an optical transparency in the visible range from about 31 to about 67 percent;
the mixed metal oxide material comprises a misfit crystal material.

19 . The method of claim 18 further comprising coating the desolvated chelated polymer material upon a substrate prior to calcining the desolvated chelated polymer material.

20 . The method of claim 19 wherein substrate comprises an optically transparent substrate.

Assignees

• Univ Cornell

Inventors

• Aksit Mahmut
• Robinson Richard D

Classifications

• H01B1/08 Primary

  oxides · CPC title

• B05D3/0254

  After-treatment · CPC title

• B05D2203/30

  Other inorganic substrates, e.g. ceramics, silicon · CPC title

• B05D1/005

  Spin coating · CPC title

• H10F77/244

  made of transparent conductive layers, e.g. transparent conductive oxide [TCO] layers · CPC title