Now showing 1 - 10 of 24
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Effect of indium pre-flow on wavelength shift and crystal structure of deep green light emitting diodes

2021-01-01 , Shamsul Amir Abdul Rais , Hassan Z. , Bakar A.S.A. , Rahman M.N.A. , Yusuf Y. , Md Taib M.I. , Sulaiman A.F. , Hussin H.N. , Mohd Fairus Ahmad , Mohd Natashah Norizan , Nagai K. , Akimoto Y. , Shoji D.

To produce a deep green (530 nm–570 nm) LED, the suitable indium (In) composition in the InxGa1−xN/GaN multi-quantum well (MQW) structure is crucial because a lower indium composition will shift the wavelength of emission towards the ultraviolet region. In this paper, we clarify the effects of an indium-rich layer to suppress such blue shifting, especially after the annealing process. According to characterizations by the uses of XRD and TEM, narrowing of the MQW layer was observed by the indium capping, while without the capping, the annealing results in a slight narrowing of MQW on the nearest layer to the p-type layer. By adding an indium capping layer, the blue shift of the photoluminescence was also suppressed and a slight red shift to keep green emission was observed. Such photoluminescence properties were consistent with the tiny change of the MQW as seen in the XRD and TEM characterizations.

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Fabrication of deep green light emitting diode on bulk Gallium Nitride substrate

2020 , Shamsul Amir bin Abdul Rais , Zainuriah Hassan , Ahmad Shuhaimi bin Abu Bakar , Muhammad Nazri bin Abdul Rahman , Yusnizam bin Yusuf , Muhamad Ikram bin Md Taib , Abdullah Fadil bin Sulaiman , Hayatun Najiha binti Hussin , Mohd Fairus Ahmad

The indium composition in InxGa1-xN/GaN multi-quantum well structure e(MQW) is crucial because lower indium composition will shift the wavelength towards ultraviolet region. Nevertheless, at certain indium content in MQW, it will out diffuse from the MQW resulting in the wavelength shift from green to much shorter wavelength, after the annealing process for p-type activation. In this study, we had grown a full Light Emitting Diode device with the MQW layer at a relative high temperature for green LED with indium pre-flow at the top of n-type layer just beneath the MQW using Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD). Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) image of the MQW prior and post the activation of p-type had been observed, which resulted in good contrast, showing the abruptness of the MQW layer of the device. Homogenous layers of InxGa1-xN/GaN has been observed. We also managed to reduce the wavelength shift of the device significantly. The optical, crystal properties of grown devices had been studied.

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Copper doping effect in the back surface field layer of CdTe thin film solar cells

2024-02-01 , Nur Irwany Ahmad , Kiong T.S. , Doroody C. , Rahman K.S. , Kar Y.B. , Mohd Natashah Norizan , Mohd Fairus Ahmad , Harif M.N. , Amin N.

In this work, the Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator (SCAPS-1D) is employed to evaluate the characteristics of CdTe thin films with ZnTe as the Back Surface Field (BSF) layer and estimate the effective copper doping ratio at both the atomic scale and the device operational response perspective. The electrical characteristics of ZnTe, at varying levels of copper doping, were derived using density functional theory (DFT) by applying the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and Hubbard U corrections (DFT+U). The performance of ZnTe with different Cu concentrations as a BSF layer was evaluated by analysing the values of four key parameters that are open circuit voltage (VOC), short circuit current density (JSC), fill factor (FF), and conversion efficiency (η). The results indicate that an increase in Cu concentration from 0% to 3%, 6%, 10%, and 12% resulted in a reduction of the energy band gap. Specifically, the energy band gap decreased from 2.24 eV to 2.10 eV, 1.98 eV, 1.92 eV, and 1.88 eV, respectively. Optimal Cu doping promotes the favourable shift in the valence band maxima (VBM) and formation of p + -ZnTe, lowering thermionic emission and improving carrier lifetime, which results in an improved ohmic contact, η = 18.73% for 10% of Cu content. Excessive doping in contrast degraded the overall device performance by forming an unmatched carrier band offset at the front interface with CdS, increasing the acceptor type defect and CdTe compensation rate. Overall, the findings suggest that incorporating a controlled level of Cu, which in this case is around 10%, promotes the efficiency and stability of the proposed CdTe device configuration to a certain extent.

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Photoluminescence measurement of triplet sensitizer-emitter solution using a customized 3D-printed sample holder

2024-06 , Kelvin Voon Yan Jie , Safizan Shaari , Mohd Fairus Ahmad , Nor Farhani Zakaria , Norhayati Sabani

This study explores the photoluminescence (PL) measurement of triplet sensitizer-emitter (TSE) solutions using a custom 3D-printed sample holder, within the context of triplet-triplet annihilation based molecular photon upconversion (TTA-UC) systems targeting the Vis-to-UV spectral region. TTA-UC converts low-energy visible photons to higher-energy ultraviolet (UV) photons, holding promise for solar energy harvesting and photonics applications. Two TSE couples, 4CzIPN/TP and 4CzIPN/QP, were investigated, and their upconverted fluorescence spectra showed peaks at 344 nm and 354 nm / 370 nm, respectively, confirming efficient upconversion capabilities. The 3D-printed sample holder facilitated reproducible PL measurements, enabling the calculation of quantum yields (ΦUC). The 4CzIPN/TP and 4CzIPN/QP couples exhibited low quantum yields (0.028% and 0.043%, respectively), suggesting the need for improved deoxygenation methods to enhance the triplet-triplet annihilation process and overall quantum efficiency. Despite modest yields, successful UV upconverted fluorescence observation underscores the feasibility of the Vis-to-UV TTA-UC system. This study provides insights into TTA-UC optimization and demonstrates the utility of the 3D-printed sample holder for affordable and precise PL measurements, paving the way for future advancements in photonics and solar energy applications.

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Characterization of doped ZnO thin film for Ammonia gas sensing application

2023 , Shazlina Johari , Fatin Amira Hasbullah , Anis Syafiqa Rosman , Muhammad Mahyiddin Ramli , Mohd Fairus Ahmad , Norizah Abd Karim , Nurul Huda Osman , D. Darminto , Ali Hussain Reshak , Sebastian Garus

This paper reports on the characterization of Sn- and Al-doped zinc oxide thin film for potential ammonia gas detection. The sol–gel method has been used to deposit the dopant onto the glass substrate at an annealing temperature of 500◦C for three different doping concentrations, which are 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 at.%. The method used to produce this thin film is sol–gel, as it is cheap, easy, and can be employed at low temperatures. The studies involve the investigation of the morphological structures and electrical and optical properties of doped ZnO. In terms of structural properties, scanning electron microscope images of Sn- and Al-doped ZnO change as the dopant concentration is increased. The doped thin film response and recovery towards 200 ppm of ammonia were observed and recorded. Both dopants show good gas sensing response. The recorded resistance reading suggests that Al is the superior dopant in gas sensing as it produces a low resistance reading of 230 Ω as opposed to 140 kΩ produced by Sn-doped ZnO thin film.

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Characterization of Excimer Laser Micromachining Parameters to Derive Optimal Performance for the Production of Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based Microfluidic Devices

2024-01-01 , Shazlina Johari , Ting Z.K. , Mazlee Mazalan , Yufridin Wahab , Anas Mohd Noor , Mohd Fairus Ahmad , Muhammad Mahyiddin Ramli

Laser micromachining has been used as an alternative to producing microfluidics structures and simplifying the conventional soft lithography process. In this paper we characterize the excimer laser micromachining parameters and demonstrate its application by producing several microfluidic structures in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The parameters include the number of laser pulses, laser energy and rectangular variable aperture (RVA) in both x- and y-directions. We found that the laser energy and pulse rate affect the depth of micromachining d channels, while RVA in both x- and y-directions affects the width of the channels. Repetition of laser scan does not change the channel width but significantly changes the channel depth. Proper adjustment for laser energy and pulse rate is required to fabricate a desired channels depth. In order to demonstrate the microfabrication capability of an excimer laser with the optimal operating parameters, several microfluidic structures were micromachining d into PDMS with a KrF excimer laser.

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Modified CMFB circuit with enhanced accuracy for data converter application

2013 , Mohd Fairus Ahmad , Sohiful Anuar Zainol Murad , Mukhzeer Mohamad Shahimin , Shamsul Amir Abdul Rais , Ahmad Fariz Hasan

Enhanced feedback voltage of common mode feedback (CMFB) circuit is designed in this work for CMOS data sampling application using 0.18-μm Silterra process technology. The double error detecting point circuit is employed to associate with the feedback point in order to prevent the undesired voltage common mode at the output of operational transconductance amplifier (OTA). The PMOS input transistor for injecting the common mode voltage is used to fit in the limitation of voltage division in low power design. The feedback voltage is strongly pushed to have a stable value as to make the outputs of differential amplifier circuit swing at a nearly constant voltage at 1.2 V for enhancing accuracy of data converter.

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Fabrication of Strontium Titanate thin film with pre-crystallized layer via sol-gel spin coating method

2022-12 , Kelvin Voon Yan Jie , Mohd Fairus Ahmad , Muhammad Mahyiddin Ramli , Safizan Shaari , Arif Mawardi Ismail , Yusran Sulaiman

The technique of pre-crystallized layer is introduced in the strontium titanate (STO) thin film fabrication to improve the coating thickness and the crystallinity. The STO thin films were fabricated on glass substrates via the spin coating method with STO precursor solution that was synthesized through the sol-gel process. The characteristics of the thin films were analyzed through X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, profilometry, UV-Vis spectra analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. In the present study, the samples of 20 layers and 25 layers (deposited on the pre-crystallized layer) exhibited better crystallinity as compared with the samples of 5 layers, 10 layers and 15 layers (without the pre-crystallized layer). The samples of 25 layers exhibited the highest film thickness (224 nm), highest absorbance intensity and the highest XRD peak intensity at 32, 40, 47 and 58°, which represent the planes (110), (111), (200) and (210), respectively. The pre-crystallized layer served as the mechanical support for further layer deposition.

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Low-cost tilt monitoring system for spin coater calibration

2024-02-08 , King C.Y. , Mohd Fairus Ahmad , Norhayati Sabani , Mohd Natashah Norizan , Nor Farhani Zakaria , Nurjuliana Juhari , Shamsul Amir Abdul Rais , Amin M.R.R.M.

The spin coating process became the most widely used technique in the fabrication industry for thin film coating on a substrate by centrifugal force. Unfortunately, frequent usage of spin coater might induce a tilted surface of the chuck (i.e. the sample holder). A tilted chuck might induce inhomogeneity of the coating layer. Among the machine's calibration techniques, nullifying the tilt before the spin coating process is the most important step. However, to our knowledge, none of the spin coaters was introduced with the chuck's tilt monitoring during the spin coating process. Thus, investigating the discrete condition during the spin coating process is necessary. In this work, the tilt monitoring system for the spin coater was implemented based on an Arduino Uno microcontroller and distance sensor. A spin coater has been implemented to test the tilt surface monitoring during spinning ranges from 350rpm to 1000rpm. The measurement was done under two conditions: flat (0.00 degrees) and tilted (5.71 degrees). The setup was able to measure up to 0.01 degrees of the tilt.

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First-principles investigation on the impact of copper concentration on zinc telluride as the back contact for cadmium telluride solar cells

2024-02-01 , Ahmad N.I. , Doroody C. , Mohd Natashah Norizan , Mohd Fairus Ahmad , Rahman K.S. , Radzwan A. , ALOthman Z.A. , Katubi K.M. , Alzahrani F.M. , Amin N. , Kar Y.B.

Cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells have attracted a lot of interest in recent years, attributed to their low cost and eco-friendly fabrication technique. However, the back contact is still the key issue for further improvement in device performance due to the work function difference between p-CdTe and metal contacts. In this study, the interatomic characteristics of zinc telluride (ZnTe) and Cu-doped ZnTe (ZnTe:Cu) as a back surface field (BSF) in CdTe structure is investigated using first-principles density functional theory (DFT) to overcome the Schottky barrier in CdTe solar cells. The incorporation of different doping levels of copper (Cu) in ZnTe on an atomic scale, where Zn1−xTe:Cux (x = 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10) as the potential back surface field layers is investigated. The effect of doping concentration on electrical characteristics such as bandgap structure and density of states (DOS) were examined via ab initio with the Hubbard U (DFT + U) correction. The results showed an interesting gradual decrease in the bandgap energy of ZnTe from 2.24 eV to 2.10 eV, 1.98 eV, 1.92 eV, 1.88 eV, and 1.87 eV for the incremented value of Cu content of 3.13%, 6.25%, 9.38%, 12.50%, and 15.63%, respectively. Accordingly, it has been found that controlling of the effective copper doping, i.e., concentration, is crucial for developing efficient back contact junctions for high-efficiency CdTe thin-film solar cells.