The CSIR- National Physical Laboratory of India, situated in New Delhi, is the measurement standards laboratory of India. It maintains standards of SI units in India and calibrates the national standards of weights and measures.
Antimony halide perovskites (AHPs) are promising materials for the development of environmentally friendly semi-transparent perovskite solar cells (ST-PSCs). However, the poor device performance due to sub-optimal film quality and structure-induced defects in lead-free AHPs remains a challenge for their potential commercialization. Here, we have addressed this issue by incorporating Cs3Sb2Br9 quantum dots (QDs) in lead-free Cs3Sb2I9-based ST-PSCs and demonstrated that Cs3Sb2Br9 QDs passivation in these ST-PSCs can lead to a three-fold enhancement in power conversion efficiency (PCE) and -3% increase in average visible transmittance. The higher performance is attributed to the better film formation by controlling crystallization and reducing nonradiative recombination by suppressing the defect states. Our study provides an effective defect passivation approach to develop stable and environmentally friendly ST-PSCs.
Sol-gel method is used to synthesize the Bi0.90Dy0.10FeO3-BaTi0.95Hf0.05O3 (BDyFO-BTHfO composite) multiferroic composite material. The structural formation was examined utilizing an X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern preceded by Rietveld refinement utilizing the FULLPROF programme to confirm the presence of tetragonal and partially rhombohedral structures having space group P4mm and R3c, respectively. The dielectric characteristics of the BDyFO-BTHfO composite have been measured with respect to frequency (100 Hz to 1 MHz) and temperature (RT to 663K). Dielectric permittivity (ε) shows low-frequency dispersion which can be addressed by Maxwell-Wanger-type interfacial polarization. The synthesized composite material exhibits a negative magneto-dielectric (MD) effect when a magnetic field is operated (0.0 T to 2.0 T) and the obtained values are −9.61% and −19.68% for the ε and tanδ, respectively, at 1 kHz. The contribution of the grains, grain boundaries and electrode effects on the resistive characteristics of the samples was evaluated using comprehensive impedance spectroscopy using a Nyquist plot. The band gap (Eg) absorption of the synthesized sample was determined using Tauc’s formula and found to be 2.05 eV. The BDyFO-BTHfO composite has improved magneto-dielectric, magneto impedance, and optical properties that support their potential usage in microelectronics, energy storage devices, and optoelectronic devices.
The good manufacturing practices (GMP), good laboratory practices (GLP), good clinical practices (GCP), metrology, quality control (QC), and quality assurance (QA) are essential quality system frameworks and used in manufacturing and regulated environments, such as the drugs and pharmaceuticals, life science, and healthcare sectors. These quality frameworks collectively play a fundamental role in ensuring the safety, efficacy, and reliability of products and research within the life sciences. These standard practices, measurement, and quality system elements are intertwined, reinforcing one another to maintain the highest standards of safety, efficacy, and ethics throughout the life sciences. This integrated approach emphasizes the critical role of accurate measurements, calibration, quality control, and adherence to strict regulatory standards. The commitment to excellence and adaptability to evolving technologies and regulations underscore the significance of this synergy in safeguarding public health, ensuring data integrity, and driving progress in the pursuit of high-quality products. Although all these disciples are vastly explored and used independently, no serious efforts are made to investigate the interaction and synergy among them wherever applicable. Authors have attempted to discuss the possibility of such interactions. The present chapter explores first the essentiality of these elements individually and then later elaborate the intricate web of interactions and dependencies between these practices and fields.
Transition metal oxide films (TMO) as passivating contacts with improved opto-electronic characteristics play an important role in improving the silicon solar cell device efficiency. In this report, the effect of sputtering power on the optical properties of MoOx and the quality of MoOx/n-Si interface for its application in a silicon solar cell as carrier selective contacts has been reported. The optical transmittance of the film greater than 80 % in the visible and near infrared region of the spectrum is observed, which further improved with sputtering power. The creation of oxygen ion vacancies, which acts as positively charged structural defects able to capture one or two electrons led to the decrease of optical band gap from 3.70 eV to 3.23 eV at higher power. The oxygen vacancies occupied by electrons acts as donor centers, which lies close to the valence band, were responsible for modulation in electrical properties. The electrical properties of MoOx/n-Si interface was analyzed using current-voltage (I-V) measurements for its application as selective contact. A significant change in the selectivity parameters, like barrier height, I0 and series resistance of MoOx, has been observed with dc power. These extracted parameters showed that the sputtering power has a great influence on the selectivity of the charge carriers.
The study investigates the effects of annealing on the structural, morphological, magnetic, and transport properties of Mn-Ni-Sn-based Heusler alloy thin films grown by UHV RF Magnetron sputtering. A commercial target with the nominal composition Mn2 Ni1.6Sn0.4 was used, and the films were deposited on (001) oriented SrTiO3 substrates. Thin films were deposited at 500 °C, 600 °C, 700 °C, and 800 °C and in situ annealing was done at the respective deposition temperatures for 6 hours. X-ray reflectivity indicated a deposition rate of »4 nm/min. The films exhibited B2 or L21-type structures, or a mixture of both, depending on the annealing temperature. At the highest growth temperature (800 °C), additional diffraction maxima between 40-45° were likely due to Ni3Sn or Mn3 Sn impurity phases, suggesting thermally activated decomposition. Surface microstructures consisting of dark and bright regions evolved from continuous to discontinuous morphology with the increase of the growth temperature. The bifurcation between zero field-cooled (ZFC) and field-cooled warming (FCW) curves decreased, and the magnetic moment increased with deposition temperatures up to 700 °C. The Curie temperature for all films was above room temperature. Films grown at 500 °C, 600 °C, and 700 °C followed the Bloch law below 143 K. However, the film grown at 800 °C, followed this law between 14 K and 75 K. Films grown up to 700 °C behaved like a local magnetic moment system, which is crucial for spin polarization in Heusler systems. Phase degeneration at 800 °C destroyed the half-metallic behavior. All films showed metallic behavior with different resistivity and temperature dependence. Residual Resistivity Ratio (RRR) values were 1.17, 1.51, and 1.64 for films grown at 500 °C, 600 °C, and 700 °C, respectively. The phase degenerated film showed the steepest decline in resistivity, with an exceptionally high RRR of approximately 956.59.
