Despite its excellent optical, electrical, mechanical, and thermal performances, a silver nanowire (AgNW)-based transparent conducting heater (TCH) still demonstrates several drawbacks such as facile nanowire breakdown on application of a high DC voltage, easy oxidation when exposed to harsh environments, leading to increased surface resistivity, and high resistance among wire junctions causing nonhomogeneous temperature profiles. To overcome these issues, the AgNW was hybridized with other transparent heating materials made of fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) thin films and NiCr nanodots (FTO/NiCr/AgNW). The dispersed NiCr nanodots (∼50 nm) and FTO thin films (∼20 nm) electrically bridge the nanowire junctions leading to a decreased sheet resistance and uniform temperature profiles. The hybrid transparent heater shows excellent optical transmittance (>90%) and high saturation temperature (162 °C) at low applied DC voltage (6 V). Moreover, the FTO/NiCr/AgNW heater exhibits a stable sheet resistance in a hostile environment, hence highlighting the excellent oxidation-resistance of the heating materials. These results indicate that the proposed hybrid transparent heaters could be a promising approach to combat the inherent problems associated with AgNW-based transparent heaters for various functional applications.

Structurally regulated and hybridized Al-C nanoclusters are prepared from C60 and Al precursors by thermal evaporation-combined plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition. The resulting Al-C hybrid nanoclustered anodes for Li-ion batteries exhibit a high reversible capacity of >900 mA h g(-1) at an optimized current density of 6 A g(-1) for over 100 cycles.

Phone: þ82 10 8717 0978, Fax: þ82 2 958 5229 Transparent double-layer heaters that consist of aluminumdoped zinc oxide and fluorine-doped tin oxide films are prepared by electron cyclotron resonance-metal organic chemical vapor deposition and RF-sputtering systems, in sequence. The double-layered transparent conducting oxide film is designed and prepared to achieve both of high conductivity and high-temperature performance. This double-layer structure has lower sheet resistance, due to the grain size increase with respect to the single-layer films. The fluorine-doped tin oxide/aluminum-doped zinc oxide double-layer film shows a sheet resistance as low as 36.7 V sq À1 , and an optical transmittance of $82%, which are suitable properties for low-voltage transparent heaters. Hall measurement results show that the double-layer film has remarkably increased conductivity and decreased resistivity. In addition, the time-versus-temperature profile shows that the performance of the fluorine-doped tin oxide/aluminumdoped zinc oxide double layer is superior to that of the aluminum-doped zinc oxide and fluorine-doped tin oxide single-layer films.

Femtosecond ultrafast-laser micro-patterning was employed to prepare a three-dimensional (3D) structure for the tape-casting Ni-rich LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 (NMC811) cathode. The influences of laser structuring on the electrochemical performance of NMC811 were investigated. The 3D-NMC811 cathode retained capacities of 77.8% at 2 C of initial capacity at 0.1 C, which was thrice that of 2D-NMC811 with an initial capacity of 27.8%. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and impedance spectroscopy demonstrated that the 3D electrode improved the Li+ ion transportation at the electrode–electrolyte interface, resulting in a higher rate capability. The diffusivity coefficient DLi+, calculated by both CV and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, revealed that 3D-NMC811 delivered faster Li+ ion transportation with higher DLi+ than that of 2D-NMC811. The laser ablation of the active material also led to a lower charge–transfer resistance, which represented lower polarization and improved Li+ ion diffusivity.

Fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) films with a thickness of about 3 micrometers were prepared by electron cyclotron resonance-metal organic chemical vapor deposition (ECR-MOCVD) under 800 W of microwave power, with tetra-methyl tin (TMT) as a tin precursor. The dome-shaped micro-patterned FTO layer was prepared on a copper current collector using a KrF excimer laser micromachining system for application as an anode for 3D lithium-ion batteries. Mild ECR plasma treatment at 600 W was carried out on the surface of the microstructured FTO anode, and the electrochemical characteristics were investigated with regard to the plasma treatment effects. The results show that physical properties such as the smooth and dense surface morphology and reduced surface oxygen functional groups of the plasma-treated samples enhanced the specific capacity, rate capability, and capacity fading. This was probably due to the reduction of side reactions, which may be closely related to the plasma treatment of the microstructured FTO layer. The ECR plasma treatment plays an important role in reducing the charging transfer resistance. In the experimental range studied, a higher specific capacity of 1425 mA h g À1 at a current density of 117 mA g À1 was observed, with capacity fading of 37.8% after 100 cycles for the plasma-treated microstructured FTO anode.