Nickel oxide (NiO) film receives attention from the field of optoelectronics due to its wide band gap and high transparency. By using a sparking method, the deposition of the NiO film is facile and unique. However, the NiO film made by the sparking method indicates a porous surface with an agglomeration of its particles. In order to reduce the porousness of the NiO film, the assistance of a permanent magnet in the sparking apparatus is presented. Here, we report the investigation of the NiO film and the p-NiO/n-ZnO heterojunction deposited by the sparking method under a magnetic field. Our results demonstrate that the porosity of the NiO film was reduced by increasing the magnitude of a magnetic field from 0 mT to 375 mT. Furthermore, the crystallinity and the electrical properties of the NiO film are improved by the influent of a magnetic field. For heterojunction, the best device shows the rectification ratio of 95 and the ideality factor of 4.92. This work provides an alternative method for the deposition of the NiO film with promising applications in optoelectronic devices.
Stretchable and compressible strain sensors play an essential role in various fields with uses ranging from automotive components to medical devices. This study reports on the fabrication and characteristics of stretchable strain and pressure sensors constructed using a carbon nanotube and graphene composite. The sensors were used for gait analysis, an important step in the diagnosis and management of movement disorders. The stretchable and compressible strain sensors were used to measure peak knee sagittal angles and forces under the feet when walking. Gait analysis is usually performed within a laboratory. However, in this research we propose a shift to gait assessments conducted via long-term daily monitoring using wearable devices.
Nickel oxide (NiO) films cover numerous electronic applications, including transparent conducting oxides and hole transport layer, because of its high transparency and wide band gap. A sparking discharge is a new and unique method for the deposition of NiO films due to non-complex operation and non-requirement of a vacuum atmosphere. Unfortunately, NiO films by the sparking method display a porous surface with inferior crystallinity. By assisting a uniform magnetic field in the sparking method, the porous and the crystallinity of NiO are improved. However, electrical properties of the NiO films deposited by this strategy are poor. In order to improve the electrical properties of NiO, a substitutional of Ni ions by Co ions is considered. In this study, we report an influence of Co concentration on properties of NiO films by sparking under a uniform magnetic field. Our results indicate that an increase in Co concentration to 0.1 M improves the crystallinity and increases a carrier concentration of NiO, resulting in a reduction of the resistivity. This consequence is in agreement with the increase in a number of higher-valence Ni3+ because of the Co2+ substituted Ni2+. Based on our research, Co-NiO film is promising materials for a transparent conductor.
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