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Let us think about the future clean energy systems. For large-scale electric power generation by solar cells, efficient use of high purity silicon is the key. We are trying to improve the efficiency several-ten times by making highly-crystalline films in one minute instead of bulk substrates. Transparent electrodes are important for both solar cells (yielding electricity from light) and display & lighting devices (generating lights from electricity). We try to replace rare-metal-based oxide semiconductors with carbon nanotubes or graphene. Nanotube-silicon hybrids are promising to realize Li ion batteries of larger capacities for (hybrid) electric vehicles. In this way, nanotechnology can bring innovations widely even with abundant carbon and silicon elements, and contributes to sustainable technological society.
But nanomaterials can never be made in macro-scale if we artificially manipulate atoms/molecules one-by-one. Self-organization, i.e. spontaneous formation of materials from numerous atoms/molecules, is the key. We are trying to understand the processes of chemical reactions of atoms/molecules, formation of nanostructures, and evolution of higher-order structures fundamentally. Based on the fundamental understandings with flexible thinking and idea, we are proposing and developing novel processes for nanomaterials and their devices.
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Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a unique 1D nanomaterial as thin as ~nm and as long as ~mm.
They have good electrical conductivity, high tensile strength, thermal and chemical stability similarly with inorganic materials, and have small mass, flexibility, and compatibility with printing process similarly with organic materials.
Thus, many applications have been proposed for them. On the other hand, as their price (higher than gold) shows, their fabrication process is still under development and their practical applications are very much limited. Chemistry & engineering should lead the innovations for their production and manufacturing. We have developed rapid growth process of millimeter-long single-wall CNTs and are trying to realize their practical production. Please click here for details. We are developing mass-production processes of CNTs by utilizing three-dimensional space of reactors, and direct fabrication of various devices by growing CNTs on device substrates. We have also started the synthesis of boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) having similar structure as CNTs and insulative property.
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![]() Rapid SWCNT growth Larger Movie. ![]() Continuous production by fluidized bed: Movie |
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In many devices made of solids, the interface between solids often governs performance.
As the performance of electrical and electronic devices increases dramatically, the density of energy input into the device increases, and how to dissipate the heat generated is an important issue.
On the other hand, LEDs and sensors are mounted on various devices such as automobiles, and their anti-fog and anti-snow protection is also becoming important.
Various types of thin films are required to connect solid interfaces and add functionality to surfaces. Strong chemical bonds create stiffness as well as heat resistance and chemical stability in ordinary bulk materials. On the other hand, CNTs and BNNTs are thin, one-dimensional materials with diameters of a few nm that have flexibility with strong and stable chemical bonds. They also have a large specific surface area and van der Waals interactions between nanotubes, which intertwine with each other in a sponge-like free-standing film. The material with unique features of softness, thermal stability, and thermal conductivity can be produced, and is expected to have diverse applications in solar cells, in-vehicle devices, and semiconductor device manufacturing. Evaporation of solids in an inert gas such as Ar allows the synthesis of solid particulates with a clean surface, and these particulate films easily sinter and return to the bulk. We have created novel materials with high thermal stability once bonded while bonding at low temperatures.
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![]() 1-min-epitaxy and lift-off of Si films for solar cells |
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Energy devices must be produced at low cost and installed at large scale in order to contribute to the sustainable energy and environmental systems. We are developing next-generation, high energy and power density rechargeable batteries via rapid, high-yield fabrication process using low-cost sources. Self-supporting, sponge-like films of single-wall and few-wall CNTs can be easily obtained by dispersion and filtration. For example, 0.1 mm-thick paper of our few-wall CNTs by fluidized-bed CVD is as light as 0.3 mg/cm3 and 3 mg/cm2, has a 80-90% porosity and 100 S/cm electrical conductivity. Differently from the conventional electrodes fabricated by coating active materials on heavy current collectors of Cu or Al foils with binder and conductive fillers, we are developing light-weight, high-capacity electrodes by capturing various active materials in the CNT papers. Especially, Si has a huge theoretical capacity 10-times as large as the current graphite anode, however is suffering from the degradation due to the volumetric change during charge-discharge cycles. Vapor deposition is a common method in basic research in preparing thin films slowly and carefully under ultrahigh vacuum. But it enables rapid, low-cost fabrication of aluminum thin films for gas barriers in snack packaging in industry. We elevate the vapor pressure of the evaporation source by heating it to a temperature much higher than the melting point, deposit the vapor on substrates at lower temperature, and realize several micrometer-thick porous films quickly in 1 minute. We are applying this method also for various metals to realize high-performance battery electrodes via simple, low-cost processes. |
![]() 1-min deposition of porous Si films for Li ion batteries |
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Extensive efforts and budgets are being paid to research and development in application fields.
However, the rapid expansion of knowledge and technology has resulted in excessive specialization of fields, complication of systems, and distance between technology and society, sometimes causing the technologies unused even when they are successfully developed.
Subjective research and development are inefficient and insufficient.
It is essential to assess the technologies quantitatively by setting them to systems and estimating the performance change of the systems in society, comparing them with existing/competitive technologies objectively, and making feedback the results to research and development.
It is important to shift from the ggood matters h to guseful matters h, develop methodologies and theories, and cultivate professionals. We are developing new technologies for innovations in fields including energy and environment, and trying to conduct development and assessment of emerging technologies concurrently.
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