In this study, we designed and manufactured a large angular contact ball bearing (LACBB) with low deformation using JIS-SUJ2 steel and analyzed changes in its structural characteristics and chemical composition upon heat treatment. The bearing was produced by hot forging and heat treatment including a quenching and tempering (Q/T) process, and its properties were analyzed using 4 mm thick specimens. A difference in the size distribution of the carbide in the outer and inner parts of the bearing was observed and it was confirmed that large and non-uniform carbide was distributed in the inner part of the bearing. After heat treatment, the hardness value of the outer part increased from 13.4 HRC to 61 HRC and the inner part increased from 8.0 HRC to 59.7 HRC. As a result of X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements, the volume fraction of the retained austenite contained in the outer part was calculated to be 3.5~4.8 % and the inner part was calculated to be 3.6~5.0 %. The surface chemical composition and the content of chemical bonds were quantified through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and a decrease in C=C bonds and an increase in Fe-C bonds were confirmed.

As the demand for p-type semiconductors increases, much effort is being put into developing new p-type materials. This demand has led to the development of novel new p-type semiconductors that go beyond existing p-type semiconductors. Copper iodide (CuI) has recently received much attention due to its wide band gap, excellent optical and electrical properties, and low temperature synthesis. However, there are limits to its use as a semiconductor material for thin film transistor devices due to the uncontrolled generation of copper vacancies and excessive hole doping. In this work, p-type CuI semiconductors were fabricated using the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process for thin-film transistor (TFT) applications. The vacuum process has advantages over conventional solution processes, including conformal coating, large area uniformity, easy thickness control and so on. CuI thin films were fabricated at various deposition temperatures from 150 to 250 °C The surface roughness root mean square (RMS) value, which is related to carrier transport, decreases with increasing deposition temperature. Hall effect measurements showed that all fabricated CuI films had p-type behavior and that the Hall mobility decreased with increasing deposition temperature. The CuI TFTs showed no clear on/off because of the high concentration of carriers. By adopting a Zn capping layer, carrier concentrations decreased, leading to clear on and off behavior. Finally, stability tests of the PBS and NBS showed a threshold voltage shift within ±1 V.

Tungsten disulfide (WS2) nanosheets have attracted considerable attention because of their unique optical and electrical properties. Several methods for fabrication of WS2 nanosheets have been developed. However, methods for mass production of high-quality WS2 nanosheets remain challenging. In this study, WS2 nanosheets were fabricated using mechano-chemical ball milling based on the synergetic effects of chemical intercalation and mechanical exfoliation. The ball-milling time was set as a variable for the optimized fabricating process of WS2 nanosheets. Under the optimized conditions, the WS2 nanosheets had lateral sizes of 500–600 nm with either a monolayer or bilayer. They also exhibited high crystallinity in the 2H semiconducting phase. Thus, the proposed method can be applied to the exfoliation of other transition metal dichalcogenides using suitable chemical intercalants. It can also be used with highperformance WS2-based photodiodes and transistors used in practical semiconductor applications.

The current study was intended to synthesize and characterize the physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of carbon/ carbon (C/C) composites using the chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) process. To that end, carbon fiber felt (CF) was used as a preform, and methane and hydrogen were employed as reactive and carrier gases, respectively. After deciding on the optimum temperature (1050 °C), the composite samples were produced at different times (0–195 h). Then the samples were studied for their phase and microstructure characteristics using XRD, SEM, FESEM, FTIR, and Raman spectroscope. The results showed that by increasing the CVI process time up to 195 h, the density of the produced samples increased from 0.20 to 1.62 g/cm3, and the specific surface area decreased from 58.78 to 0.23 m2/ g. Also, by increasing the process duration, the deposition rate decreased due to the reduction of the available surface for carbon deposition. In other words, due to the increase in density, and decrease in both porosity and specific surface area, the thermal conductivity coefficient and the bending strength of the samples increased. The composite specimens’ SEM images of the fracture surface indicated a weak interface between the carbon fibers and the carbon layer developed by the CVI process. The structural analyses showed that the morphology of carbon growth during the CVI process was initially laminar, but changed to rough-laminar (RL) with the higher duration of the CVI process.

In this study, (GaN)1-x(ZnO)x solid solution nanoparticles with a high zinc content are prepared by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis and subsequent nitridation. The structure and morphology of the samples are investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The characterization results show a phase transition from the Zn and Ga-based oxides (ZnO or ZnGa2O4) to a (GaN)1-x (ZnO)x solid solution under an NH3 atmosphere. The effect of the precursor solution concentration and nitridation temperature on the final products are systematically investigated to obtain (GaN)1-x(ZnO)x nanoparticles with a high Zn concentration. It is confirmed that the powder synthesized from the solution in which the ratio of Zn and Ga was set to 0.8:0.2, as the initial precursor composition was composed of about 0.8-mole fraction of Zn, similar to the initially set one, through nitriding treatment at 700oC. Besides, the synthesized nanoparticles exhibited the typical XRD pattern of (GaN)1-x(ZnO)x, and a strong absorption of visible light with a bandgap energy of approximately 2.78 eV, confirming their potential use as a hydrogen production photocatalyst.

Continuous synthesis of high-crystalline carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is achieved by reconfiguring the injection part in the reactor that is used in the floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition (FC-CVD) process. The degree of gas mixing is divided into three cases by adjusting the configuration of the injection part: Case 1: most-delayed gas mixing (reference experiment), Case 2: earlier gas mixing than Case 1, Case 3: earliest gas mixing. The optimal synthesis condition is obtained using design of experiment (DOE) in the design of Case 1, and then is applied to the other cases to compare the synthesis results. In all cases, the experiments are performed by varying the timing of gas mixing while keeping the synthesis conditions constant. Production rate (Case 1: 0.63 mg/min, Case 2: 0.68 mg/min, Case 3: 1.29 mg/min) and carbon content (Case 1: 39.6 wt%, Case 2: 57.1 wt%, Case 3: 71.6 wt%) increase as the gas-mixing level increases. The amount of by-products decreases stepwise as the gas-mixing level increases. The IG/ID ratio increases by a factor of 7 from 10.3 (Case 1) to 71.7 (Case 3) as the gas-mixing level increases; a high ratio indicates high-crystalline CNTs. The radial breathing mode (RBM) peak of Raman spectrograph is the narrowest and sharpest in Case 3; this result suggests that the diameter of the synthesized CNTs is the most uniform in Case 3. This study demonstrates the importance of configuration of the injection part of the reactor for CNT synthesis using FC-CVD.

3 mol% yttria-doped stabilized zirconia (3YSZ) is synthesized by a solvothermal process, and its characteristics are investigated using various methods. Also, the dispersibility of synthesized 3YSZ nanoparticles is observed with the species of surface modifier. The 3YSZ nano sol prepared with an optimum condition is employed in prism coating and its properties are evaluated. The synthesized 3YSZ nanoparticles show a globular shape with about 10 to 20 nm crystallite size. The mixed phases with the nano sol show a high specific surface of 178 m2/g. The prism sheet coated with the 3YSZ nano sol present an excellent refractive index, transmittance, and luminance; refractive index is 1.603, transmittance is 90.2 %, and luminance of coating film is improved by 5.9 % compared to that of the film without 3YSZ nano sol. It is verified that the surface modified 3YSZ is suitable as the prism sheet for optical displays.

In this work, TiO2 3D nanostructures (TF30) were prepared via a facile wet chemical process using ammonium hexafluorotitanate. The synthesized 3D TiO2 nanostructures exhibited well-defined crystalline and hierarchical structures assembled from TiO2 nanorods with different thicknesses and diameters, which comprised numerous small beads. Moreover, the maximum specific surface area of TiO2 3D nanostructures was observed to be 191 m2g-1, with concentration of F ions on the surface being 2 at%. The TiO2 3D nanostructures were tested as photocatalysts under UV irradiation using Rhodamine B solution in order to determine their photocatalytic performance. The TiO2 3D nanostructures showed a higher photocatalytic activity than that of the other TiO2 samples, which was likely associated with the combined effects of a high crystallinity, unique features of the hierarchical structure, a high specific surface area, and the advantage of adsorbing F ions.

A facile one-pot wet chemical process to prepare pure anatase TiO2 hollow structures using ammonium hexafluorotitanate as a precursor is developed. By defining the formic acid ratio, we fabricate TiO2 hollow structures containing fluorine on the surface. The TiO2 hollow sphere is composed of an anatase phase containing fluorine by various analytical techniques. A possible formation mechanism for the obtained hollow samples by self-transformation and Ostwald ripening is proposed. The TiO2 hollow structures containing fluorine exhibits 1.2 - 2.7 times higher performance than their counterparts in photocatalytic activity. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the TiO2 hollow structures is attributed to the combined effects of high crystallinity, specific surface area (62 m2g-1), and the advantage of surface fluorine ions (at 8%) having strong electron-withdrawing ability of the surface ≡ Ti-F groups reduces the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes.

In this study, using a wet chemical process, we evaluate the effectiveness of different solution concentrations in removing layers from a solar cell, which is necessary for recovery of high-purity silicon . A 4-step wet etching process is applied to a 6-inch back surface field(BSF) solar cell. The metal electrode is removed in the first and second steps of the process, and the anti-reflection coating(ARC) is removed in the third step. In the fourth step, high purity silicon is recovered by simultaneously removing the emitter and the BSF layer from the solar cell. It is confirmed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy(ICP-MS) and secondary ion mass spectroscopy(SIMS) analyses that the effectiveness of layer removal increases with increasing chemical concentrations. The purity of silicon recovered through the process, using the optimal concentration for each process, is analyzed using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy(ICP-AES). In addition, the silicon wafer is recovered through optimum etching conditions for silicon recovery, and the solar cell is remanufactured using this recovered silicon wafer. The efficiency of the remanufactured solar cell is very similar to that of a commercial wafer-based solar cell, and sufficient for use in the PV industry.