Luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) have the potential to serve as energy-harvesting windows in buildings. Although recent advances in nanotechnology have led to the emergence of novel fluorophores such as quantum dots, perovskites and others, the commercialization of such functional glass remains immature due to an insufficient power conversion efficiency. In other words, improvements in fluorophores alone cannot fully maximize the potential of LSCs. Here we introduce a new laminated type of LSC structure where a patterned low-refractive-index medium acts as an optical ‘guard rail’, providing a practically non-decaying path for guiding photons. We also propose the design rules regarding the dimensions of LSCs and the spectral characteristics of fluorophores. Once these rules were applied, we achieved record-high LSC performance. The measured external quantum efficiencies at 450 nm are 45% for a 100 cm² area and 32% for the LSC with an edge aspect ratio of 71. The device efficiency is 7.6%, the highest value ever reported, to the best of our knowledge. These findings may have industrial implications and could accelerate the commercialization of LSCs.

We report on the effects of the intense pulsed light (IPL) rapid annealing process and back-channel passivation on the solution-processed In-Ga-Zn-O (IGZO) thin film transistors (TFTs) array. To improve the electrical properties, stability and uniformity of IGZO TFTs, the oxide channel layers were treated by IPL at atmospheric ambient and passivated by photo-sensitive polyimide (PSPI). When we treated the IGZO channel layer by the IPL rapid annealing process, saturation field effect mobility and subthreshold swing (S.S.) were improved. And, to protect the back-channel of oxide channel layers from oxygen and water molecules, we passivated TFT devices with photo-sensitive polyimide. The IGZO TFTs on glass substrate treated by IPL rapid annealing without PSPI passivation showed the field effect mobility (μ_FE) of 1.54 cm²/Vs and subthreshold swing (S.S.) of 0.708 V/decade. The PSPI-passivated IGZO TFTs showed higher μ_FE of 2.17 cm²/Vs than that of device without passivation process and improved S.S. of 0.225 V/decade. By using a simple and fast intense pulsed light treatment with an appropriate back-channel passivation layer, we could improve the electrical characteristics and hysteresis of IGZO-TFTs. We also showed the improved uniformity of electrical characteristics for IGZO TFT devices in the area of 10 × 40 mm². Since this IPL rapid annealing process could be performed at a low temperature, it can be applied to flexible electronics on plastic substrates in the near future.

We report on the effect of atmospheric plasma treatment on zinc tin oxide (ZTO) thin-film transistors (TFTs). To improve the properties of ZTO-TFTs, the back-channel surfaces of ZTO were treated by the atmospheric Ar plasma. The untreated ZTO-TFTs showed the average field effect mobility (μ_FE) of ∼6.79 cm₂/Vs and subthreshold swing (S.S.) of ∼0.95 V/decade. The plasma-treated ZTO-TFTs showed the higher average μ_FE of ∼8.19 cm₂/Vs than that of untreated devices and S.S. of ∼0.93. By a simple non-vacuum plasma treatment, we could drastically improve the electrical characteristics and uniformity of ZTO-TFTs.