•Recyclable α-CuV2O6 nanofibers were successfully prepared via hydrothermal synthesis.•In-doped α-CuV2O6 as a visible-light-driven photocatalyst was firstly developed.•The nanofibers display typical indirect allowed transitions with narrow band of 1.96 eV.•It presents high activity on RhB degradation under visible light irradiation.•The photocatalysis was discussed on multivalent V elements in the nanofiber lattices.In3+-doped CuV2O6 nanofibers were prepared via the hydrothermal synthesis method, which produced fibers with a typical diameter of 100 nm, and a length of 1–5 μm. The nanofibers grew in a preferred [020] direction. The crystal phase together with the structure was studied via X-ray polycrystalline diffraction (XRD) and the Rietveld refinement. The surface characteristics of this nanostructure were measured with a scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectra (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and N2–adsorption–desorption isotherms. Photo-activities were evaluated by optical absorption, luminescence, and decay behaviors. The band-gap structures and positions were investigated. The vanadate has an efficient optical absorption from the UV to the visible wavelength region with an indirect allowed transition characterized by the narrow gap energy of 1.96 eV. The photocatalysis was investigated by the photo-degradation of RhB solutions irradiated by visible light. Correspondingly, CuV2O6:In3+ nanofibers possess quenched luminescence and have a more efficient photocatalytic activity on the RhB degradation. Photocatalytic mechanisms were proposed based on the experimental results, the band-energy positions, and the trapping experiments. The coexistence of V4+/V5+ ions and induced-color centers was discussed on the proposed photocatalytic mechanism. The results demonstrated the promising potency of such In3+-doped CuV2O6 nanofibers for technological applications due to their high photo-activity and good cycling performance with the fiber morphology.

•A new vavadate semiconductor AgV7O18 was developed via hydrothermal synthesis.•This silver-containing semiconductor crystallized in typical nanorods.•Samples present big length/diameter ratio and large specific surface area.•AgV7O18 displays a typical indirect allowed transition with band energy of 1.837 eV.•AgV7O18 exhibits photodegradation ability on dye pollution under visible light irradiations.A new silver vanadate semiconductor AgV7O18 was prepared via the hydrothermal synthesis method. The sample crystallized in typical nanorods with a big length/diameter ratio and large specific surface area. The detailed band structures were reported. AgV7O18 nanorods have small band energy of 1.837 eV with indirect allowed electronic transitions. The narrowed band-gap is due to the hybridization between the Ag-d and O-p states in the valence band. The photocatalysis was investigated by photo-degradation of Rhodamine-B (RhB) irradiated by visible light. AgV7O18 has efficient photodegradation on RhB. The photocatalysis was discussed according to the band energy positions and the trapping experiments.

In this paper, we report the annealing effects on the micro-structure and the electrical properties of sol–gel-derived Y2O3 thin films and further impact on the InZnO thin film transistors (IZO TFTs). The Y2O3 thin films annealed at 400 °C showed a low current density of ~10−8 A/cm2 at an applied voltage of 1 V. A relative high capacitance density of 345.7 nF/cm2, measured at 1 kHz, was obtained for same Y2O3 capacitor. Based on its potential as the dielectric layer, IZO TFTs exhibited a high field effect mobility of 20.93 cm2/Vs, an acceptable subthreshold swing of 0.67 V/decade, and a reasonable Ion/Ioff ratio of 1.2×106. Our results demonstrate that solution-processed Y2O3 thin film is a promising gate dielectric candidate for high-performance oxide TFT.

Solution-processed AlOx thin films were annealed at different temperatures (250, 350, 450 and 550 °C). The annealing effects on the physical properties of AlOx thin films were studied. It is found that the leakage current density is decreased with increasing annealing temperature. The AlOx thin film annealed at 550 °C exhibits the best insulation performance with a current density of 2.7×10−9 A/cm2 at a bias voltage of 3 V. In order to demonstrate the feasibility of application in the thin film transistor (TFT) devices, an indium–titanium–zinc-oxide TFT based on AlOx dielectric was integrated. The TFT can be operated under a low voltage of 5 V, with a high field effect mobility of 23.7 cm2/Vs, a threshold voltage of 1.5 V, a subthreshold swing of 0.22 V/decade, and an on/off current ratio of 106. The results demonstrate that AlOx dielectric thin film prepared by solution process is a promising gate dielectric candidate for high-performance oxide devices. The results indicated the potential applications in transparent electronics.

We reported here “aqueous-route” fabrication of In2O3 thin-film transistors (TFTs) using an ultrathin solution-processed ZrOx dielectric thin film. The formation and properties of In2O3 thin films under various annealing temperatures were intensively examined by thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The solution-processed ZrOx thin film followed by sequential UV/ozone treatment and low-temperature thermal-annealing processes showed an amorphous structure, a low leakage-current density (∼1 × 10–9 A/cm2 at 2 MV/cm), and a high breakdown electric field (∼7.2 MV/cm). On the basis of its implementation as the gate insulator, the In2O3 TFTs based on ZrOx annealed at 250 °C exhibit an on/off current ratio larger than 107, a field-effect mobility of 23.6 cm2/V·s, a subthreshold swing of 90 mV/decade, a threshold voltage of 0.13 V, and high stability. These promising properties were obtained at a low operating voltage of 1.5 V. These results suggest that “aqueous-route” In2O3 TFTs based on a solution-processed ZrOx dielectric could potentially be used for low-cost, low-temperature-processing, high-performance, and flexible devices.Keywords: aqueous solution process; indium oxide; low-temperature process; thin-film transistor; ultrathin zirconium oxide