Disclosed is a method for activating a surface of metals, such as self-passivated metals, and of metal-oxide dissolution, effected using a fluoroanion-containing composition. Also disclosed is an electrochemical cell utilizing an aluminum-containing anode material and a fluoroanion-containing electrolyte, characterized by high efficiency, low corrosion, and optionally mechanical or electrochemical rechargeability. Also disclosed is a process for fusing (welding, soldering etc.) a self-passivated metal at relatively low temperature and ambient atmosphere, and a method for electrodepositing a metal on a self-passivated metal using metal-oxide source.

Semiconductor packages having variable redistribution layer thicknesses are described. In an example, a semiconductor package includes a redistribution layer on a dielectric layer, and the redistribution layer includes first conductive traces having a first thickness and second conductive traces having a second thickness. The first thickness may be different than the second thickness, e.g., the first thickness may be less than the second thickness.

A process for producing a highly conducting film of conductor-bonded graphene sheets that are highly oriented, comprising: (a) preparing a graphene dispersion or graphene oxide (GO) gel; (b) depositing the dispersion or gel onto a supporting solid substrate under a shear stress to form a wet layer; (c) drying the wet layer to form a dried layer having oriented graphene sheets or GO molecules with an inter-planar spacing d.sub.002 of 0.4 nm to 1.2 nm; (d) heat treating the dried layer at a temperature from 55 C. to 3,200 C. for a desired length of time to produce a porous graphitic film having pores and constituent graphene sheets or a 3D network of graphene pore walls having an inter-planar spacing d.sub.002 less than 0.4 nm; and (e) impregnating the porous graphitic film with a conductor material that bonds the constituent graphene sheets or graphene pore walls to form the conducting film.

A fabricating method of a non-enzyme sensor element includes a printing step, a coating step and an electroplating step. In the printing step, a conductive material is printed on a surface of a substrate to form a working electrode, a reference electrode and an auxiliary electrode, and a porous carbon material is printed on the working electrode to form a porous carbon layer. In the coating step, a graphene film material is coated on the porous carbon layer of the working electrode to form a graphene layer. In the electroplating step, a metal is electroplated on the graphene layer by a pulse constant current to form a catalyst layer including a metal oxide.

A fabricating method of a non-enzyme sensor element includes a printing step, a coating step and an electroplating step. In the printing step, a conductive material is printed on a surface of a substrate to form a working electrode, a reference electrode and an auxiliary electrode, and a porous carbon material is printed on the working electrode to form a porous carbon layer. In the coating step, a graphene film material is coated on the porous carbon layer of the working electrode to form a graphene layer. In the electroplating step, a metal is electroplated on the graphene layer by a pulse constant current to form a catalyst layer including a metal oxide.

A photoelectrode includes a double-layer homojunction of metal oxide semiconductor films without heteroatoms incorporated. The metal oxide semiconductor films are uniform in large size with rich oxygen vacancies. For BiVO.sub.4 films, Bi precursor can be electrodeposited on a substrate under atmospheric pressure and air atmosphere. The electrolytes for electrodeposition are acidic or alkaline with controllable pHs. The electrodeposited substrate is transferred to the muffle furnace for thermal evaporation with V precursor. Film thickness and size can be controlled by electrodeposition parameters. The BiVO.sub.4 double-layer homojunction is a safer and cheaper material in photo-driven devices, hydrogen producers, and solar cells, and is an economical replacement of costly III-V compounds, polymers, and valuable fossil. The BiVO.sub.4 double-layer homojunction can also be employed as photoelectrodes for H.sub.2 production via photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting under solar light, which can provide pivotal reactor materials for hydrogen producers and solar cells.

The present disclosure provides a method to provide a conductive bus bar on a patterned transparent conductor, such as ITO taces used for touch screen manufacturing. The method can be a cheaper and a more convenient technique to pattern a conductive metal or metal alloy, such as copper, silver, or a copper/silver/titanium alloy, on ITO electrodes in a roll-to-roll process.

A gas sensor operable at ambient conditions, the sensor includes functionalized feather-like tellurium (Te) nanostructures on single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNTs) networks.

A gas sensor operable at ambient conditions, the sensor includes functionalized feather-like tellurium (Te) nanostructures on single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNTs) networks.

The invention provides a system and a process that allow for the selective electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide with high energy efficiency, using a cathode comprised of bismuth in combination with an anode such as an anode comprised of platinum. The electrolysis system may be comprised of a single or two compartment cell and may employ an organic electrolyte or an ionic liquid electrolyte. The invention permits the storage of solar, wind or conventional electric energy by converting carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide and liquid fuels.