• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.56 no.8
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• pp.1455-1460
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• 2007

This paper reports the piezoelectric microspeakers that are audible in open air with high quality piezoelectric AlN thin film deposited onto Mo/Ti electrode. This successful achievement, compared to the previous results, is followed by manipulating two material properties: the one is to use a compressively stressed silicon nitride film as a supporting diaphragm (even tensile stressed, around +20 MPa) and the another is to use high quality AlN thin film with compressive residual stress (less than -100 MPa). With these materials, the Sound Pressure Level (SPL) of the fabricated micro speakers shows more than 60 dB from 100 Hz to 15 kHz and the highest SPL is about 100 dB at 9.3 kHz with 20 Vpeak-to-peak sinusoidal input and with 10 mm distances from the fabricated micro speakers to the reference microphone (B&K Type 2669 & 4192L).

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.69-74
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• 2010

AlN thin films were deposited by using a two-facing-targets type sputtering system (TFTS), and their deposition characteristics, microstructure and texture were investigated. Total gas pressure was kept constant at 0.4 Pa and the partial pressures of nitrogen, $PN_2$ (($N_2$ pressure)/($Ar+N_2$ pressure)) varied from 0 to 0.4 Pa. The texture of the film cross-sections and surface morphology were observed by field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). The crystallographic orientation of the films were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Deposition of AlN film depends on $N_2$ partial pressure. The best preferred oriented AlN thin films can be deposited at a nitrogen partial pressure of $PN_2$ = 0.52. As-deposited AlN films show preferred orientation and columnar structure, and the grAlN size of AlN films increases with increasing sputtering current.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.462-466
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• 2007

Aluminum nitride (AlN) thin films were deposited on Si substrates by using polycrystalline (poly) 3C-SiC buffer layers, in which the AlN film was grown by pulsed reactive magnetron sputtering. Characteristics of grown AlN films were investigated experimentally by means of FE-SEM, X-ray diffraction, and FT-IR, respectively. The columnar structure of AlN thin films was observed by FE-SEM. X-ray diffraction pattern proved that the grown AlN film on 3C-SiC layers had highly (002) orientation with low value of FWHM (${\Theta}=1.3^{\circ}$) in the rocking curve around (002) reflections. These results were shown that almost free residual stress existed in the grown AlN film on 3C-SiC buffer layers from the infrared absorbance spectrum. Therefore, the presented results showed that AlN thin films grown on 3C-SiC buffer layers can be used for various piezoelectric fields and M/NEMS applications.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.281-287
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• 2005

Titanium aluminium nitride((TiAl)N) film is anticipated as an advanced coating film with wear resistance used for drills, bites etc. and with corrosion resistance at a high temperature. In this study, (TiAl)N thin films were deposited both at room temperature and at elevated substrate temperatures of 573 to 773 K by using a two-facing-targets type DC sputtering system in a mixture Ar and $N_2$ gases. Atomic compositions of the binary Ti-Al alloy target is Al-rich (25Ti-75Al (atm%)). Process parameters such as precursor volume %, substrate temperature and Ar/$N_2$ gas ratio were optimized. The crystallization processes and phase transformations of (TiAl)N thin films were investigated by X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The microhardness of (TiAl)N thin films were measured by a dynamic hardness tester. The films obtained with Ar/$N_2$ gas ratio of 1:3 and at 673 K substrate temperature showed the highest microhardness of $H_v$ 810. The crystallized and phase transformations of (TiAl)N thin films were $Ti_2AlN+AlN{\rightarrow}TiN+AlN$ for Ar/$N_2$ gas ratio of 1:3, $Ti_2AlN+AlN{\rightarrow}TiN+AlN{\rightarrow}Ti_2AlN+TiN+AlN$ for Ar/$N_2$ gas ratio of 1:1 and $TiN+AlN{\rightarrow}Ti_2AlN+TiN+AlN{\rightarrow}Ti_2AlN+AlN{\rightarrow}Ti_2AlN+TiN+AlN$ for Ar/$N_2$ gas ratio of 3:1. The above results are discussed in terms of crystallized phases and microhardness.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.24 no.12
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• pp.645-651
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• 2014

GaN is most commonly used to make LED elements. But, due to differences of the thermal expansion coefficient and lattice mismatch with sapphire, dislocations have occurred at about $109{\sim}1010/cm^2$. Generally, a low temperature GaN buffer layer is used between the GaN layer and the sapphire substrate in order to reduce the dislocation density and improve the characteristics of the thin film, and thus to increase the efficiency of the LED. Further, patterned sapphire substrate (PSS) are applied to improve the light extraction efficiency. In this experiment, using an AlN buffer layer on PSS in place of the GaN buffer layer that is used mainly to improve the properties of the GaN film, light extraction efficiency and overall properties of the thin film are improved at the same time. The AlN buffer layer was deposited by using a sputter and the AlN buffer layer thickness was determined to be 25 nm through XRD analysis after growing the GaN film at $1070^{\circ}C$ on the AlN buffer CPSS (C-plane Patterned Sapphire Substrate, AlN buffer 25 nm, 100 nm, 200 nm, 300 nm). The GaN film layer formed by applying a 2 step epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELOG) process, and by changing temperatures ($1020{\sim}1070^{\circ}C$) and pressures (85~300 Torr). To confirm the surface morphology, we used SEM, AFM, and optical microscopy. To analyze the properties (dislocation density and crystallinity) of a thin film, we used HR-XRD and Cathodoluminescence.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2000.07a
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• pp.395-398
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• 2000

Reactive radio frequency (RF)magnetron sputter with incident angle has been used to deposit AlN thin film on a crystalline Si substrate. (002)Preferred orientation of AlN thin film has been obtained at low sputtering pressure. Also it has been shown that depostion rate of AIN thin film is affected by fraction Ar and $N_2$ partial pressure. But substrate temperature didn't affect depostion rate of AIN thin film . As sputtering pressure increased preferred orientation degraded. The internal stress changed from tensile stress to compressive stress as fraction of $N_2$ partial pressure increased. At low nitrogen partial pressure cermet$^{[1]}$ AIN thin film is obtained.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.11 no.10
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• pp.826-832
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• 1998

In this study the thin films with the structure of Si+SiO$_2$+TiN are made by RF supttering method. TiN, which has small diffusion coefficient and low resistivity, is evaporated between SiO$_2$ and Al layers. It investigates the V-R characteristics depending on the thickness of SiO$_2$ which is used as insulation layer and researches its effects on voltage stability of thin film and varistor. These films show very small resistance valus in negative(-) voltage and large and large value in positive voltage band, and with the increase of voltage, resistance value is rapidly reduced and the satisfactory characteristic of varistor is shown at +1[V]. It is found that resistance value of TiN thin film is small and also TiN thin film has more current than the thin film which is not evaporated by TiN thin film. When Al electrode is evaporated of SiO$_2$ thin film, spiking occurs, but the spiking can be prevented with evaporation of TiN between SiO$_2$ and Al layers and this thin films in made easily because of its good attachment. With the increase of voltage, the resistance is changed into non-linear pattern and the bidirectional varistor characteristic is shown and then its theory can be verified by this experiment. Accordingly, when TiN is evaporated of Si Wafer(n-100), it obtains better voltage-resistance than thin film which is not evaporated and also when varistor character is used electrically to automatic control element such as elimination of flame, power distribution arrestor and constant voltage compensation, satisfactory reproducibilities are expected.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.969-973
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• 2012

AlN thin films were deposited on p-type Si(100) substrates by RF magnetron sputtering method. This study showed the change of the preferential orientation of AlN thin films deposition with the change of the deposition conditions such as sputtering pressure and Ar/N2 gas ratio in chamber. It was identified by X-ray diffraction patterns that AlN thin film deposited at low sputtering pressure has a (002) orientation, however its preferred orientation was changed from the (002) to the (100) orientation with increasing sputtering pressure. Also, it was observed that the properties of AlN thin films such as thickness, grain size and surface roughness were largely dependent on Ar/$N_2$ gas ratio and a high quality thin film could be prepared at lower nitrogen concentration. AlN thin films were investigated relationship between preferential orientation and deposition condition by using XRD, FE-SEM and PFM.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2002.05b
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• pp.82-85
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• 2002

In recent years, the tantalum nitride(TaN) thin-film has been developed for the electronic resistor and capacitor. In this papers, this study presents the surface profile and sheet-resistance property relationship of reactive-sputtered TaN thin film resistor processed by buffer of Ti and Cr on alumina substrate. The TCR properties of the TaN films were discussed in terms of reactive gas ratio, ratio of nitrogen, crystallization and thin films surface morphology due to annealing temperature. It is clear that the TaN thin-films resistor electrical properties are low TCR related with it's buffer layer condition. Ti buffer layer thin film resistor having a good thermal stability and lower TCR properties then Cr buffer expected for the application to the dielectric material of passive component.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.12 no.9
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• pp.718-723
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• 2002

$Ti_{1-x}$ $Al_{ x}$N thin films as barrier layer for memory devices application were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering. The crystallinity, micro-structure, oxidation resistance and oxidation mechanism of films were investigated as a function of Al content. Lattice parameter and grain size of thin films were decreased with increasing the Al content Oxidation of the film with higher Al content is slow and then, total oxide thickness is thinner than that of lower Al content film. Oxide layer formed on the surface is AlTiNO layer. Oxidation of $Ti_{1-x}$ /$Al_{x}$ N barrier layer is diffusion limited process and thickness of oxide layer with oxidation time increased with a parabolic law. The activation energy of oxygen diffusion, Ea and diffusion coefficient, D of $Ti_{0.74}$ /X$0.74_{0.26}$N film is 2.1eV and $10^{-16}$ ~$10^{-15}$ $\textrm{cm}^2$/s, respectively. $_Ti{1-x}$ /$Al_{x}$ XN barrier layer showed good oxidation resistance.