• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.18 no.10
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• pp.521-528
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• 2008

We present the structural, optical, and electrical properties of amorphous silicon suboxide (a-$SiO_x$) films grown on indium tin oxide glass substrates with a radio frequency magnetron technique from a polycrystalline silicon oxide target using ambient Ar. For different substrate-target distances (d = 8 cm and 10 cm), the deposition temperature effects were systematically studied. For d = 8cm, oxygen content in a-$SiO_x$ decreased with dissociation of oxygen onto the silicon oxide matrix; temperature increased due to enlargement of kinetic energy. For d = 10 cm, however, the oxygen content had a minimum between $150^{\circ}\;and\;200^{\circ}$. Using simple optical measurements, we can predict a preferred orientation of liquid crystal molecules on a-$SiO_x$ thin film. At higher oxygen content (x > 1.6), liquid crystal molecules on an inorganic liquid crystal alignment layer of a-$SiO_x$ showed homogeneous alignment; however, in the lower case (x < 1.6), liquid crystals showed homeotropic alignment.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.235.2-235.2
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• 2015

The front transparent conductive oxide (TCO) films must exhibit good transparency, low resistivity and excellent light scattering properties for high efficiency amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin film solar cells. The light trapping phenomenon is limited due to non-uniform and low aspect ratio of the textured glass [1]. We present the low cost electrochemically deposited uniform zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods with various aspect ratios for a-Si thin film solar cells. Since the major drawback of the electrochemically deposited ZnO nanorods was the high sheet resistance and low transmittance that was overcome by depositing the RF magnetron sputtered AZO films as a seed layer with various thicknesses [2]. The length and diameters of the ZnO nanorods was controlled by varying the deposition conditions. The length of ZnO nanorods were varied from 400 nm to $2{\mu}m$ while diameter was kept higher than 200 nm to obtain different aspect ratios. The uniform ZnO nanorods showed higher haze ratio as compared to the commercially available FTO films. We also observed that the scattering in the longer wavelength region was favored for the high aspect ratio of ZnO nanorods and much higher aspect ratios degraded the light scattering phenomenon. Therefore, we proposed our low cost and uniform ZnO nanorods for the high efficiency of thin film solar cells.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.236.1-236.1
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• 2015

The surface morphology of front transparent conductive oxide (TCO) films is very important to achieve high current density in amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin film solar cells since it can scatter the light in a better way. In this study, we present the low cost hydrothermal deposited uniform zinc oxide (ZnO) nano-flower structure with various aspect ratios for a-Si thin film solar cells. The ZnO nano-flower structures with various aspect ratios were grown on the RF magnetron sputtered AZO films. The diameters and length of the ZnO nano-flowers was controlled by varying the annealing time. The length of ZnO nano-flowers were varied from 400 nm to $2{\mu}m$ while diameter was kept higher than 200 nm to obtain different aspect ratios. The ZnO nano-flowers with higher surface area as compared to conventional ZnO nano structure are preferred for the better light scattering. The conductivity and crystallinity of ZnO nano-flowers can be enhanced by annealing in hydrogen atmosphere at 350 oC. The vertical aligned ZnO nano-flowers showed higher haze ratio as compared to the commercially available FTO films. We also observed that the scattering in the longer wavelength region was favored for the high aspect ratio of ZnO nano-flowers. Therefore, we proposed low cost and vertically aligned ZnO nano-flowers for the high performance of thin film solar cells.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.601-608
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• 1994

Aluminum oxide thin films were deposited on p-type(100) silicon substrates by electron cyclotron resonance plasma enhanced CVD(ECR-PECVD) using TMA[Al(CH3)3] and oxygen as reactant gases at 16$0^{\circ}C$ or lower temperatures. The aluminum oxide films deposited by ECR-PECVD have the amorphous structure with the refractive index of 1.62~1.64 and the O/Al ratio of 1.6~1.7. Oxygen flow rate necessary for the stable deposition of the aluminum oxide films increases as the deposition temperature increases. It was found from the OES analysis that the ECR plasma had les cooling effect by introducing the TMA reactant gas in comparison with the RF plasma. The properties of aluminum oxide films prepared by ECR-PECVD were compared with those prepared by RF-PECVD. The ECR-PECVD aluminum oxide films have the higher refractive indices, the lower contents of impurities (H and C) and the stronger wet etch resistance than those deposited by RF-PECVD.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.99-102
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• 2015

Thin film transistors (TFTs) with amorphous 2 wt% silicon-doped zinc tin oxide (a-2SZTO) channel layer were fabricated using an RF magnetron sputtering system, and the effect of post-annealing treatment time on the structural and electrical properties of a-2SZTO systems was investigated. It is well known that Si can effectively reduce the generation of oxygen vacancies. However, it is interesting to note that prolonged annealing could have a bad effect on the roughness of a-2SZTO systems, since the roughness of a-2SZTO thin films increases in proportion to the thermal annealing treatment time. Thermal annealing can control the electrical characteristics of amorphous oxide semiconductor (AOS) TFTs. It was observed herein that prolonged annealing treatment can cause bumpy roughness, which led to increase of the contact resistance between the electrode and channel. Thus, it was confirmed that deterioration of the electrical characteristics could occur due to prolonged annealing. The longer annealing time also decreased the field effect mobility. The a-2SZTO TFTs annealed at 500℃ for 2 hours displayed the mobility of 2.17 cm²/Vs. As the electrical characteristics of a-2SZTO annealed at a fixed temperature for long periods were deteriorated, careful optimization of the annealing conditions for a-2SZTO, in terms of time, should be carried out to achieve better performance.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.51-54
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• 2017

TFTs (thin film transistors) were fabricated using a-SIZO (amorphous silicon-indium-zinc-oxide) channel by RF (radio frequency) magnetron sputtering at room temperature. We report the influence of various channel thickness on the electrical performances of a-SIZO TFTs and their stability, using TS (temperature stress) and NBTS (negative bias temperature stress). Channel thickness was controlled by changing the deposition time. As the channel thickness increased, the threshold voltage ($V_{TH}$) of a-SIZO changed to the negative direction, from 1.3 to -2.4 V. This is mainly due to the increase of carrier concentration. During TS and NBTS, the threshold voltage shift (${\Delta}V_{TH}$) increased steadily, with increasing channel thickness. These results can be explained by the total trap density ($N_T$) increase due to the increase of bulk trap density ($N_{Bulk}$) in a-SIZO channel layer.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.192-197
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• 2017

Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon (a-Si:H) is used as an emitter layer in HIT (heterojunction with Intrinsic Thin layer) solar cells. Its low band gap and low optical properties (low transmittance and high absorption) cause parasitic absorption on the front side of a solar cell that significantly reduces the solar cell blue response. To overcome this, research on CSC (carrier Selective Contacts) is being actively carried out to reduce carrier recombination and improve carrier transportation as a means to approach the theoretical efficiency of silicon solar cells. Among CSC materials, molybdenum oxide ($MoO_x$) is most commonly used for the hole transport layer (HTL) of a solar cell due to its high work function and wide band gap. This paper analyzes the electrical and optical properties of $MoO_x$ thin films for use in the HTL of HIT solar cells. The optical properties of $MoO_x$ show better performance than a-Si:H and ${\mu}c-SiO_x:H$.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.120-124
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• 2011

Silicon heterojunction solar cells have been studied by many research groups. In this work, silicon heterojunction solar cells having a simple structure of Ag/ZnO:Al/n type a-Si:H/p type c-Si/Al were fabricated. Samples were fabricated to investigate the effect of transparent conductive oxide growth conditions on the interface between ZnO:Al layer and a-Si:H layer. One sample was deposited by ZnO:Al at low working pressure. The other sample was deposited by ZnO:Al at alternating high working pressure and low working pressure. Electrical properties and chemical properties were investigated by light I-V characteristics and AES method, respectively. The light I-V characteristics showed better efficiency on sample deposited by ZnO:Al by alternating high working pressure and low working pressure. Atomic concentrations and relative oxidation states of Si, O, and Zn were analyzed by AES method. For poor efficiency samples, Si was diffused into ZnO:Al layer and O was diffused at the interface of ZnO:Al and Si. Differentiated O KLL spectra, Zn LMM spectra, and Si KLL spectra were used for interface reaction and oxidation state. According to AES spectra, sample deposited by high working pressure was effective at reducing the interface reaction and the Si diffusion. Consequently, the efficiency was improved by suppressing the SiOx formation at the interface.

• 한국정보디스플레이학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.08a
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• pp.605-608
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• 2006

The recent application of wide band gap oxide semiconductors to transparent thin film transistors (TTFTs) is making a fast and growing (r)evolution on the contemporary solid-state electronics. In this paper we present some of the recent results we have obtained using wide band gap oxide semiconductors, like indium zinc oxide, produced by rf sputtering at room temperature. The devices work in the enhancement mode and exhibit excellent saturation drain currents. On-off ratios above $10^6$ are achieved. The optical transmittance data in the visible range reveals average transmittance higher than 80 %, including the glass substrate. Channel mobilities are also quite respectable, with some devices presenting values around $25\;cm^2/Vs$, even without any annealing or other post deposition improvement processes. The high performances presented by these TTFTs associated to a high electron mobility, at least two orders of magnitude higher than that of conventional amorphous silicon TFTs and a low threshold voltage, opens new doors for applications in flexible, wearable, disposable portable electronics as well as battery-powered applications.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.97-102
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• 2019

Bifacial and semitransparent hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin-film solar cells in p-i-n configuration were prepared with front and rear transparent conducting oxide (TCO) electrodes using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition method. Fluorine-doped tin oxide and tin-doped indium oxide films were used as front and rear TCO contacts, respectively. Film thickness of intrinsic a-Si:H absorber layers were controlled from 150 nm to 450 nm by changing deposition time. The dependence of performance characteristics of solar cells on the front and rear illumination direction were investigated. For front illumination, gradual increase in the short-circuit current density (J_SC) from 10.59 mA/㎠ to 14.19 mA/㎠ was obtained, whereas slight decreases from 0.83 V to 0.81 V for the open-circuit voltage (V_OC) and from 68.43% to 65.75% for fill factor (FF) were observed. The average optical transmittance in the wavelength region of 380 ~ 780 nm of the solar cells decreased gradually from 22.76% to 15.67% as the absorber thickness was changed from 150 nm to 450 nm. In case of the solar cells under rear illumination condition, the J_SC increased from 10.81 to 12.64 mA/㎠ and the FF deceased from 66.63% to 61.85%, while the V_OC values were maintained at 0.80 V with increasing the absorber thickness from 150 nm to 450 nm. By optimizing the deposition parameters, a high-quality bifacial and semitransparent a-Si:H solar cell with 350 nm-thick i-a-Si:H absorber layer exhibited the conversion efficiencies of 7.69% for front illumination and 6.40% for rear illumination, and average visible optical transmittance of 17.20%.