• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.23 no.12
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• pp.915-918
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• 2010

In this work, the etching characteristics of ZnO thin films were investigated using an inductively coupled plasma(ICP) of HBr/Ar/$CHF_3$ gas mixtures. The plasma characteristics were analyzed by a quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS) and double langmuir probe (DLP). The surface reaction of the ZnO thin films was investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The etch rate of ZnO was measured as a function of the $CHF_3$ mixing ratio in the range of 0-15% in an HBr:Ar=5:2 plasma at a fixed gas pressure (6mTorr), input power (700 W), bias power (200 W) and total gas flow rate(50sccm). The etch rate of the ZnO films decreased with increasing $CHF_3$ fraction due to the etch-blocking polymer layer formation.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.445-448
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• 2011

In this study, the etching characteristics of $Al_2O_3$ thin films were investigated using an ICP (inductively coupled plasma) of $BCl_3$/Ar gas mixture. The etch rate of $Al_2O_3$ thin films as well as the $SiO_2/Al_2O_3$ etch selectivity were measured as functions of $BCl_3$/Ar mixing ratio (0~100% Ar) at a constant gas pressure (10 mTorr), total gas flow rate (40 sccm), input power (800 W) and bias power (100 W). The behavior of the $Al_2O_3$ etch rate was shown to be quite typical for ion-assisted etch processes with a dominant chemical etch pathway. To analyze the etching mechanism using DLP (double langmuir probe), OES (optical emission spectroscopy) and surface analysis using XPS (x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) were carried out.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.169-177
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• 2020

Here, the stability of stainless steel 316 (SS-316) was investigated to identify its applicability in the oxide reduction process, as a component in related equipment, to produce a complicated gas mixture composed of O₂ and Cl₂ under an argon (Ar) atmosphere. The effects of the mixed gas composition were investigated at flow rates of 30 mL/min O₂, 20 mL/min O₂ + 10 mL/min Cl₂, 10 mL/min O₂ + 20 mL/min Cl₂, and 30 mL/min Cl₂, each at 600℃, during a constant argon flow rate of 170 mL/min. It was found that the corrosion of SS-316 by the chlorine gas was suppressed by the presence of oxygen, while the reaction proceeded linearly with the reaction time regardless of gas composition. Surface observation results revealed an uneven surface with circular pits in the samples that were fed mixed gases. Thermodynamic calculations proposed the combination of Fe and Ni chlorination reactions as an explanation for this pit formation phenomenon. An exponential increase in the corrosion rate was observed with an increase in the reaction temperature in a range of 300 ~ 600℃ under a flow of 30 mL/min Cl₂ + 170 mL/min Ar.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.9-12
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• 2015

NbN thin films were deposited on thermally oxidized Si substrate at room temperature by using reactive magnetron sputtering in an $Ar-N_2$ gas mixture. Total sputtering gas pressure was fixed while varying $N_2$ flow rate from 1.4 sccm to 2.9 sccm. X-ray diffraction pattern analysis revealed dominant NbN(200) orientation in the low $N_2$ flow rate but emerging of (111) orientation with diminishing (200) orientation at higher flow rate. The dependences of the superconducting properties on the $N_2$ gas flow rate were investigated. All the NbN thin films showed a small negative temperature coefficient of resistance with resistivity ratio between 300 K and 20 K in the range from 0.98 to 0.89 as the $N_2$ flow rate is increased. Transition temperature showed non-monotonic dependence on $N_2$ flow rate reaching as high as 11.12 K determined by the mid-point temperature of the transition with transition width of 0.3 K. On the other hand, the upper critical field showed roughly linear increase with $N_2$ flow rate up to 2.7 sccm. The highest upper critical field extrapolated to 0 K was 17.4 T with corresponding coherence length of 4.3 nm. Our results are discussed with the granular nature of NbN thin films.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.132-137
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• 2010

Plasma etching of $SiO_2$ contact holes was statistically analyzed by a fractional factorial experimental design. The analysis revealed the dependence of the etch rate and DC self-bias voltage on the input factors of the magnetically enhanced reactive ion etching reactor, including gas pressure, magnetic field, and the gas flow rates of $CHF_3$, $CF_4$, and Ar. Empirical models of the DC self-bias voltage and etch rate were obtained. The DC self-bias voltage was found to be determined mainly by the operating pressure and the magnetic field, and the etch rate was related mainly to the pressure and the flow rates of Ar and $CHF_3$.

• Journal of Ceramic Processing Research
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• v.13 no.spc2
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• pp.260-264
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• 2012

We have investigated the effect of ambient gases on the structural, electrical, and optical characteristics of IZO thin films intended for use as anode contacts in the organic light emitting diodes (OLED) devices. These IZO thin films were deposited on the PES film by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering under different ambient gases (Ar, Ar + O2, and Ar + H2) at room temperature. In order to investigate the influences of the ambient gases, the flow rate of oxygen and hydrogen in argon has been changed from 0.1 sccm to 0.5 sccm, respectively. All the IZO thin film has an (222) preferential orientation regardless of ambient gases. The electrical resistivity of the IZO film increased with increasing O2 flow rate, whereas the electrical resistivity decreased sharply under an Ar + H2 atmosphere and was nearly similar regardless of the H2 flow rate. The change of electrical resistivity with changes in the ambient gas composition was mainly interpreted in terms of the charge carrier concentration rather than the charge carrier mobility. All the films showed the average transmittance over 85% in the visible range. The OLED device was fabricated with different IZO substrates made with the configuration of IZO/α-NPD/DPVB/Alq3/LiF/Al in order to elucidate the performance of the IZO substrate. The current density and the luminance of OLED devices with IZO thin films deposited in 0.5 sccm H2 ambient gas are the highest amongst all other films.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.137-141
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• 2006

Process window for infinite etch selectivity of silicon nitride $(Si_3N_4)$ layers to ArF photoresist (PR) was investigated in dual frequency superimposed capacitive coupled plasma (DFS-CCP) by varying the process parameters such as low frequency power $(P_{LF})$, $CH_2F_2$ and $H_2$ flow rate in $CH_2F_2/H_2/Ar$ plasma. It was found that infinite etch selectivities of $Si_3N_4$ layers to the ArF PR on both blanket and patterned wafers can be obtained for certain gas flow conditions. The etch selectivity was increased to the infinite values as the $CH_2F_2$ flow rate increases, while it was decreased from the infinite etch selectivity as the $H_2$ flow rate increased. The preferential chemical reaction of the hydrogen with the carbon in the polymer film and the nitrogen on the $Si_3N_4$ surface leading to the formation of HCN etch by-products results in a thinner steady-state polymer and, in turn, to continuous $Si_3N_4$ etching, due to enhanced $SiF_4$ formation, while the polymer was deposited on the ArF photoresist surface.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.131-138
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• 1997

Silicon carbide films were chemically vapor deposited onto graphite substrates using MTS(Ch3SiCl3) as a source and Ar or H2 as a diluent gas. The experiments were performed at a fixed condition such as a de-position temperature of 130$0^{\circ}C$, a total pressure of 10 torr, and a flow rate of 100 sccm for each MTS and carrier gas. The purpose of this study is to consider the variation of the growth behavior with the addition of each diluent gas. It is shown that the deposition rate leads to maximum value at 200 sccm addition ir-respective of diluent gases and the deposition rate of Ar addition is faster than that of H2 one. It seems that these characteristics of deposition rate are due to varying interrelationship between boundary layer thick-ness and the concentration of a source with each diluent gas addition, when overall deposition rate is con-trolled by mass transport kinetics. The preferred orientation of (220) plane was maintained for the whole range of Ar addition. However, above 200 sccm addition, especially that of (111) plane was more increased in proportion to H2 addition. Surface morphologies of SiC films were the facet structures under Ar addition, but those were gradually changed from facet to smooth structures with H2 addition. Surface roughness be-came higher in Ar, but it became lower in H2 with increasing the amount of diluent gas.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.1-7
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• 2018

Tin dioxide, $SnO_2$, is applied as an anode material in Li-ion batteries and a gas sensing materials, which shows changes in resistance in the presence of gas molecules, such as $H_2$, NO, $NO_2$ etc. Considerable research has been done on the synthesis of $SnO_2$ nanostructures. Nanomaterials exhibit a high surface to volume ratio, which means it has an advantage in sensing gas molecules and improving the specific capacity of Li-ion batteries. In this study, $SnO_2$ nanostructures were grown on a Si substrate using a thermal CVD process with the vapor transport method. The carrier gas was mixed with high purity Ar gas and oxygen gas. The crystalline phase of the as-grown tin oxide nanostructures was affected by the oxygen gas flow rate. The crystallographic property of the as-grown tin oxide nanostructures were investigated by Raman spectroscopy and XRD. The morphology of the as-grown tin oxide nanostructures was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. As a result, the $SnO_2$ nanostructures were grown directly on Si wafers with moderate thickness and a nanodot surface morphology for a carrier gas mixture ratio of Ar gas 1000 SCCM : $O_2$ gas 10 SCCM.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.1051-1056
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• 2008

In this study, the investigations of the TiN etching characteristics were carried out with addition of $Cl_2$ gas in an inductively coupled $BCl_3$-base plasma system. Dry etching of the TiN was studied by varying the etching parameters including $Cl_2$ gas addition ratio, RF power, DC-bias voltage and pressure. The etch rate of TiN thin film was maximum when the $Cl_2$ gas addition flow was 2 sccm with fixed other conditions. As the RF power DC-bias voltage were increased, the etch rate of TiN thin film showed increasing tendency. $BCl_3/Cl_2$/Ar plasmas were characterized by optical emission spectroscopy (OES) analysis. The chemical reaction on the surface of the etched TiN films was investigated with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).