• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.89-96
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• 2006

Recent ULSI and multilevel structure trends in microelectronic devices minimize the line width down to less than $0.25{\mu}m$, which results in high current densities in thin film interconnections. Under high current densities, an EM(electromigration) induced failure becomes one of the critical problems in a microelectronic device. This study is to improve thin film interconnection materials by investigating the EM characteristics in Ag, Cu, Au, and Al thin films, etc. EM resistance characteristics of Ag, Cu, Au, and Al thin films with high electrical conductivities were investigated by measuring the activation energies from the TTF (Time-to-Failure) analysis. Optical microscope and XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) analysis were used for the failure analysis in thin films. Cu thin films showed relatively high activation energy for the electromigration. Thus Cu thin films may be potentially good candidate for the next choice of advanced thin film interconnection materials where high current density and good EM resitance are required. Passivated Al thin films showed the increased MTF(Mean-time-to-Failure) values, that is, the increased EM resistance characteristics due to the dielectric passivation effects at the interface between the dielectric overlayer and the thin film interconnection materials.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.1748-1752
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• 2012

We carried out the tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) with a tip that is functionalized with a Aunanoparticle (AuNP, with a diameter of 250 nm). The AuNP tip is fabricated by a direct mechanical pickup of a AuNP from a flat substrate, and the TERS signal from the AuNP tip - organic monolayer - Au thin film (thickness of 10 nm) is recorded. We find that such a AuNP-tip interacting with a thin film routinely yields signal enhancement larger than ${\sim}10^4$, which is sufficient not only for local (with detection area of ~200 $nm^2$) Raman spectroscopy, but also the nanometric imaging of organic monolayers within a reasonable acquisition time (~20 minutes/image).

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2002.05b
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• pp.7-11
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• 2002

In this study, Au thin films were etched with a $Cl_2/Ar$ gas combination in an in an inductively coupled plasma. The etch properties were measured for different gas mixing ratios of $Cl_2/(Cl_2+Ar)$ while the other process conditions were fixed at rf power (700 W), dc bias voltage (150 V), and chamber pressure (15 mTorr). The highest etch rate of the Au thin film was 3500 $\AA/min$ and the selectivity of Au to $SiO_2$ was 4.38 at a $Cl_2/(Cl_2+Ar)$ gas mixing ratio of 0.2. The surface reaction of the etched Au thin films was investigated using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. There is Au-Cl bonding by chemical reaction between Cl and Au. During the etching of Au thin films in $Cl_2/Ar$ plasma, Au-Cl bond is formed, and these products can be removed by the physical bombardment of Ar ions. In addition, Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) were investigated to analyze radical density of Cl and Ar in plasma. The profile of etched Au investigated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 1995.06a
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• pp.76-77
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• 1995

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.1537-1540
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• 2003

MEMS technology with micro scale is complete system utilized as the sensor. micro electro device. The metallization of MEMS is very important to transfer the power operating the sensor and signal induced from sensor part. But in the MEMS structures local stress concentration and deformation is often happened by geometrical shape and different constraint on the metallization. Therefore. this paper studies the effect of supporting type and thickness ratio about thin film thickness of the substrate thickness for the residual stress variation caused by thermal load in the multi-layer thin film. Specimens were made from materials such as Al, Au and Cu and uniform thermal load was applied, repeatedly. The residual stress was measured by FEA and nano-indentation using AFM. Generally, the specimen made of Al induced the large residual stress and the 1st layer made of Al reduced the residual stress about half percent than 2nd layer. Specimen made of Cu and Au being the lower thermal expansion coefficient induce the minimum residual stress. Similarly the lowest indentation length was measured in the Au_Cu specimen by nano-indentation.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.532-538
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• 2004

MEMS technology applying to the sensors and micro-electro devices is complete system. These microsystems are made by variable processes. Especially, the mentallization process has very important functions to transfer the power operating the sensor and signal induced from sensor part. But in the structures of MEMS the local stress concentration and deformation are often yielded by an irregular geometrical shape and different constraint. Therefore, this paper studies the effect of supporting type and thickness ratio about thin film of the substrate on the residual stress variation when the thermal loads is applied to the multi-layer thin film fabricated by metallization process. Specimens were made from several materials such as Al, Au and Cu. Then, uniform thermal load was applied, repeatedly. The residual stress was measured by FE Analysis and nano-indentation method using AFM. Generally, the specimen made of Al induced the larger residual stress than that of made of other materials. Specimen made of Cu and Au having the low thermal expansion coefficient induces the minimum residual stress. Similarly, the lowest indentation length was measured by nano-indentation method in the Si/Au/Cu specimen. Particularly, clusters are created in the specimen made of Cu by thermal load and the indentation length became increasingly large by cluster formation.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.188-192
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• 2008

We investigated the size effect on quench development in $Au/YBa_2Cu_3O_7$ (YBCO) thin film meander lines on sapphire substrates. The meander lines were fabricated by patterning YBCO films coated with gold layers. The lines were subjected to simulated AC fault current, and immersed in liquid nitrogen during the experiment. After the initial rapid rise, the resistance increased moderately and then slowly. In 4 inch-diameter meander lines, the period during which the resistance increased moderately was considerably longer than in 2 inch-diameter line. Moderate increase of resistance was originated from quench propagation. The film temperature was about 180 K at the point when the propagation was completed. The rate of resistance increase after the quench completion was not affected by the film size.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.77-80
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• 2010

Indium tin oxide (ITO) films with a 5 nm thick Au interlayer were prepared on glass substrates. The effects of the Au interlayer on the gas sensitivity for detecting methanol vapors were investigated at room temperature. The conductivity of the film sensor increased upon exposure to methanol vapor and the sensitivity also increased proportionally with the methanol vapor concentration. In terms of the sensitivity measurements, the ITO film sensor with an Au interlayer shows a higher sensitivity than that of the conventional ITO film sensor. This approach is promising in gaining improvement in the performance of ITO gas sensors used for the detection of methanol vapor at room temperature.

• Electrical & Electronic Materials
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.619-625
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• 1995

Polycrystalline CdTe thin film has been studied for photovoltaic application due to the 1.45 eV band gap energy ideal for solar energy conversion and high absorption coefficient. The formation of low resistance contact to p-CdTe is difficult because of large work function(>5.5eV). Common methods for ohmic contact to p-CdTe are to form a p+ region under the contact by in-diffusion of contact material to reduce the barrier height and modify a p-CdTe surface layer using chemical treatment. In this study, the surface chemical treatment of p CdTe was carried out by H$\_$3/PO$\_$4/+HNO$\_$3/ or K$\_$2/Cr$\_$2/O$\_$7/+H$\_$2/SO$\_$4/ solution to provide a Te-rich surface. And various thin film contact materials such as Cu, Au, and Cu/Au were deposited by E-beam evaporation to form ohmic contact to p-CdTe. After the metallization, post annealing was performed by oven heat treatment at 150.deg. C or by RTA(Rapid Thermal Annealing) at 250-350.deg. C. Surface chemical treatments of p-CdTe thin film improved metal/p-CdTe interface properties and post heat treatment resulted in low contact resistivity to p-CdTe.Of the various contact metal, Cu/Au and Cu show low contact resistance after oven and RTA post-heat treatments, respectively.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.65-70
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• 2006

Characteristics of thin-film NTC thermal sensors fabricated by micromachining technology were studied as a function of the thickness of membrane. The overall-structure of thermal sensor has a form of Au/Ti/NTC/$SiO_{X}$/(100)Si. NTC film of $Mn_{1.5}CoNi_{0.5}O_{4}$ with 0.5 mm in thickness was deposited on $SiO_{X}$ layer (1.2 mm) by PLD (pulsed laser deposition) and annealed at 873-1073 K in air for 1 hour. Au(200 nm)/Ti(100 nm) electrode was coated on NTC film by dc sputtering. By the results of microstructure, X-ray and NTC analysis, post-annealed NTC films at 973 K for 1 hour showed the best characteristics as NTC thermal sensing film. In order to reduce the thermal mass and thermal time constant of sensor, the sensing element was built-up on a thin membrane with the thickness of 20-65 mm. Sensors with thin sensing membrane showed the good detecting characteristics.