• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.304-308
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• 2013

The effect of a sputter deposition sequence of Cu, Zn, and Sn metal layers on the properties of $Cu_2ZnSnS_4$ (CZTS) was systematically studied for solar cell applications. The set of Cu/Sn/Zn/Cu multi metal films was deposited on a Mo/$SiO_2$/Si wafer using dc sputtering. CZTS films were prepared through a sulfurization process of the Cu/Sn/Zn/Cu metal layers at $500^{\circ}C$ in a $H_2S$ gas environment. $H_2S$ (0.1%) gas of 200 standard cubic centimeters per minute was supplied in the cold-wall sulfurization reactor. The metal film prepared by one-cycle deposition of Cu(360 nm)/Sn(400 nm)/Zn(400 nm)/Cu(440 nm) had a relatively rough surface due to a well-developed columnar structure growth. A dense and smooth metal surface was achieved for two- or three-cycle deposition of Cu/Sn/Zn/Cu, in which each metal layer thickness was decreased to 200 nm. Moreover, the three-cycle deposition sample showed the best CZTS kesterite structures after 5 hr sulfurization treatment. The two- and three-cycle Cu/Sn/Zn/Cu samples showed high-efficient photoluminescence (PL) spectra after a 3 hr sulfurization treatment, wheres the one-cycle sample yielded poor PL efficiency. The PL spectra of the three-cycle sample showed a broad peak in the range of 700-1000 nm, peaked at 870 nm (1.425 eV). This result is in good agreement with the reported bandgap energy of CZTS.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.126-132
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• 2018

SnS thin films with different substrate temperatures ($150 {\sim}300^{\circ}C$) as process parameters were grown on soda-lime glass substrates by RF magnetron sputtering. The effects of substrate temperature on the structural and optical properties of SnS thin films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy (Raman), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and Ultraviolet-visible-near infrared spectrophotometer (UV-Vis-NIR). All of the SnS thin films prepared at various substrate temperatures were polycrystalline orthorhombic structures with (111) planes preferentially oriented. The diffraction intensity of the (111) plane and the crystallite size were improved with increasing substrate temperature. The three major peaks (189, 222, $289cm^{-1}$) identified in Raman were exactly the same as the Raman spectra of monocrystalline SnS. From the XRD and Raman results, it was confirmed that all of the SnS thin films were formed into a single SnS phase without impurity phases such as $SnS_2$ and $Sn_2S_3$. In the optical transmittance spectrum, the critical wavelength of the absorption edge shifted to the long wavelength region as the substrate temperature increased. The optical bandgap was 1.67 eV at the substrate temperature of $150^{\circ}C$, 1.57 eV at $200^{\circ}C$, 1.50 eV at $250^{\circ}C$, and 1.44 eV at $300^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.145-151
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• 2011

ZnSe, as a II-VI compound semiconductor which has a wide band gap in the visible region is applicable to the various fields such as laser diode, display and solar cell. By using the electrochemical deposition method, ZnSe thin film was synthesized on the ITO glass substrate. The synthesis of ZnSe grains and their structure having zinc blende shape were verified through the analysis of XRD and SEM. UV spectrophotometric method determined the band gap as the value of 2.76 eV. Applying the DFT (Density Functional Theory) in the molecular dynamics, the band structure of ZnSe grains was analyzed. For ZnSe grains with zinc blende structure, the band structure and its density of state were simulated using LDA (Local Density Approximation), PBE (Perdew Burke Ernzerhof), and B3LYP (Becke, 3-parameter, Lee-Yang-Parr) functionals. Among the calculations of energy band gap upon each functional, the simulated one of 2.65 eV based on the B3LYP functional was mostly near by the experimental measurement.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.23-29
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• 2020

Electrochromic (EC) device is an element whose transmittance is changed by electrical energy. Coloring and decoloring states can be easily controlled and thus used in buildings and automobiles for energy saving. There exist several types of EC devices; EC using electrolytes, polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC), and suspended particle device (SPD) using polarized molecules. However, these devices involve solutions such as electrolytes and liquid crystals, limiting their applications in high temperature environments. In this study, we have studied all-solid-state EC device based on Tin(IV) oxide (SnO₂). A coloring phase is achieved when electrons are accumulated in the ultraviolet (UV)-treated SnO₂ layer, whereas a decoloring mode is obtained when electrons are empty there. The UV treatment of SnO₂ layer brings in a number of localized states in the bandgap, which traps electrons near the conduction band. The SnO₂-based EC device shows a transmittance of 70.7% in the decoloring mode and 41% in the coloring mode at a voltage of 2.5 V. We have achieved a transmittance change as large as 29.7% at the wavelength of 550 nm. It also exhibits fast and stable driving characteristics, which have been demonstrated by the cyclic experiments of coloration and decoloration. It has also showed the memory effects induced by the insulating layer of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and silicone (Si).

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.22 no.11
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• pp.575-580
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to investigate the crystalline structure and optical properties of (GaZn)(NO) powders prepared by solid-state reaction between GaOOH and ZnO mixture under $NH_3$ gas flow. While ammoniation of the GaOOH and ZnO mixture successfully produces the single phase of (GaZn)(NO) solid solution within a GaOOH rich composition of under 50 mol% of ZnO content, this process also produces a powder with coexisting (GaZn)(NO) and ZnO in a ZnO rich composition over 50 mol%. The GaOOH in the starting material was phase-transformed to ${\alpha}$-, ${\beta}-Ga_2O_3$ in the $NH_3$ environment; it was then reacted with ZnO to produce $ZnGa_2O_4$. Finally, the exchange reaction between nitrogen and oxygen atoms at the $ZnGa_2O_4$ powder surface forms a (GaZn)(NO) solid solution. Photoluminescence spectra from the (GaZn)(NO) solid solution consisted of oxygen-related red-emission bands and yellow-, green- and blue-emission bands from the Zn acceptor energy levels in the energy bandgap of the (GaZn)(NO) solid solutions.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.88-94
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• 2014

The structural, optical and electrical properties of sputter-deposited CIGS films were directly influenced by the sputtering process parameters such as substrate temperature, working pressure, RF power and distance between target and substrate. CIGS thin films deposited by using a quaternary target revealed to be Se deficient due to Se low vapor pressure. This Se deficiency affected the overall stoichiometry of the films, causing the films to be Cu-rich. Current tends to pass through the Cu-Se channels which act as the shunting path increasing the film conductivity. The crystal structure of CIGS thin films depends on the substrate orientation due to the influence of surface morphology, grain size and stress of Mo substrate. The excess of Cu was removed from the CIGS films by KCN treatment, achieving a suitable Cu concentration (referred as Cu-poor) for the fabrication of solar cell. Due to high Cu concentrations on the CIGS film surface induced by Cu-Se phases after CIGS film deposition, KCN treatment proved to be necessary for the fabrication of high efficiency solar cells. Also during KCN treatment, dislocation density and lattice parameter decreased as excess Cu was removed, resulting in increase of bandgap and the decrease of conductivity of CIGS films. It was revealed that Cu-Se secondary phase could be removed by KCN wet etching of CIGS films, allowing the fabrication of high efficiency absorber layer.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.251-265
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• 2001

As the device scaling proceeds, the operating voltage(VDD) of giga-bit DRAMs is expected to be reduced to 1.5V or down, fir improving the device reliability and reducing the power dissipation. Therefore the low-voltage circuit design techniques are required to implement giga-bit DRAMs. In this work, state-of-art low-voltage DRAM circuit techniques are reviewed, and four kinds of low-voltage circuit design techniques are newly proposed for giga-bit DRAMs. Measurement results of test chips and SPICE simulation results are presented for the newly proposed circuit design techniques, which include a hierarchical negative-voltage word-line driver with reduced subthreshold leakage current, a two-phase VBB(Back-Bias Voltage) generator, a two-phase VPP(Boosted Voltage) generator and a bandgap reference voltage generator.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.2085-2092
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• 2016

One of the most important properties of the IC substrate is that it should be uniform over large areas. Among the various physical approaches of wafer defect characterization, special attention is to be payed to the infrared techniques of inspection. In particular, a high spatial resolution, near infrared absorption method has been adopted to directly observe defects in semi-insulating GaAs. This technique, which relies on the mapping of infrared transmission, is both rapid and non-destructive. This method demonstrates in a direct way that the infrared images of GaAs crystals arise from defect absorption process. A new interpretation is presented for the observed reversal of contrast in the infrared absorption of nonuniformly distributed deep centers, related to EL2, in semi-insulating GaAs. The low temperature photoquenching experiment has demonstrated in a direct way that the contrast inverse images of GaAs wafers arise from both absorption and scattering mechanisms rather than charge re-distribution or local variation of bandgap.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.352-357
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• 2012

$SnO_2$-mixed and Sn-doped $TiO_2$ nanoparticles were synthesized via a hydrothermal process. $SnO_2$-mixed $TiO_2$ nanoparticles prepared in a neutral condition consisted of anatase $TiO_2$ nanoparticles(diamond shape, ~25 nm) and cassiterite $SnO_2$ nanoparticles(spherical shape, ~10 nm). On the other hand, Sn-doped $TiO_2$ nanoparticles obtained under a high acidic condition showed a crystalline phase corresponding to rutile $TiO_2$. As the Sn content increased, the particle shape changed from rod-like(d~40 nm, 1~200 nm) to spherical(18 nm) with a decrease in the particle size. The peak shift in the XRD results and a change of the c-axis lattice parameter with the Sn content demonstrate that the $TiO_2$ in the rutile phase was doped with Sn. The photocatalytic activity of the $SnO_2$-mixed $TiO_2$ nanoparticles dramatically increased and then decreased when the $SnO_2$ content exceeded 4%. The increased photocatalytic activity is mainly attributed to the improved charge separation of the $TiO_2$ nanoparticles with the $SnO_2$. In the case of Sn-doped $TiO_2$ nanoparticles, the photocatalytic activity increased slightly with the Sn content due most likely to the larger energy bandgap caused by Sn-doping and the decrease in the particle size. The $SnO_2$-mixed $TiO_2$ nanoparticles generally exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than the Sn-doped $TiO_2$ nanoparticles. This was caused by the phase difference of $TiO_2$.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.125-131
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• 2021

Semiconductor-based photocatalysts can only be activated with ultraviolet or visible light due to their intrinsic bandgap, and they cannot use the energy in the near-infrared region, which accounts for about 50% of solar energy. Therefore, in order to improve the performance of the semiconductor photocatalyst, it is necessary to utilize more solar energy in a broad band ranging from ultraviolet to near-infrared. Combining upconversion nanoparticles with semiconductor photocatalysts for near-infrared absorption have thus been reported. Upconversion nanoparticles can sequentially absorb multiple near-infrared photons and convert them into ultraviolet or visible to activate photocatalysts. In addition, by coupling the semiconductor photocatalyst and the upconversion nanoparticles with the plasmonic metal nanoparticles, the photocatalytic activity can be further improved. This review summarizes the recent studies on improving the photocatalytic performance with near-infrared absorption by using upconversion nanoparticles.