• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.283-290
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• 2015

We proposed blink based online speller for the locked-in syndrome (LIS) patients, paralyzed in nearly all voluntary muscles expect for the eyes, with a simple and easy-to-use eye blink detection glasses. Electrooculogram (EOG) is the golden standard method of eye movement or blink measurement with Ag/AgCl electrodes. However, this method has several drawbacks such as skin irritation and dehydration of conductive gel. To resolve the shortcomings, we used a blink detection system based on a transparent capacitively coupled electrode, which is conductive indium tin oxide (ITO) films. The films make it possible to measure eye blink without direct skin contact and obstruction of field of view. We finally developed user-friendly blink based online speller with the blink detection system. To classify voluntary and non-voluntary blink, we used the double blink for command of the speller. The online speller experiment result with six healthy subjects shows that mean accuracy is 98.96% and letter per minute (LPM) is 4.73, which are better result by comparison with conventional P300 or auditory brain-computer interface (BCI) paradigm. The result of the experiment demonstrates the possibility of applying the proposed system as a communication method for the LIS patients.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2009.05a
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• pp.39.1-39.1
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• 2009

본 실험은 연성과 광 투명도가 뛰어난 아크릴 (PMMA) 과 폴리카보네이트 (Polycabonate) 기판의 축전 결합형 플라즈마 (CCP) 건식 식각 연구에 관한 것이다. 특히 식각 반응기 내부의 압력 변화에 따른 두 기판의 건식 식각 특성 분석에 초점을 맞추었다. 실험에 사용된 기판은 두께 1mm의 아크릴 (PMMA) 과 폴리카보네이트 (Polycabonate)를 $1.5\times1.5\;cm^2$로 절단하여 Photo-lithography 공정을 통하여 감광제 (Photo-resist)로 패턴하였다. 식각 반응기 내부에 패턴 된 아크릴(PMMA) 과 폴리카보네이트 (Polycabonate)를 넣은 후 반응기 내부 진공 상태로 만들었다. 그 후 5 sccm $O_2$ 가스를 유량조절기 (Mass flow controller)를 통하여 식각 반응기 내부로 유입하여 실험을 하였다. 이때 식각 공정 변수는 식각 반응기 내부 압력과 샘플 척 파워이다. 특성평가 항목은 식각 후 기판 (Substrate)의 식각율 (Etch rate), 식각 선택비 (Selectivity) 그리고 기판 표면 거칠기 (RMS roughness)이다. 실험 결과는 표면 단차 분석기(Surface profiler)를 이용하여 기판 (Substrate)의 표면을 분석 하였다. 또한 OES (Optical Emission Spectroscopy) 를 이용하여 식각 중 내부 플라즈마의 상태를 분석하였다. 본 실험 결과에 따르면 5 sccm $O_2$ 가스와 100 W 척 파워를 고정한 후 반응기 내부의 압력을 25 mTorr에서 180 mTorr까지 변화시켜 실험한 결과 40 mTorr의 반응기 내부 압력에서 실험 자료 중 가장 높은 식각율로 아크릴 (PMMA)은 $0.46\;{\mu}m/min$, 폴리카보네이트 (Polycabonate)는 $0.28\;{\mu}m/min$의 결과를 얻었다. 또한 이 자료를 바탕으로 5 sccm $O_2$ 가스와 반응기 내부 압력을 40 mTorr로 고정시키고 RIE 척 파워를 25 W에서 150 W로 증가시켰을 때 아크릴 (PMMA)의 식각율은 $0.15\;{\mu}m/min$에서 $0.72\;{\mu}m/min$까지 증가하였고, 폴리카보네이트 (Polycabonate) 의 식각율은 $0.1\;{\mu}m/min$에서 $0.36\;{\mu}m/min$까지 증가하였다.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.1270-1276
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• 2010

In this paper, Quad-Band small antenna for GSM850, GSM900, DCS1800, DCS1900 is designed and fabricated. The antenna achieved the size reduction of over 67.9 % than the conventional PIFA(Planar Inverted-F Antenna) by using a MD(Magneto-Dielectric) material. A simple feeding microstrip line is used to feed the antenna from a $50{\Omega}$ coaxial line, which is capacitively coupled to the grounded patch structure for broadband characteristics. The impedance bandwidth the proposed antenna shows good results as broadband characteristics of 1341 MHz (801 ~ 2142 MHz) in VSWR < 3 (${\leq}\;-6\;dB$) and the gain is -6.67 ~ 4.25 dBi in the operating frequency.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.152-158
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• 2016

We investigated the effect of capacitively coupled Ar plasma treatment on contact resistance ($R_c$) and channel sheet resistance ($R_{sh}$) of graphene field effect transistors (FETs), by varying their channel length in the wide range from 200 nm to $50{\mu}m$ which formed the transfer length method (TLM) patterns. When the Ar plasma treatment was performed on the long channel ($10{\sim}50{\mu}m$) graphene FETs for 20 s, $R_c$ decreased from 2.4 to $1.15k{\Omega}{\cdot}{\mu}m$. It is understood that this improvement in $R_c$ is attributed to the formation of $sp^3$ bonds and dangling bonds by the plasma. However, when the channel length of the FETs decreased down to 200 nm, the drain current ($I_d$) decreased upon the plasma treatment because of the significant increase of channel $R_{sh}$ which was attributed to the atomic structural disorder induced by the plasma across the transfer length at the edge of the channel region. This study suggests a practical guideline to reduce $R_c$ using various plasma treatments for the $R_c$ sensitive graphene and other 2D material devices, where $R_c$ is traded off with $R_{sh}$.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.63 no.10
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• pp.1485-1490
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• 2014

$SF_6$ gas has been used for power transformers or gas insulated switchgears, because it has the superior insulation property and the stable structure chemically. It has been, however, one of global warming gases and required to reduce the its amount. Some papers have reported that its amount could be reduced by mixing with other gases, such as $N_2$, $CF_4$, $CO_2$ and $C_4F_8$ and their mixture gases would cause the synergy effect. In this paper, we investigated the characteristics of DC plasmas on $SF_6$ mixture gases with $N_2$ at atmospheric pressure. $N_2$ gas is one of cheap gases and has been reported to show the synergy effect with mixing $SF_6$ gas, even though $N_2$ plasmas have electron-positive characteristics. 38 kinds of $SF_6/N_2$ plasma particles, which consisted of an electron, two positive ions, five negative ions, 30 excitation and vibration particles, were considered in a one dimensional fluid simulation model with capacitively coupled plasma chamber. The results showed that the joule heating of $SF_6/N_2$ plasmas was mainly caused by positive ions, on the other hand electrons acted on holding the $SF_6/N_2$ plasmas stably. The joule heating was strongly generated near the electrodes, which caused the increase of neutral gas temperature within the chamber. The more $N_2$ mixed-ratio increased, the less joule heating was. And the power consumptions by electron and positive ions increased with the increase of $N_2$ mixed-ratio.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.02a
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• pp.409-409
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• 2010

솔라셀은 차세대 대체 에너지 소스로 최근 큰 각광을 받고 있다. 솔라셀의 제조에 있어 가장 중요한 공정은 마이크로 결정질 및 비결정질 실리콘(uC-Si:H and a-Si:H) 박막을 증착하는 PECVD (Plasma Enhanced CVD)공정이다. 현재까지 이 증착공정을 위한 플라즈마 소스로 CCP(Capacitively Coupled Plasma)가 주로 사용되어 왔다. 그러나, CCP를 플라즈마 소스를 사용한 경우 솔라셀 대량 생산 적용시 다른 방법들에 비해 긴 공정 시간이 해결해야 할 문제점으로 대두되었다. 본 발표에서는 솔라셀의 대량 생산을 위한 마이크로 결정질 실리콘 박막 증착에 있어 현 시점에서 해결되어야 할 문제점에 대해 고찰해 보고자 한다. 현재까지 이러한 문제점들을 해결하기 위해 적용되어 왔던 플라즈마 소스들을 나열하고 이러한 플라즈마 소스에 대한 특성 및 문제점들을 고찰한다. 또한, PECVD 공정상의 문제점을 해결하기 위한 플라즈마 조건을 플라즈마 벌크에서의 전자에너지 분포를 기준으로 제시하고자 한다. 솔라셀용 결정질 실리콘 박막 증착용 플라즈마 소스로 hollow cathode 방전이 가장 유력시되고 있다. 본 연구에서는 CCP 플라즈마에서 hollow cathode 방전시 발생되는 플라즈마 특성에 대한 기초 연구를 제시한다. 기초 연구를 위해 다양한 불활성 가스인 아르콘, 헬륨, 크립톤 가스에 13.56 MHz의 RF 파워를 인가하고 방전되는 플라즈마 밀도 변화를 관찰하였다. 특히, 다양한 hole diameter에서 발생되는 플라즈마 밀도의 변화를 기존 평면 CCP 플라즈마의 밀도에 비교하여 분석함으로써 hole diameter에 따른 효과를 관찰하였다. 이러한 결과는 PIC 시뮬레이션을 통해 얻은 전자에너지 분포함수를 바탕으로 메커니즘을 논의하고자 한다. 마지막으로 솔라셀용 PECVD공정을 위해 고밀도 플라즈마 소스의 필요성뿐 만 아니라 대면적 소스의 구현에 대한 문제점을 고찰하였다. 대면적 공정에서 가장 중요한 핵심 연구 이슈는 공정 균일도를 높이는 것이다. CCP 플라즈마 소스에서 전극의 크기가 대면적화 됨에 따라 발생되는 전자기파 효과에 의한 불균일도에 대해 RF 전자기장 시뮬레이션을 통해 확인하고, 균일도 확보를 위한 방안에 대한 논의하고자 한다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.02a
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• pp.458-458
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• 2010

The process window for the etch selectivity of silicon nitride ($Si_3N_4$) layers to extreme ultra-violet (EUV) resist and variation of line edge roughness (LER) of EUV resist were investigated durin getching of $Si_3N_4$/EUV resist structure in a dual-frequency superimposed capacitive coupled plasma (DFS-CCP) etcher by varying the process parameters, such as the $CH_2F_2$ and $N_2$ gas flow rate in $CH_2F_2/N_2$/Ar plasma. The $CH_2F_2$ and $N_2$ flow rate was found to play a critical role in determining the process window for infinite etch selectivity of $Si_3N_4$/EUV resist, due to disproportionate changes in the degree of polymerization on $Si_3N_4$ and EUV resist surfaces. The preferential chemical reaction between hydrogen and carbon in the hydrofluorocarbon ($CH_xF_y$) polymer layer and the nitrogen and oxygen on the $Si_3N_4$, presumably leading to the formation of HCN, CO, and $CO_2$ etch by-products, results in a smaller steady-state hydrofluorocarbon thickness on $Si_3N_4$ and, in turn, in continuous $Si_3N_4$ etching due to enhanced $SiF_4$ formation, while the $CH_xF_y$ layer is deposited on the EUV resist surface. Also critical dimension (and line edge roughness) tend to decrease with increasing $N_2$ flow rate due to decreased degree of polymerization.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.72-77
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• 2021

The radial distribution of etch rate was analyzed using the ion energy flux model in VHF-CCP. In order to exclude the effects of polymer passivation and F radical depletion on the etching. The experiment was performed in Ar/SF6 plasma with an SF6 molar ratio of 80% of operating pressure 10 and 20 mTorr. The radial distribution of Ar/SF6 plasma was diagnosed with RF compensated Langmuir Probe(cLP) and Retarding Field Energy Analyzer(RFEA). The radial distribution of ion energy flux was calculated with Bohm current times the sheath voltage which is determined by the potential difference between the plasma space potential (measured by cLP) and the surface floating potential (by RFEA). To analyze the etch rate uniformity, Si coupon samples were etched under the same condition. The ion energy flux and the etch rate show a close correlation of more than 0.94 of R² value. It means that the etch rate distribution is explained by the ion energy flux.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.16-22
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• 2008

We studied plasma etching of polycarbonate in $O_2/SF_6$, $O_2/N_2$ and $O_2/CH_4$. A capacitively coupled plasma system was employed for the research. For patterning, we used a photolithography method with UV exposure after coating a photoresist on the polycarbonate. Main variables in the experiment were the mixing ratio of $O_2$ and other gases, and RF chuck power. Especially, we used only a mechanical pump for in order to operate the system. The chamber pressure was fixed at 100 mTorr. All of surface profilometry, atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used for characterization of the etched polycarbonate samples. According to the results, $O_2/SF_6$ plasmas gave the higher etch rate of the polycarbonate than pure $O_2$ and $SF_6$ plasmas. For example, with maintaining 100W RF chuck power and 100 mTorr chamber pressure, 20 sccm $O_2$ plasma provided about $0.4{\mu}m$/min of polycarbonate etch rate and 20 sccm $SF_6$ produced only $0.2{\mu}m$/min. However, the mixed plasma of 60 % $O_2$ and 40 % $SF_6$ gas flow rate generated about $0.56{\mu}m$ with even low -DC bias induced compared to that of $O_2$. More addition of $SF_6$ to the mixture reduced etch of polycarbonate. The surface roughness of etched polycarbonate was roughed about 3 times worse measured by atomic force microscopy. However examination with scanning electron microscopy indicated that the surface was comparable to that of photoresist. Increase of RF chuck power raised -DC bias on the chuck and etch rate of polycarbonate almost linearly. The etch selectivity of polycarbonate to photoresist was about 1:1. The meaning of these results was that the simple capacitively coupled plasma system can be used to make a microstructure on polymer with $O_2/SF_6$ plasmas. This result can be applied to plasma processing of other polymers.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.93-93
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• 2016

Large scale integrated circuits (LSIs) has been improved by the shrinkage of the circuit dimensions. The smaller chip sizes and increase in circuit density require the miniaturization of the line-width and space between metal interconnections. Therefore, an extreme precise control of the critical dimension and pattern profile is necessary to fabricate next generation nano-electronics devices. The pattern profile control of plasma etching with an accuracy of sub-nanometer must be achieved. To realize the etching process which achieves the problem, understanding of the etching mechanism and precise control of the process based on the real-time monitoring of internal plasma parameters such as etching species density, surface temperature of substrate, etc. are very important. For instance, it is known that the etched profiles of organic low dielectric (low-k) films are sensitive to the substrate temperature and density ratio of H and N atoms in the H2/N2 plasma [1]. In this study, we introduced a feedback control of actual substrate temperature and radical density ratio monitored in real time. And then the dependence of etch rates and profiles of organic films have been evaluated based on the substrate temperatures. In this study, organic low-k films were etched by a dual frequency capacitively coupled plasma employing the mixture of H2/N2 gases. A 100-MHz power was supplied to an upper electrode for plasma generation. The Si substrate was electrostatically chucked to a lower electrode biased by supplying a 2-MHz power. To investigate the effects of H and N radical on the etching profile of organic low-k films, absolute H and N atom densities were measured by vacuum ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy [2]. Moreover, using the optical fiber-type low-coherence interferometer [3], substrate temperature has been measured in real time during etching process. From the measurement results, the temperature raised rapidly just after plasma ignition and was gradually saturated. The temporal change of substrate temperature is a crucial issue to control of surface reactions of reactive species. Therefore, by the intervals of on-off of the plasma discharge, the substrate temperature was maintained within ${\pm}1.5^{\circ}C$ from the set value. As a result, the temperatures were kept within $3^{\circ}C$ during the etching process. Then, we etched organic films with line-and-space pattern using this system. The cross-sections of the organic films etched for 50 s with the substrate temperatures at $20^{\circ}C$ and $100^{\circ}C$ were observed by SEM. From the results, they were different in the sidewall profile. It suggests that the reactions on the sidewalls changed according to the substrate temperature. The precise substrate temperature control method with real-time temperature monitoring and intermittent plasma generation was suggested to contribute on realization of fine pattern etching.