• 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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• 2011.08a
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• pp.146-147
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• 2011

Processing a large area substrate for liquid crystal display (LCD) or solar panel applications in a capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) reactor is becoming increasingly challenging because of the size of the substrate size is no longer negligible compared to the wavelength of the applied radio frequency (RF) power. The situation is even worse when the driving frequency is increased to the Very High Frequency (VHF) range. When the substrate size is still smaller than 1/8 of the wavelength, one can obtain reasonably uniform process results by utilizing with methods such as tailoring the precursor gas distribution by adjustingthrough shower head hole distribution or hole size modification, locally adjusting the distance between the substrate and the electrode, and shaping shower head holes to modulate the hollow cathode effect modifying theand plasma density distribution by shaping shower head holes to adjust the follow cathode effect. At higher frequencies, such as 40 MHz for Gen 8.5 (2.2 m${\times}$2.6 m substrate), these methods are not effective, because the substrate is large enough that first node of the standing wave appears within the substrate. In such a case, the plasma discharge cannot be sustained at the node and results in an extremely non-uniform process. At Applied Materials, we have studied several methods of modifying the standing wave pattern to adjusting improve process non-uniformity for a Gen 8.5 size CCP reactor operating in the VHF range. First, we used magnetic materials (ferrite) to modify wave propagation. We placed ferrite blocks along two opposing edges of the powered electrode. This changes the boundary condition for electro-magnetic waves, and as a result, the standing wave pattern is significantly stretched towards the ferrite lined edges. In conjunction with a phase modulation technique, we have seen improvement in process uniformity. Another method involves feeding 40 MHz from four feed points near the four corners of the electrode. The phase between each feed points are dynamically adjusted to modify the resulting interference pattern, which in turn modulate the plasma distribution in time and affect the process uniformity. We achieved process uniformity of <20% with this method. A third method involves using two frequencies. In this case 40 MHz is used in a supplementary manner to improve the performance of 13 MHz process. Even at 13 MHz, the RF electric field falls off around the corners and edges on a Gen 8.5 substrate. Although, the conventional methods mentioned above improve the uniformity, they have limitations, and they cannot compensate especially as the applied power is increased, which causes the wavelength becomes shorter. 40 MHz is used to overcome such limitations. 13 MHz is applied at the center, and 40 MHz at the four corners. By modulating the interference between the signals from the four feed points, we found that 40 MHz power is preferentially channeled towards the edges and corners. We will discuss an innovative method of controlling 40 MHz to achieve this effect.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2008.07a
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• pp.1260-1261
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• 2008

Aluminium doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al) thin film has emerged as one of the most promising transparent conducting electrode in flat panel displays(FPD) and in photovoltaic devices since it is inexpensive, mechanically stable, and highly resistant to deoxidation. In this paper ZnO:Al thin film was deposited on the polyethylene terephthalate(PET) substrate by the capacitively coupled r.f. magnetron sputtering method. Wide ranges of bias voltage, -30V${\sim}$45V, was applied to the growing films as an additional energy instead of substrate heating, and the effect of positive and negative bias on the film structure and electrical properties of ZnO:Al films was studied and discussed. The results showed that a bias applied to the substrate during sputtering contributed to the improvement of electrical properties of the film by attracting ions and electrons in the plasma to bombard the growing films. These bombardments provided additional energy to the growing ZnO film on the substrate, resulting in significant variations in film structure and electrical properties. The film deposited on the PET substrate at r. f. discharge power of 200 W showed the minimum resistivity of about $2.4{\times}10^{-3}{\Omega}-cm$ and a transmittance of about 87%.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.02a
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• pp.459-459
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• 2012

Recently, the discharge of global warming gases in dry etching process of TFT-LCD display industry is a serious issue because perfluorocarbon compound (PFC) gas causes global warming effects. PFCs including CF4, C2F6, C3F8, CHF3, NF3 and SF6 are widely used as etching and cleaning gases. In particular, the SF6 gas is chemically stable compounds. However, these gases have large global warming potential (GWP100 = 24,900) and lifetime (3,200). In this work, we chose C3F6O gas which has a very low GWP (GWP100 = <100) and lifetime (< 1) as a replacement gas. This study investigated the effects of the gas flow ratio of C3F6O/O2 and process pressure in dual-frequency capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) etcher on global warming effects. Also, we compared global warming effects of C3F6O gas with those of SF6 gas during dry etching of a patterned positive type photo-resist/silicon nitride/glass substrate. The etch rate measurements and emission of by-products were analyzed by scanning electron Microscopy (SEM; HITACI, S-3500H) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR; MIDAC, I2000), respectively. Calculation of MMTCE (million metric ton carbon equivalents) based on the emitted by-products were performed during etching by controlling various process parameters. The evaluation procedure and results will be discussed in detail.

• 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 Korean Institute of Illuminating and Electrical Installation Engineers
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.78-84
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• 2009

In this paper, ZnO:Al thin film was deposited on polyethylene terephthalate(PET) substrate by capacitively coupled r. f. magnetron sputtering method from a ZnO target mixed with 2wt[%] Al2O3 to investigate the possible application of ZnO:Al film as a transparent conducting electrode for film typed DSCs. The effect of substrate bias on the electrical properties and film structure were studied. The results showed that a positive bias applied to the substrate during sputtering contributed to an improvement of electrical properties of the film by attracting electrons in the plasma to bombard the growing films. These bombardments provided additional energy to the growing ZnO:Al film on the substrate, resulting in significant variations in film structure and electrical properties. Electrical resistivity of the film decreases significantly as the positive bias increases up to +30[V] However, as the positive bias increases over +30[V], the resistivity decreases. The transmittance varies little as the substrate bias is increased from 0 to +60[V], and as r. f. powers increases from 160[W] to 240[W]. The film with electrical resistivity as low as $1.8{\times}10^{-3}[{\Omega}-cm]$ and optical transmittance of about 87.8[%] were obtained for 1,012[nm] thick film deposited with a substrate bias of +30[V].

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.85-91
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• 2009

There has been a rapid progress for flexible polymer-based MEMS(Microelectromechanical Systems) technology. Polycarbonate (PC) and Poly Methyl Methacrylate (PMMA), so-called acrylic, have many advantages for optical, non-toxic and micro-device application. We studied dry etching of PC and PMMA as a function of % gas ratio in the $O_2/SF_6/CH_4$ temary plasma. A photoresist pattern was defined on the polymer samples with a mask using a conventional lithography. Plasma etching was done at 100 W RIE chuck power and 10 sccm total gas flow rate. The etch rates of PMMA were typically 2 times higher than those of PC in the whole experimental range. The result would be related to higher melting point of PC compared to that of PMMA. The highest etch rates of PMMA and PC were found in the $O_2/SF_6$ discharges among $O_2/SF_6$, $O_2/CH_4$ and $SF_6/CH_4$ and $O_2/SF_6/CH_4$ plasma composition (PC: ${\sim}350\;nm/min$ at 5 sccm $O_2/5$ sccm $SF_6$, PMMA: ${\sim}570\;nm/min$ at 2.5 sccm $O_2/7.5$ sccm $SF_6$). PC has smoother surface morphology than PMMA after etching in the $O_2/SF_6/CH_4$ discharges. The surface roughness of PC was in the range of 1.9$\sim$3.88 nm. However, that of PMMA was 17.3$\sim$26.1 nm.