• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.547-552
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• 2019

In the present study, the thermal conductivity of a silicon nitride($Si_3N_4$) thin-film is evaluated using the dual-wavelength pump-probe technique. A 100-nm thick $Si_3N_4$ film is deposited on a silicon (100) wafer using the radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique and film structural characteristics are observed using the X-ray reflectivity technique. The film's thermal conductivity is measured using a pump-probe setup powered by a femtosecond laser system of which pump-beam wavelength is frequency-doubled using a beta barium borate crystal. A multilayer transient heat conduction equation is numerically solved to quantify the film property. A finite difference method based on the Crank-Nicolson scheme is employed for the computation so that the experimental data can be curve-fitted. Results show that the thermal conductivity value of the film is lower than that of its bulk status by an order of magnitude. This investigation offers an effective way to evaluate thermophysical properties of nanoscale ceramic and dielectric materials with high temporal and spatial resolutions.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.31 no.10
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• pp.546-551
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• 2021

To improve ferroelectric properties of PZT, many studies have attempted to fabricate dense PZT films. The AD process has an advantage for forming dense ceramic films at room temperature without any additional heat treatment in low vacuum. Thick films coated by AD have a higher dielectric breakdown strength due to their higher density than those coated using conventional methods. To improve the breakdown strength, glass (SiO₂-Al₂O₃-Y₂O₃, SAY) is mixed with PZT powder at various volume ratios (PZT-xSAY, x = 0, 5, 10 vol%) and coating films are produced on silicon wafers by AD method. Depending on the ratio of PZT to glass, dielectric breakdown strength and energy storage efficiency characteristics change. Mechanical impact in the AD process makes the SAY glass more viscous and fills the film densely. Compared to pure PZT film, PZT-SAY film shows an 87.5 % increase in breakdown strength and a 35.3 % increase in energy storage efficiency.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2008.06a
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• pp.239-240
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• 2008

As semiconductor devices are scaled down for better performance and more functionality, the Cu-based interconnects suffer from the increase of the resistivity of the Cu wires. The resistivity increase, which is attributed to the electron scattering from grain boundaries and interfaces, needs to be addressed in order to further scale down semiconductor devices [1]. The increase in the resistivity of the interconnect can be alleviated by increasing the grain size of electroplating (EP)-Cu or by modifying the Cu surface [1]. Another possible solution is to maximize the portion of the EP-Cu volume in the vias or damascene structures with the conformal diffusion barrier and seed layer by optimizing their deposition processes during Cu interconnect fabrication, which are currently ionized physical vapor deposition (IPVD)-based Ta/TaN bilayer and IPVD-Cu, respectively. The use of in-situ etching, during IPVD of the barrier or the seed layer, has been effective in enlarging the trench volume where the Cu is filled, resulting in improved reliability and performance of the Cu-based interconnect. However, the application of IPVD technology is expected to be limited eventually because of poor sidewall step coverage and the narrow top part of the damascene structures. Recently, Ru has been suggested as a diffusion barrier that is compatible with the direct plating of Cu [2-3]. A single-layer diffusion barrier for the direct plating of Cu is desirable to optimize the resistance of the Cu interconnects because it eliminates the Cu-seed layer. However, previous studies have shown that the Ru by itself is not a suitable diffusion barrier for Cu metallization [4-6]. Thus, the diffusion barrier performance of the Ru film should be improved in order for it to be successfully incorporated as a seed layer/barrier layer for the direct plating of Cu. The improvement of its barrier performance, by modifying the Ru microstructure from columnar to amorphous (by incorporating the N into Ru during PVD), has been previously reported [7]. Another approach for improving the barrier performance of the Ru film is to use Ru as a just seed layer and combine it with superior materials to function as a diffusion barrier against the Cu. A RulTaN bilayer prepared by PVD has recently been suggested as a seed layer/diffusion barrier for Cu. This bilayer was stable between the Cu and Si after annealing at $700^{\circ}C$ for I min [8]. Although these reports dealt with the possible applications of Ru for Cu metallization, cases where the Ru film was prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD) have not been identified. These are important because of ALD's excellent conformality. In this study, a bilayer diffusion barrier of Ru/TaCN prepared by ALD was investigated. As the addition of the third element into the transition metal nitride disrupts the crystal lattice and leads to the formation of a stable ternary amorphous material, as indicated by Nicolet [9], ALD-TaCN is expected to improve the diffusion barrier performance of the ALD-Ru against Cu. Ru was deposited by a sequential supply of bis(ethylcyclopentadienyl)ruthenium [Ru$(EtCp)_2$] and $NH_3$plasma and TaCN by a sequential supply of $(NEt_2)_3Ta=Nbu^t$ (tert-butylimido-trisdiethylamido-tantalum, TBTDET) and $H_2$ plasma. Sheet resistance measurements, X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) analysis showed that the bilayer diffusion barriers of ALD-Ru (12 nm)/ALD-TaCN (2 nm) and ALD-Ru (4nm)/ALD-TaCN (2 nm) prevented the Cu diffusion up to annealing temperatures of 600 and $550^{\circ}C$ for 30 min, respectively. This is found to be due to the excellent diffusion barrier performance of the ALD-TaCN film against the Cu, due to it having an amorphous structure. A 5-nm-thick ALD-TaCN film was even stable up to annealing at $650^{\circ}C$ between Cu and Si. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigation combined with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis revealed that the ALD-Ru/ALD-TaCN diffusion barrier failed by the Cu diffusion through the bilayer into the Si substrate. This is due to the ALD-TaCN interlayer preventing the interfacial reaction between the Ru and Si.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.202-208
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• 2001

In Recent results suggested that doping $Ta_2O_5$ with a small amount of $TiO_2$ using standard ceramic processing techniques can increase the dielectric constant of $Ta_2O_5$ significantly. In this paper, this concept is studied using RTCVD (Rapid Thermal Chemical Vapor Deposition). Ti-doped $Ta_2O_5$ films are deposited using $TaC_{12}H_{30}O_5N$, $C_8H_{24}N_4Ti$, and $O_2$ on both Si and $NH_3$-nitrided Si substrates. An $NH_3$-based interface layer at the Si surface is used to prevent interfacial oxidation during the CVD process and post deposition annealing is performed in $H_2/O_2$ ambient to improve film quality and reduce leakage current. A sputtered TiN layer is used as a diffusion barrier between the Al gate electrode and the $TaTi_xO_y$ dielectric. XPS analyses confirm the formation of a ($Ta_2O_5)_{1-x}(TiO_2)_x$ composite oxide. A high quality $TaTi_xO_y$ gate stack with EOT (Equivalent Oxide Thickness) of $7{\AA}$ and leakage current $Jg=O.5A/textrm{cm}^2$ @ Vg=-1.0V has been achieved. We have also succeeded in forming a $TaTi_x/O_y$ composite oxide by rapid thermal oxidation of the as-deposited CVD TaTi films. The electrical properties and Jg-EOT characteristics of these composite oxides are remarkably similar to that of RTCVD $Ta_2O_5, suggesting that the dielectric constant of $Ta_2O_5$ is not affected by the addition of $TiO_2$.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.77-81
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• 2020

Commercialization of flexible OLED displays, such as rollable and foldable displays, has attracted tremendous interest in next-generation display markets. However, during bending deformation, cracking and delamination of thin films in the flexible display panels are the critical bottleneck for the commercialization. Therefore, measuring mechanical properties of the fragile thin films in the flexible display panels is essential to prevent mechanical failures of the devices. In this study, tensile properties of the metal and ceramic nano-thin films were quantitatively measured by using a direct tensile testing method on the water surface. Elastic modulus, tensile strength, and elongation of the sputtered Mo, MoTi thin films, and PECVD deposited SiN_x thin films were successfully measured. As a result, the tensile properties were varied depending on the deposition conditions and the film thickness. The measured tensile property values can be applied to stress analysis modeling for mechanically robust flexible displays.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.43 no.2 s.285
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• pp.98-105
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• 2006

YBCO film was synthesized by using a new approach to the TFA-MOD method. In the fabrication process, $Y_2Ba_1Cu_1O_x\;and\;Ba_3Cu_5O_8$ powders were used as precursors (the so called '211 process'), instead of Y-, Ba-, and Cu-based acetates, and dissolved in trifluoroacetic acid followed by calcining and firing heat treatment. Consequently, we successfully fabricated YBCO film and evaluated the phase formation, texture evolution, and critical properties as a function of the calcining and firing temperature and humidity, in order to explore its possible application in coated conductor fabrication. The films were calcined at $430-460^{\circ}C$ and then fired at $750-800^{\circ}C\;in\;a\;0-20\%$ humidified $Ar-O_2$ atmosphere. We observed that $BaF_2$ phase was effectively reduced and that a sharp and strong biaxial texture formed under humidified atmosphere leading to increased critical properties. In addition, we found that the microstructure varied significantly with the firing temperature: the grain grew further, the film became denser, and the degree of texture and phase purity varied as the firing temperature increased. For the film fired at $775^{\circ}C$ after calcining at $460^{\circ}C$, the critical current was obtained to be 39 A/cm-width (corresponding critical current density is $2.0\;MA/cm^2$ which was probably attributed to such factors as the enhanced phase purity and out-of-plane texture, the moderate film density and grain size, and crack-free surface.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.450-455
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• 2004

NiCr thin films were fabricated by thermal evaporation method using NiCr alloy as evaporating source. NiCr thin films were annealed at various temperatures in air atmosphere in order to investigate effects of annealing conditions on phase change, composition, and microstructures of NiCr films. Typical multilayer was formed after annealing in air atmosphere. This results from the diffusion and oxidation of Cr toward surface during annealing. In the case of annealing at 700$^{\circ}C$, large columnar grains of NiO were formed on Cr-oxide layer through the diffusion and oxidation of Ni over Cr-oxide layer. Especially, NiO layer was formed additionally on surface, sustaining the underlayer structure with the formation of porous Ni layer.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.110-116
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• 2006

The mechanical property and cutting performance of the cutting tools coated with nanoscale nyktukatered nitride film have been investigated. $Ti_{0.54}Al_{0.46}N-CrN$ and $Ti_{0.84}Al_{0.16}N-NlN$ systems, which showed super-lattice in nanoscale multilayered coating, were deposited on WC-Co insert by UBM sputtering, The superlattice coatings with different bilayer periods were manufactured by controlling deposition parameters. The superlattice formation and hardness of the nanoscale multilayered nitride film and the cutting performance of the insert coated with the film were examined. The hardness and cutting performance were dependent on the bilayer periods of the coatings. The flank wear of the inserts with superlattice coatings were decreased over $20\%$, compared to those of commonly used cutting tools coated with TiAIN single phase.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.245-250
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• 2005

ZnO was deposited on sapphire single crystal substrate by an ultrasonic pyrolysis of Zinc Acetate Dehydrate (ZAH) with carrying Ar gas. Through Thermogravimetry-Differential Scanning Calorimetry(TG-DSC), zinc acetate dihydrate was identified to be dissolved into ZnO above $380^{\circ}C$. ZnO deposited at $380-700^{\circ}C$ showed polycrystalline structures with ZnO (101) and ZnO (002) diffraction peaks like bulk ZnO in XRD, and from which c-axis strain ${\Sigma}Z=0.2\%$ and compressive biaxial stress$\sigma=-0.907\;GPa$ was obtained for the ZnO deposited $400^{\circ}C$. Scanning electron microscope revealed that microstructures of the ZnO were dependent on the deposition temperature. ZnO grown below temperature $600^{\circ}C$ were aggregate consisting of zinc acetate and ZnO particles shaped with nanoblades. On the other hand the grain of the ZnO deposited at $700^{\circ}C$ showed a distorted hexagonal shape and was composed of many ultrafine ZnO powers of 10-25 nm in size. The formation of these ulrafine nm scale ZnO powers was explained by the model of random nucleation mechanism. The optical property of the ZnO was analyzed by the photoluminescence (PL) measurement.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.28-32
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• 2005

The optical properties and intrinsic stress of $Ta_{2}O_{5}$ thin films deposited by Dual ion-Beam Sputtering: (DIBS) and Single ion-Beam Sputtering (SIBS) were studied as a function of the substrate temperature and assist ion beam voltage. The refractive index showed the maximum value (n = 2.144) at $150^{circ}C$ in the SIBS process. When the substrate temperature has above $150^{circ}C$ in the SIBS process the refractive index decreased. In the DIBS process, the increase of the substrate temperature affected the increase of the refractive index at a maximum value (n = 2.1117, at $200^{circ}C$). The low temperature process $(<100^{circ}C)$ can greatly reduce residual stress with the assist ion gun, but the high temperature process was unaffected. As the assist ion beam voltage increase from 250 to 350 V the refractive index increased to 2.185. However, the refractive index was decreased at the range of 350-650 V, As the assist ion beam voltage increased, the stress of the deposited film decreased to 0.1834 GPa at 650 V.