• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-4
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• 2019

Reactive sputtering is widely used because of its high deposition rate and high step coverage. The deposition layer is often affected by target poisoning because the target conditions are changed, as well, by reactive gases during the initial stage of sputtering process. The reactive gas affects the deposition rate and process stability (target poisoning), and it also leads unintended oxide interlayer formation. Although the target poisoning mechanism has been well known, little attention has been paid on understanding the interlayer formation during the reactive sputtering. In this research, we studied the interlayer formation during the reactive sputtering. A DC magnetron sputtering process is carried out to deposit an aluminum oxide film on a silicon wafer. From the real-time process monitoring and material analysis, the target poisoning phenomena changes the reactive gas balance at the initial stage, and affects the interlayer formation during the reactive sputtering process.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.55-60
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• 2013

Superhard TiN coatings were fabricated by DC and ICP (inductively coupled plasma) assisted magnetron sputtering techniques. The effect of ICP power, ranging from 0 to 300 W, on coating microstructure, preferred orientation mechanical properties were systematically investigated with HR-XRD, SEM, AFM and nanoindentation. The results show that ICP power has a significant influence on coating microstructure and mechanical properties of TiN coatings. With the increasing of ICP power, coating microstructure evolves from the columnar structure of DC process to a highly dense one. Grain sizes of TiN coatings were decreased from 12.6 nm to 8.7 nm with increase of ICP power. The maximum nanohardness of 67.6 GPa was obtained for the coatings deposited at ICP power of 300 W. Preferred orientation in TiN coatings also vary with ICP power, exerting an effective influence on film nanohardness.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.125-133
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• 1999

Fluorine-doped $SnO_2$ thin films were deposited on soda-lime glass substrates by reactive DC magnetron sputtering method. Crystallinity as well as electrical and optical properties of $SnO_2$ : F thin film were investigated as the variations of deposition conditions such as substrate temperature, DC Power, $O_2$ gas pressure, $SF_6$ gas pressure. $SnO_2$ : F thin film deposited with 5% $SF_6$ gas pressure showed electrical resistivities of $2.5\times10^{-3}$cm with the average optical transparency (about 80%) These electrical and optical properties were found to be related to the crystallinity of $SnO_2$ : F thin films.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2003.05c
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• pp.83-87
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• 2003

Thin films of amorphous carbon (a-C) generally combine high wear resistance with low friction coefficients and a-C films have widespread applications as protective coatings and passivation of electrical circuit and insulating layer. In this work we deposited the amorphous carbon (a-C) films on silicon substrate with a high rate DC magnetron sputtering system. It is obtained parameters on the deposition rate and physical properties of a-C films using a wide range of Ar gas pressure and DC power. The physical properties of the films were analyzed by Nanoindenter and AFM (Atomic Force Microscopy), The electrical properties were investigated by electrical conductivity measurement.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.342-349
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• 2019

Titanium nitride(TiN) thin films have been deposited on PEN(Polyethylene naphthalate) substrate by reactive RF(13.56 MHz) magnetron sputtering in a 25% N₂/Ar mixed gas atmosphere. The pulsed DC bias voltage of -50V on substrates was applied with a frequency of 350 kHz, and duty ratio of 40%(1.1 ㎲). The effects of pulsed DC substrate bias voltage on the crystallinity, color, electrical properties of TiN_x films have been investigated using XRD, SEM, XPS and measurement of the electrical properties such as electrical conductivity, carrier concentration, mobility. The deposition rates of TiN_x films was decreased with application of the pulsed DC substrate bias voltage. The TiN_x films deposited without and with pulsed bias of -50V to substrate exhibits gray and gold colors, respectively. XPS depth profiling revealed that the introduction of the substrate bias voltage resulted in decreasing oxygen concentration in TiN_x films, and increasing the electrical conductivities, carrier concentration, and mobility to about 10 times, 5 times, and 2 times degree, respectively.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.181.2-181.2
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• 2015

Sputtering is one of the most popular physical deposition methods due to their versatility and reproducibility. Synthesis of Cr thin films by DC magnetron sputtering using glancing angle deposition (GLAD) has been reported. Chromium thin films have been prepared at two different working pressure($2.0{\times}10-2$, 30, $3.3{\times}10-3torr$) on Si-wafer substrate using magnetron sputtering with glancing angle deposition (GLAD) technique. The thickness of Cr thin films on the substrate was adjusted about 1 mm. The electrical property was measured by four-point probe method. For the measurement of density in the films, an X-ray reflectivity (XRR) was carried out. The sheet resistance and column angle increased with the increase of glancing angle. However, nanohardness and density of Cr thin films decreased as the glancing angle increased. The measured density for the Cr thin films decreased from 6.1 to 3.8 g/cc as the glancing angle increased from $0^{\circ}$ to $90^{\circ}$ degree. The low density of Cr thin films is resulted from the isolated columnar structure of samples. The evolution of the isolated columnar structure was enhanced at the conditions of low sputter pressure and high glancing angle. This GLAD technique can be potentially applied to the synthesis of thin films requiring porous and uniform coating such as thin film catalysts or gas sensors.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.146-151
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• 2004

Indium tin oxide (ITO) is widely used to make a transparent conducting film for various display devices and opto-electric devices. In this study, ITO films on glass substrate were fabricated by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) assisted dc magnetron sputtering. A two-turn rf coil was inserted in the process chamber between the substrate and magnetron for the generation of ICP. The substrates were not heated intentionally. Subsequent post-annealing treatment for as-deposited ITO films was not performed. Low-temperature deposition technique is required for ITO films to be used with heat sensitive plastic substrates, such as the polycarbonate and acrylic substrates used in LCD devices. The surface roughness of the ITO films is also an important feature in the application of OLEDs along with the use of a low temperature deposition technique. In order to obtain optimum ITO thin film properties at low temperature, the depositions were carried out at different condition in changing of Ar and $O_2$ gas mixtures, ICP power. The electrical, optical and structural properties of the deposited films were characterized by four-point probe, UV/VIS spectrophotometer, atomic force microscopy(AFM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). The electrical resistivity of the films was -l0$^{-4}$ $\Omega$cm and the optical transmittance in the visible range was ＞85%. The surface roughness ( $R_{rms}$) was -20$\AA$.>.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.7 no.s1
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• pp.140-148
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• 1998

We prepared $C_3N_4$ films by rf plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition(PCVD) and alternating $C_3N_4$/TiN composite films by dc magnetron sputtering. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron diffraction (TED) revealed that the structure of the films is amorphous or polycrystalline, depending on deposition conditions and heat treatment. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed the presence of $sp_3\; and sp _2$ hybridized C atoms bonded with N atoms in the tetrahedral and hexagonal configurations, respectively. Graphite-free $C_3N_4$ films were obtained by PCVD under optimal conditions. To prepare well crystallized $C_3N_4$ films by magnetron sputtering, we introduced negatively biased gratings in the sputtering system. CN films deposited at grating voltages (Vg) lower than 400V are amorphous. Crystallites of cubic and $\beta$-$C_3N_4$ were formed at increased voltages.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.169-173
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• 2011

In this study, Al-N codoped p-type zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were deposited on Si and homo-buffer layer templates in a mixture of $N_2$ and $O_2$ gas with ceramic ZnO:(2 wt% $Al_2O_3$) as a sputtering target using DC- magnetron sputtering. X-ray diffraction spectra of two-theta diffraction showed that all films have a predominant (002) peak of ZnO Wurtzite structure. As the $N_2$ fraction in the mixed $N_2$ and $O_2$ gases increased, field emission secondary electron microscopy revealed that the surface appearance of codoped films on Si varied from smooth to textured structure. The p-type ZnO thin films showed carrier concentration in the range of $1.5{\times}10^{15}-2.93{\times}10^{17}\;cm^{-3}$, resistivity in the range of 131.2-2.864 ${\Omega}cm$, and mobility in the range of $3.99-31.6\;cm^2V^{-1}s^{-1}$ respectively.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2003.03a
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• pp.67-67
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• 2003