• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.1-7
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• 2002

Deep sub-micron bulk CMOS circuits require gate electrode materials such as metal silicide and titanium silicide for gate oxides. Many authors have conducted research to improve the quality of the sub-micron gate oxide. However, few have reported on the electrical quality and reliability of an ultra-thin gate. In this paper, we will recommend a novel shallow trench isolation structure and a two-step TiS $i_2$ formation process to improve the corner metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) for sub-0.1${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ VLSI devices. Differently from using normal LOCOS technology, deep sub-micron CMOS devices using the novel shallow trench isolation (STI) technology have unique "inverse narrow-channel effects" when the channel width of the device is scaled down. The titanium silicide process has problems because fluorine contamination caused by the gate sidewall etching inhibits the silicide reaction and accelerates agglomeration. To resolve these Problems, we developed a novel two-step deposited silicide process. The key point of this process is the deposition and subsequent removal of titanium before the titanium silicide process. It was found by using focused ion beam transmission electron microscopy that the STI structure improved the narrow channel effect and reduced the junction leakage current and threshold voltage at the edge of the channel. In terms of transistor characteristics, we also obtained a low gate voltage variation and a low trap density, saturation current, some more to be large transconductance at the channel for sub-0.1${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ VLSI devices.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.93-97
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• 1999

From the anodic peak currents of cyclic voltammograms for Ag(I)/Ag(II) couple obtained with the variation of nitric acid concentration, Ag(I) concentration and solution temperature at a Pt electrode in concentrated nitric acid solutions, the diffusion coefficients of Ag(I) ion were evaluated to estimate the limiting current density of Ag(II)-mediated electrochemical oxidation (MEO) process, which has been effectively used for the complete destruction of hazardous organic materials. The results showed that, due to the water decomposition reaction which occurred simultaneously with the Ag(I) ion oxidation, background subtractions for the cyclic voltammograms were required to estimate the correct peak currents. The empirical relationship for the diffusion coefficient of Ag(I) was suggested as a function of solution viscosity and temperature.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.67-81
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• 1997

To determine the concentration and the physiologic role of metal components in blood plasma and seminal plasma in relation to male infertility, the concentrations of twelve metal components in blood plasma and seminal plasma including Na, Mg, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, Cd and Pb were measured by atomic absorbance spectrophotometery or ion selective electrode analysis. Semen and blood samples were obtained from a total of 110 men including 70 male infertility patients, 20 vasectomized persons and 20 fertility proven volunteers visited to the Male Infertility Clinic of Pusan National University Hospital. The concentrations of Ca, Zn, Mg, Cr and Cd in control group were higher in seminal plasma than in blood plasma, and additionally Pb were higher in infertility group. The concentrations of all metal components revealed no significant difference according to patients' age, resident, occupation, sperm density, motility and hormone level in blood plasma, but some metal components including Ca, Mg, Cu, Mn, Cd and Pb revealed a significant difference according to each these parameters except patient's age in seminal plasma. The concentrations of Mn, Cd and Pb in the vasectomy persons were higher than in the infertility group III including testicular and epididymal factors, but not in blood plasma. We conclude that the quantitative changes of metal components in the seminal plasma may have effects on not only spermatogenesis and sperm function, but also contribute to diagnostic parameter according to organ specificity of the metal in the male reproduction.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.583-591
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• 2008

Recently, as a demand for the portable device is surged, there are needs to develop a new fuel cell system for replacing the conventionally used secondary battery. For this purpose, it becomes important to develop direct formic acid fuel cell (DFAFC) that uses formic acid as a fuel. The formic acid can offer typical advantages such as excellent non-toxicity of the level to be used as food additive, smaller crossover flux through electrolyte, and high reaction capability caused by high theoretical electromotive force (EMF). With the typical merits of formic acid, the efforts for optimizing reaction catalyst and cell design are being made to enhance performance and long term stability of DFAFC. As a result, to date, the DFAFC having the power density of more than $300mW/cm^2$ was developed. In this paper, basic performing theory and configuration of DFAFC are initially introduced and future opportunities of DFAFC including the development of catalyst for the anode electrode and electrolyte, and design for the optimization of cell structure are discussed.

• The Journal of the Institute of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.215-221
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• 2014

In this paper, the improved power durability test system and method for an reliability analysis of SAW device is proposed and the failure mechanism through failure analysis is analyzed. As a result of the failure analysis using microscope, SEM and EDX, the failure mechanism of the SAW device is electromigration due to joule heating under high current density and high temperature condition. The electromigration makes voids and hillocks in the IDT electrode and the voids and hillocks can lead to short circuit and open circuit faults, respectively, increasing the insertion loss of an SAW filter. The accelerated life testing of the SAW filter for 450MHz CDMA application using the proposed power durability test system and method is carried out. $B_{10}$ lifetime of the SAW filter using Eyring model and Weibull distribution is estimated as about 98,500 hours.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.42 no.2 s.273
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• pp.94-98
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• 2005

$RuO_2$ is widely studied as a lower electrode material for high dielectric capacitors in DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memories) and FRAM (Ferroelectric Random Access Memories). In this study, the effects of hydrogen, oxygen, and argon Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) plasma pretreatments on deposited by Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) $RuO_2$ nucleation was investigated using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) analyses. Argon ECR plasma pretreatment was found to offer the highest $RuO_2$ nucleation density among these three pretreatments. The mechanism through which $RuO_2$ nucleation is enhanced by ECR plasma pretreatment may be that the argon or the hydrogen ECR plasma removes nitrogen and oxygen atoms at the TiN film surface so that the underlying TiN film surface is changed to Ti-rich TiN.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.197-200
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• 2014

We investigated the influence of blistering on $Al_2O_3$/SiON stacks and $Al_2O_3$/SiNx:H stacks passivation layers. $Al_2O_3$ film provides outstanding Si surface passivation quality. $Al_2O_3$ film as the rear passivation layer of a p-type Si solar cell is usually stacked with a capping layer, such as $SiO_2$, SiNx, and SiON films. These capping layers protect the thin $Al_2O_3$ layer from an Al electrode during the annealing process. We compared $Al_2O_3$/SiON stacks and $Al_2O_3$/SiNx:H stacks through surface morphology and minority carrier lifetime after annealing processes at $450^{\circ}C$ and $850^{\circ}C$. As a result, the $Al_2O_3$/SiON stacks were observed to produce less blister phenomenon than $Al_2O_3$/SiNx:H stacks. This can be explained by the differences in the H species content. In the process of depositing SiNx film, the rich H species in $NH_3$ source are diffused to the $Al_2O_3$ film. On the other hand, less hydrogen diffusion occurs in SiON film as it contains less H species than SiNx film. This blister phenomenon leads to an increase insurface defect density. Consequently, the $Al_2O_3$/SiON stacks had a higher minority carrier lifetime than the $Al_2O_3$/SiNx:H stacks.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.62-67
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• 2012

Owing to the rapid growth of mobile and electronic equipment miniaturization technology, the supply of micro mobile computing machine has been fast raised. Accordingly they have performed many researches on energy harvesting technology to provide promising power supply equipment to substitute existing batteries. In this paper, in order to have low resonance frequency for piezoelectric energy harvester, we have tried to make it larger than before by adopting nickel that has much higher density than silicon. We have applied it for our energy harvesting actuator instead of the existing silicon based actuator. Through such new concept and approach, we have designed energy harvesting device and made it personally by making with micromachining process. The energy harvester structure has a cantilever type and has a dimension of $10{\times}2.5{\times}0.1\;mm^3$ for length, width and thickness respectively. Its electrode type is formed by using Au/Ti of interdigitate d33 mode. The pattern size and gap size is 50 ${\mu}m$. Based on the measurement of the nickel-based piezoelectric energy harvester, it is found to have 778 Hz for a resonant frequency with no proof mass. In that resonance frequency we could get a maximum output power of 76 ${\mu}W$ at 4.8 $M{\Omega}$ being applied with 1 g acceleration.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.366.2-366.2
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• 2014

Impedance spectroscopy allows for simultaneous characterization of interface-controlled materials and/or devices in terms of electrical and dielectric aspects. Recently, there have tremendous interests in 2-dimensional electron gas layers (2DEGs) involving $LaAlO_3$ and $SrTiO_3$ whose features incorporates extremely high mobility and carrier concentrations along with metallic responses unlike the constituents, $LaAlO_3$ and $SrTiO_3$. Impedance spectroscopy offers the following unique features, such as simultaneous determination of conductivity and dielectric constants, identification of electrical origins among bulk-, grain boundary-, and electrode-based responses. Impedance spectroscopy was applied to the 2DEG $LaAlO_3/SrTiO_3$ system, in order to extract the electrical and dielectric information operating in the 2DEG system. The unique responses of the 2DEG system are investigated in terms of temperature and device structures. The underlying mechanism of the 2DEG system is proposed with the aim to optimizing the high-mobility 2DEG responses and to expedite the associated devices towards the high-density integrated chips.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.26 no.11
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• pp.649-655
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• 2016

Ni nanoparticles (NPs)-graphitic carbon nanofiber (GCNF) composites were fabricated using an electrospinning method. The amounts of Ni precursor used as catalyst for the catalytic graphitization were controlled at 0, 2, 5, and 8 wt% to improve the photovoltaic performances of the nanoparticles and make them suitable for use as counter electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). As a result, Ni NPs-GCNF composites that were fabricated with 8 wt% Ni precursors showed a high circuit voltage (0.73 V), high photocurrent density ($14.26mA/cm^2$), and superb power-conversion efficiency (6.72%) when compared to those characteristics of other samples. These performance improvements can be attributed to the reduced charge transport resistance that results from the synergetic effect of the superior catalytic activity of Ni NPs and the efficient charge transfer due to the formation of GCNF with high electrical conductivity. Thus, Ni NPs-GCNF composites may be used as promising counter electrodes in DSSCs.