• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.12-16
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• 2011

In this study, we fabricated the flexible pentacene TFTs with the polymer gate dielectric and contact printing method by using the silver nano particle ink as a source/drain material on plastic substrate. In this experiment, to lower the cross-linking temperature of the PVP gate dielectric, UV-Ozone treatment has been used and the process temperature is lowered to $90^{\circ}C$ and the surface is optimized by various treatment to improve device characteristics. We tried various surface treatments; $O_2$ Plasma, hexamethyl-disilazane (HMDS) and octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) treatment methods of gate dielectric/semiconductor interface, which reduces trap states such as -OH group and grain boundary in order to improve the OTFTs properties. The optimized OTFT shows the device performance with field effect mobility, on/off current ratio, and the sub-threshold slope were extracted as $0.63cm^2 V^{-1}s^{-1}$, $1.7{\times}10^{-6}$, and of 0.75 V/decade, respectively.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.96-96
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• 2007

Low voltage organic TFTs (OTFTs) and ZnO based TFTs (<5V), utilizing room temperature deposited $Bi_{1.5}Zn_{1.0}Nb_{1.5}O_7$ (BZN) thin films were recently reported, pointing to high-k gate insulators as a promising route for realizing low voltage operating flexible electronics. $Bi_{1.5}Zn_{1.0}Nb_{1.5}O_7$ (BZN) thin film is one of the most promising materials for gate insulator because of its large dielectric constant (~60) at room temperature. However their tendency to suffer from relatively high leakage current at low electric field (>0.3MV/cm) hinder the application of BZN thin films for gate insulator. In order to improve leakage current characteristics of BZN thin film, we mixed 30mol% MgO with 70mol% BZN and their dielectric and electric properties were characterized. We fabricated field-effect transistors with transparent oxide semiconductor ZnO serving as the electron channel and high-k $(Bi_{1.5}Zn_{1.0}Nb_{1.5}O_7)_{0.7}(MgO)_{0.3}$ as the gate insulator. The devices exhibited low operation voltages (<4V) due to high capacitance of the $(Bi_{1.5}Zn_{1.0}Nb_{1.5}O_7)_{0.7}(MgO)_{0.3}$ dielectric.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.515-520
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• 2012

In this review, the fabrication of silicon based memory capacitor and organic memory thin film transistors (TFTs) was discussed for their potential identification tag applications and biosensor applications. Metal or non-metal nanoparticles (NPs) could be capped with chemicals or biomolecules such as protein and oligo-DNA, and also be self-assembly monolayered on corresponding target biomolecules conjugated dielectric layers. The monolayered NPs were formed to be charging elements of a nano floating gate layer as forming organic memody deivces. In particular, the strong and selective binding events of the NPs through biomolecular interactions exhibited effective electrostatic phenomena in memory capacitors and TFTs formats. In addition, memory devices fabricated as organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) have been intensively introduced to facilitate organic electronics era on flexible substrates. The memory OTFTs could be applicable eventually to the development of new conceptual devices.

• Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry
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• v.68
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• pp.117-123
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• 2018

Recently, aqueous method has attracted lots of attention because it enables the solution-processed metal oxide thin film with high electrical properties in low temperature fabrication condition to various flexible devices. Focusing the development of aqueous route, many researchers are only focused on metal oxide materials. However, for expansive application of the aqueous-based metal oxide films, the systematic study of performance change with process variables for the development of aqueous-based metal oxide insulator film is urgently required. Here, we propose importance of process variables to achieve high electrical-performance metal oxide insulator based on the aqueous method. We found that the significant process variables including precursor solution temperature and humidity during the spincoating process strongly affect chemical, physical, and electrical properties of $AlO_x$ insulators. Through the optimization of significant variables in process, an $AlO_x$ insulator with a leakage current value approximately $10^5$ times smaller and a breakdown voltage value approximately 2-3 times greater than un-optimized $AlO_x$ was realized. Finally, by introducing the optimized $AlO_x$ insulators to solutionprocessed $InO_x$ TFTs, we successfully achieved $InO_x/AlO_x$ TFTs with remarkably high average field-effect mobility of ${\sim}52cm^2V^{-1}\;s^{-1}$ and on/off current ratio of 106 at fabrication temperature of $250^{\circ}C$.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.02a
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• pp.100-101
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• 2012

The plasma damage free and room temperature processedthin film deposition technology is essential for realization of various next generation organic microelectronic devices such as flexible AMOLED display, flexible OLED lighting, and organic photovoltaic cells because characteristics of fragile organic materials in the plasma process and low glass transition temperatures (Tg) of polymer substrate. In case of directly deposition of metal oxide thin films (including transparent conductive oxide (TCO) and amorphous oxide semiconductor (AOS)) on the organic layers, plasma damages against to the organic materials is fatal. This damage is believed to be originated mainly from high energy energetic particles during the sputtering process such as negative oxygen ions, reflected neutrals by reflection of plasma background gas at the target surface, sputtered atoms, bulk plasma ions, and secondary electrons. To solve this problem, we developed the NBAS (Neutral Beam Assisted Sputtering) process as a plasma damage free and room temperature processed sputtering technology. As a result, electro-optical properties of NBAS processed ITO thin film showed resistivity of $4.0{\times}10^{-4}{\Omega}{\cdot}m$ and high transmittance (>90% at 550 nm) with nano- crystalline structure at room temperature process. Furthermore, in the experiment result of directly deposition of TCO top anode on the inverted structure OLED cell, it is verified that NBAS TCO deposition process does not damages to the underlying organic layers. In case of deposition of transparent conductive oxide (TCO) thin film on the plastic polymer substrate, the room temperature processed sputtering coating of high quality TCO thin film is required. During the sputtering process with higher density plasma, the energetic particles contribute self supplying of activation & crystallization energy without any additional heating and post-annealing and forminga high quality TCO thin film. However, negative oxygen ions which generated from sputteringtarget surface by electron attachment are accelerated to high energy by induced cathode self-bias. Thus the high energy negative oxygen ions can lead to critical physical bombardment damages to forming oxide thin film and this effect does not recover in room temperature process without post thermal annealing. To salve the inherent limitation of plasma sputtering, we have been developed the Magnetic Field Shielded Sputtering (MFSS) process as the high quality oxide thin film deposition process at room temperature. The MFSS process is effectively eliminate or suppress the negative oxygen ions bombardment damage by the plasma limiter which composed permanent magnet array. As a result, electro-optical properties of MFSS processed ITO thin film (resistivity $3.9{\times}10^{-4}{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$, transmittance 95% at 550 nm) have approachedthose of a high temperature DC magnetron sputtering (DMS) ITO thin film were. Also, AOS (a-IGZO) TFTs fabricated by MFSS process without higher temperature post annealing showed very comparable electrical performance with those by DMS process with $400^{\circ}C$ post annealing. They are important to note that the bombardment of a negative oxygen ion which is accelerated by dc self-bias during rf sputtering could degrade the electrical performance of ITO electrodes and a-IGZO TFTs. Finally, we found that reduction of damage from the high energy negative oxygen ions bombardment drives improvement of crystalline structure in the ITO thin film and suppression of the sub-gab states in a-IGZO semiconductor thin film. For realization of organic flexible electronic devices based on plastic substrates, gas barrier coatings are required to prevent the permeation of water and oxygen because organic materials are highly susceptible to water and oxygen. In particular, high efficiency flexible AMOLEDs needs an extremely low water vapor transition rate (WVTR) of $1{\times}10^{-6}gm^{-2}day^{-1}$. The key factor in high quality inorganic gas barrier formation for achieving the very low WVTR required (under ${\sim}10^{-6}gm^{-2}day^{-1}$) is the suppression of nano-sized defect sites and gas diffusion pathways among the grain boundaries. For formation of high quality single inorganic gas barrier layer, we developed high density nano-structured Al2O3 single gas barrier layer usinga NBAS process. The NBAS process can continuously change crystalline structures from an amorphous phase to a nano- crystalline phase with various grain sizes in a single inorganic thin film. As a result, the water vapor transmission rates (WVTR) of the NBAS processed $Al_2O_3$ gas barrier film have improved order of magnitude compared with that of conventional $Al_2O_3$ layers made by the RF magnetron sputteringprocess under the same sputtering conditions; the WVTR of the NBAS processed $Al_2O_3$ gas barrier film was about $5{\times}10^{-6}g/m^2/day$ by just single layer.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.97-101
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• 2017

In this paper, IGZO thin film transistor (TFT) was fabricated with cross-linked Poly (4-vinylphenol) (PVP) gate dielectric for flexible, transparent display applications. The PVP is one of the candidates for low-temperature gate insulators. MIM structure was fabricated to measure the leakage current and evaluate the insulator properties according to the annealing temperature. Low leakage current ( <0.1nA/cm2 @ 1MV/cm ) was observed at $200^{\circ}C$ annealing condition and decreases much more as the annealing temperature increases. The electrical characteristics of IGZO TFT such as subthreshold swing, mobility and ON/OFF current ratio were also improved, which shows that the performance of IGZO TFTs with PVP can be enhanced by reducing the amount of incomplete crosslinking in PVP.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.194.1-194.1
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• 2015

Transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) with layered structure, has recently been considered as promising candidate for next-generation flexible electronic and optoelectronic devices because of its superior electrical, optical, and mechanical properties.[1] Scalability of thickness down to a monolayer and van der Waals expitaxial structure without surface dangling bonds (consequently, native oxides) make TMD-based thin film transistors (TFTs) that are immune to the short channel effect (SCE) and provide very high field effect mobility (${\sim}200cm^2/V-sec$ that is comparable to the universal mobility of Si), respectively.[2] In addition, an excellent photo-detector with a wide spectral range from ultraviolet (UV) to close infrared (IR) is achievable with using $WSe_2$, since its energy bandgap varies between 1.2 eV (bulk) and 1.8 eV (monolayer), depending on layer thickness.[3] However, one of the critical issues that hinders the successful integration of $WSe_2$ electronic and optoelectronic devices is the lack of a reliable and controllable doping method. Such a component is essential for inducing a shift in the Fermi level, which subsequently enables wide modulations of its electrical and optical properties. In this work, we demonstrate n-doping method for $WSe_2$ on poly-4-vinylphenol and poly (melamine-co-formaldehyde) (PVP/PMF) insulating layer and adjust the doping level of $WSe_2$ by controlling concentration of PMF in the PVP/PMF layer. We investigated the doping of $WSe_2$ by PVP/PMF layer in terms of electronic and optoelectronic devices using Raman spectroscopy, electrical measurements, and optical measurements.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.86-89
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• 2004

Organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) are fabricated on the plastic substrate through 4-level mask process without photolithographic patterning to yield the simple fabrication process. And we herewith report for the effect of dielectric surface modification on the electrical characteristics of OTFTs. The KIST-JM-1 as an organic molecule for the surface modification is deposited onto the surface of zirconium oxide $(ZrO_2)$ gate dielectric layer. In this work, we have examined the dependence of electrical performance on the interface surface state of gate dielectric/pentacene, which may be modified by chemical properties in the gate dielectric surface.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.615-620
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• 2020

Oxide semiconductor, represented by a-IGZO, has been commercialized in the market as active layer of TFTs of display backplanes due to its various advantages over a-Si. a-IGZO can be deposited at room temperature by RF magnetron sputtering process; however, additional thermal annealing above 300℃ is required to obtain good semiconducting properties and stability. These temperature are too high for common flexible substrates like PET, PEN, and PI. In this work, effects of microwave annealing time on IGZO thin film and associated thin-film transistors are demonstrated. As the microwave annealing time increases, the electrical properties of a-IGZO TFT improve to a degree similar to that during thermal annealing. Optimal microwave annealed IGZO TFT exhibits mobility, SS, V_th, and V_H of 6.45 ㎠/Vs, 0.17 V/dec, 1.53 V, and 0.47 V, respectively. PBS and NBS stability tests confirm that microwave annealing can effectively improve the interface between the dielectric and the active layer.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers C
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.237-241
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• 2004

Amorphous silicon (a-Si) films are used in a broad range of solar cell, flat panel display, and sensor. Because of the greater ease of deposition and lower processing temperature, thin films are widely used for thin film transistors (TFTs). However, they have lower stability under the exposure of visible light and because of their low field effect mobility ($\mu$$_{FE}$ ) , less than 1 c $m^2$/Vs, they require a driving IC in the external circuits. On the other hand, polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) thin films have superiority in $\mu$$_{FE}$ and optical stability in comparison to a-Si film. Many researches have been done to obtain high performance poly-Si because conventional methods such as excimer laser annealing, solid phase crystallization and metal induced crystallization have several difficulties to crystallize. In this paper, a new crystallization process using a molybdenum substrate has been proposed. As we use a flexible substrate, high temperature treatment and roll-to-roll process are possible. We have used a high temperature process above 75$0^{\circ}C$ to obtain poly-Si films on molybdenum substrates by a rapid thermal annealing (RTA) of the amorphous silicon (a-Si) layers. The properties of high temperature crystallized poly-Si studied, and poly-Si has been used for the fabrication of TFT. By this method, we are able to achieve high crystal volume fraction as well as high field effect mobility.