• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2004.05b
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• pp.391-394
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• 2004

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.239.1-239.1
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• 2011

Dye sensitized solar cells (DSC) are promising devices for inexpensive, nontoxic, transparent, and large-scale solar energy conversion. Generally thick $TiO_2$ nanoporous films act as efficient photoanodes with their large surface area for absorbing light. However, electron transport through nanoparticle networks causes the slowdown and the loss of electron transport because of a number of interparticle boundaries inside the conduction path. We have studied DSCs with precisely dimension-controlled $TiO_2$ nanotubes array as photoanode. $TiO_2$ nanotubes array is prepared by template-directed fabrication method with atomic layer deposition. Well-ordered nanotubes array provides not only large surface area for light absorbing but also direct pathway for electrons with minimalized grain boundaries. Large enlongated anatase grains in the nanotubes could enhance the conductivity of electrons, but also suppress the recombination with holes through defect sites during diffusion into the electrode. To study the effect of grain boundaries, we fabricated two kinds of nanotubes which have different grain sizes by controlling deposition conditions. And we studied electron conduction through two kinds of nanotubes with different grain structures. The solar cell performance was studied as a function of thickness and grain structures. And overall solar-to-electric energy conversion efficiencies of up to 7% were obtained.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.15-21
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• 1998

The effect of $\alpha$/$\beta$ phase on the mechanical properties and contact damage of silicon nitrides $Si_3N_4$) was investigated. Silicon nitride materials were prepared from two starting powders, at selective increasing hot-pressing temperatures to coarsen the microstructures: (i) from relatively coarse $\alpha$-phase powder, essentially equiaxed $\alpha$-$Si_3N_4$ grains, with limited, slow transformation to $\beta$-$Si_3N_4$ grain; (ii) from relatively fine $\alpha$-phase powder, a more rapid transformation to $\beta$-$Si_3N_4$, with attendant grain elongation. The resulting micro-structure thereby provided a spectrum of $\alpha$/$\beta$ phase ratios, grain sizes, and grain shapes. Fracture strength, hardness, and toughness were measured, and contact damage and strength degradation after indentation were investigated by Hertzian indentation using spherical indenter. A brittle to ductile transition in $Si_3N_4$ depended on $\alpha$/$\beta$ phase ratio as well as grain size. Silicon nitride with elongated $\beta$ grains showed a superior, contact damage resistance.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.15-27
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• 2019

This study tries to reveal transport mechanism and origin of components from fluvial terrace deposits in Danyang and Geum River basins, through grain size partitioning using the Weibull function. Grain size parameters suggest that the samples analyzed in this study can be grouped into the coarse, fine and medium samples. The coarse samples are partitioned into three or four components. More than 65% of the coarse samples consist of components by suspension and saltation by fluvial process, while components by attachment to coarse grains or aggregates and/or by individual grains deposited under non-flow condition are also found in the coarse samples. The fine samples consist of four components and components found in loess deposits in Korea occupy >70%, suggestive of the same transport mechanisms (westerlies and winter monsoon) and common source areas with loess deposits in Korea. However, components by aeolian process from local sources as well as by fluvial process are also found in the fine samples. The medium samples are partitioned into components with similar sizes to the coarse and fine samples, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.343-349
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• 2020

NKN [(Na,K)NbO₃] is a candidate lead-free piezoelectric material to replace PZT [Pb(Zr,Ti)O₃]. A single crystal has excellent piezoelectric-properties and its properties are dependent of the crystal orientation direction. However, it is hard to fabricate a single crystal with stoichiometrically stable composition due to volatilization of sodium during the growth process. To solve this problem, a solid solution composition is designed (Na,K)NbO₃-Ba(Cu,Nb)O₃ and solid state grain growth is studied for a sizable single crystal. Ceramic powders of (Na,K)NbO₃-M(Cu,Nb)O₃ (M = Ca, Sr, Ba) are synthesized and grain growth behavior is investigated for different temperatures and times. Average normal grain sizes of individual specimens, which are heat-treated at 1,125 ℃ for 10 h, are 6.9, 2.8, and 1.6 ㎛ for M = Ca, Sr, and Ba, respectively. Depending on M, the distortion of NKN structure can be altered. XRD results show that (NKN-CaCuN: shrunken orthorhombic; NKN-SrCuN: orthorhombic; NKN-BaCuN: cubic). For the sample heat-treated at 1,125 ℃ for 10 h, the maximum grain sizes of individual specimens are measured as 40, 5, and 4,000 ㎛ for M = Ca, Sr, and Ba, respectively. This abnormal grain size is related to the partial melting temperature (NKN-CaCuN: 960 ℃; NKN-SrCuN: 971 ℃; NKN-BaCuN: 945 ℃).

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.93-96
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• 2017

The structural, electrical and optical properties of Ti thin films fabricated by dual magnetron sputtering were investigated under various film thicknesses. The fabricated Ti thin films exhibited uniform surfaces, crystallinity, various grain sizes, and with various film thicknesses. Also, the crystallinity and grain size of the Ti thin films increased with the increase of film thickness. The electrical properties of Ti thin films improved with the increase of film thickness. The results showed that the performance of TCO-less DSSC critically depended on the film thickness of the Ti working electrodes, due to the conductivity of Ti thin film. However, the maximum conversion efficiency of TCO-less DSSC was exhibited at the condition of 100 nm thickness due to the surface scattering of photons caused by the variation of grain size.

• Journal of the korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.103-111
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• 1991

To determine the effects of microstructure on the fatigue crack propagation behavior in SM45C steel, experimental investigations have been carried out with the specimens of different grain sizes and different spacings between the Fe$_{3}$C particles. Fatigue and tensile tests were conducted and the quantitative analysis of the relations between the threshold stress intensity range and grain size, interparticle spacing and yield stress were carried out. Some of the conclusions obtained are as follows; (1) .DELTA.K$_{th}$ was observed to increase with grain size and the spacing between the Fe3C particles. (2) In both pearlite and spheroidite microstructures, .DELTA.K$_{th}$ was increased when yield stress was decreased.sed.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.248-256
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• 1995

The electrical conducton in the sintered 3Bi2O3.WO3 solid electrolyte was investigated by measuring the conductivity and ionic transport number. The electrical conductivity was about three to ten times higher than that of YSZ at temperatures between 300 and 80$0^{\circ}C$. D.C. polarization method confirmed that 3Bi2O3.WO3 was predominantly an ionic conductor. Unlike the instability of high conductive fcc phase in the rare-earth oxide-Bi2O3 or Y2O3-Bi2O3 systems at temperature below $700^{\circ}C$, fcc phase in the 3Bi2O3.WO3 exhibited no transformation even after annealing over 900 hrs at 600 and $650^{\circ}C$. Two samples which had different grain sizes showed almost the same conductivity. This result suggests that the electrical properties of grain and grain boundry were very similar.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.32-41
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• 1987

As a new device of stress monitoring method, ultrasonic backscattering method has been used to aluminium samples with various grain sizes at rayleigh critical angle in order to observe the relationships between applied stress and ultrasonic backscattered energy. It was found that the ultrasonic backscattered energy was observed to decrease as the grain size increased at the given applied stress. At the same grain size, the ule ultrasonic backscattered energy increased with increasing the applies stress. Through this study, we provided some possibility to evaluate stresses in materials under loads nondestructively, and this method is expected to be used as a new stress monitoring device.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.12 no.1 s.34
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• pp.77-85
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• 2005

Impedance spectroscopy was applied to low temperature polycrystalline Si in order to investigate the electrical/dielectric information in polycrystalline Si. By combined microstructure and impedance spectroscopy works, it was shown that the electrical information is sensitive to the corresponding microstructure, i.e., the grain size and distribution, judged from the capacitance vs. grain size relationship. At $360 mJ/cm^2$, the maximum in capacitance and the minimum in resistance correspond to the largest grain sizes of unimodal distribution in polycrystalline Si. The electrical/dielectric characterization is compared with Raman spectroscopic characterizations in terms of microstructure.