• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.209-212
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• 2011

Hafnium nitride (HfN) thin films were deposited onto a silicon substrate by inductive coupled nitrogen plasma-assisted radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The films were prepared without intentional substrate heating and a substrate negative bias voltage ($-V_b$) was varied from -50 to -150 V to accelerate the effects of nitrogen ions ($N^+$) on the substrate. X-ray diffractometer patterns showed that the structure of the films was strongly affected by the negative substrate bias voltage, and thin film crystallization in the HfN (100) plane was observed under deposition conditions of -100 $V_b$ (bias voltage). Atomic force microscopy results showed that surface roughness also varied significantly with substrate bias voltage. Films deposited under conditions of -150 $V_b$ (bias voltage) exhibited higher hardness than other films.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.175.2-175.2
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• 2015

이 연구는 nano-indenter를 중심으로 박막의 nano-electrotribology 분석 연구로 Hafnium Nitride (HfN) 박막의 열처리 시 열적안정성에 대한 연구를 진행하였다. HfN 박막은 Copper (Cu)와 Silicon (Si)의 계면 확산방지막으로 사용될 수 있는 박막으로 현재 많은 연구소에서 다양한 연구가 진행되고 있다. HfN 박막은 Si (100)기판 위에 rf magnetron sputter로 증착되었다. 증착 시 Ar, $N_2$ 가스유량을 총 40 sccm 사용하였고 증착 후 HfN 박막을 질소분위기 furnace에서 500, $700^{\circ}C$로 각각 30분 동안 열처리 하였다. 열처리 전 후의 시료를 nano-indenter를 이용하여 nano-electrotribology 분석을 실시하였다. Nano-indenter 측정결과 열처리 전 HfN 박막 시료의 표면강도는 39.68 GPa였고 500oC 열처리 후 31.31 GPa로 감소하였다. 그러나 $700^{\circ}C$ 열처리 시 표면강도가 37.89 GPa로 다시 증가하였다. 탄성계수 측정결과도 이와 같은 경향을 나타내었는데, $500^{\circ}C$ 열처리 전 후 탄성계수가 258.99 GPa에서 201.88 GPa로 감소하였고 $700^{\circ}C$ 열처리 시 247.55 GPa로 다시 증가하였다. 이는 $500^{\circ}C$ 열처리하였을 때 박막 내에 흡착되었던 $N_2$ 가스가 빠져나가며 tensile stress가 발생하여 박막의 표면강도 감소를 유발했고 $700^{\circ}C$ 열처리 시 다시 박막 표면이 안정화되었기 때문으로 생각된다. 이를 통해 열처리 온도 변화에 의한 질소효과가 나타나 HfN 박막 표면의 물성이 달라지는 것을 확인하였다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.354.2-354.2
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• 2014

최근 반도체 산업의 발전에 따라 반도체 소자 내 배선재료로 사용되던 Aluminium (Al)의 대체물로 Copper (Cu)가 사용되고 있다. Cu는 Al보다 우수한 전도성과 비용이 저렴하다는 장점이 있으나 반도체 기판과의 확산으로 이를 해결해야만 하는 문제점이 있다. 이는 Si와 Cu사이에 확산방지막을 사용하여 해결할 수 있는데 Hafnium Nitride (HfN) 박막은 다른 물질과 비교해 고온에서의 안정성과 낮은 비저항을 가지고 있어 주목을 받고 있다. 본 연구에서는 rf magnetron sputter 방법으로 박막 증착 시에 인가하는 rf power가 박막의 표면 특성에 어떠한 영향을 미치는지 nano-indenter를 사용해 surface hardness와 elastic modulus의 변화를 중심으로 알아보았다. 시료는 rf magnetron sputter로 증착 시 인가하는 plasma power를 60W와 80W로 달리하여 증착하였다. 증착가스는 Ar과 $N_2$를 조절하여 사용하였고 총 유량을 40 sccm 으로 고정하였으며, 이 때 압력은 3mTorr로 유지하였다. 실험결과 plasma power를 80W로 인가하여 증착한 시료의 surface hardness (18.48 GPa)가 60W로 증착한 시료의 surface hardness (12.03 GPa)보다 큰 값을 나타내었다. 이와 마찬가지로 80W로 증착한 시료의 elastic modulus(187.16 GPa)도 60W로 증착한 시료의 탄성계수 (141.15 GPa)보다 큰 값을 나타내었다. 이는 증착 시 인가하는 plasma power의 크기가 증가하면 박막표면에 compressive stress가 생성되어 박막의 surface hardness와 elastic modulus가 상대적으로 높게 측정되는 것으로 생각된다.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.67-71
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• 2020

For deposition technology using plasma, it plays an important role in improving film deposited with high ionization rate through high density plasma. Various deposition methods such as high-power impulse magnetron sputtering and ion-beam sputtering have been developed for physical vapor deposition technology and are still being studied. In this study, it is intended to control plasma using inductive coupled plasma (ICP) antennas and use properties to improve the properties of Hafnium nitride (HfN) films using ICP assisted magnetron sputtering (ICPMS). HfN film deposited using ICPMS showed a finer grain sizes, denser microstructure and better mechanical properties as ICP power increases. The best mechanical properties such as nanoindentation hardness of 47 GPa and Young's modulus of 401 GPa was obtained from HfN film deposited using ICPMS at ICP power of 200 W.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.449-453
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• 2010

In this paper, the electrical characteristics of Fin-type SONOS(silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon) flash memory device with different trapping layers are analyzed in depth. Two kinds of trapping layers i.e., silicon nitride($Si_3N_4$) and hafnium oxide($HfO_2$) are applied. Compared to the conventional Fin-type SONOS device using the $Si_3N_4$ trapping layer, the Fin-type SOHOS(silicon-oxide-high-k-oxide-silicon) device using the $HfO_2$ trapping layer shows superior program/erase speed. However, the data retention properties in SOHOS device are worse than the SONOS flash memory device. Degraded data retention in the SOHOS device may be attributed to the tunneling leakage current induced by interface trap states, which are supported by the subthreshold slope and low frequency noise characteristics.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.86-91
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• 2016

Ever increasing demand for microwave operated applications has cultivated need for high-performance universal systems capable of working on multi-bands. This objective can be realized using Multi-Dielectrics in RF MEMS capacitive switch. In this study, we present a detailed analysis of the effect of various dielectrics on switch performance. The design consists of a capacitive switch and performance is analyzed by changing the dielectric layers beneath the switch. The results are obtained using three different dielectrics including Silicon nitride (7.6), Hafnium dioxide (25) and Titanium oxide (50). Testing of proposed switch yields high isolation (- 87.5 dB) and low insertion loss (- 0.1 dB at 50 GHz) which is substantially better than the conventional switches. The operating bandwidth of the proposed switch (DC to 95 GHz) makes it suitable for wide band microwave applications.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.333-336
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• 2012

The study to give electrical conductivity by dispersing carbon nanotubes (CNT) into silicon nitride ($Si_3N_4$) ceramics has been carried out in recent years. However, the density and the strength of $Si_3N_4$ ceramics were degraded and CNTs disappeared after firing at high temperatures because CNTs prevent $Si_3N_4$ from densification and there is a possibility that CNTs react with $Si_3N_4$ or $SiO_2$. In order to suppress the reaction and the disappearance of CNTs, lower temperature densification is needed. In this study, $HfO_2$ and $TiO_2$ was added to $Si_3N_4-Y_2O_3-Al_2O_3$-AlN system to fabricate CNT-dispersed $Si_3N_4$ ceramics at lower temperatures. $HfO_2$ promotes the densification of $Si_3N_4$ and prevents CNT from disappearance. As a result, the sample by adding $HfO_2$ and $TiO_2$ fired at lower temperatures showed higher electrical conductivity and higher bending strength. It was also shown that the mechanical and electrical properties depended on the quantity of the added CNTs.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.282.1-282.1
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• 2016

The remarkable physical properties of two-dimensional (2D) semiconducting materials such as molybdenum disulfide ($MoS_2$) and tungsten disulfide ($WS_2$) etc. have attracted considerable attentions for future high-performance electronic and optoelectronic devices. The ongoing studies of $MoS_2$ based nonvolatile memories have been demonstrated by worldwide researchers. The opening hysteresis in transfer characteristics have been revealed by different charge confining layer, for instance, few-layer graphene, $MoS_2$, metallic nanocrystal, hafnium oxide, and guanine. However, limited works built their nonvolatile memories using entirely of assembled 2D crystals. This is important in aspect view of large-scale manufacture and vertical integration for future memory device engineering. We report $WS_2$ based nonvolatile memories utilizing functional van der Waals heterostructure in which multi-layered graphene is encapsulated between $SiO_2$ and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). We experimentally observed that, large memory window (20 V) allows to reveal high on-/off-state ratio (>$10^3$). Moreover, the devices manifest perfect retention of 13% charge loss after 10 years due to large graphene/hBN barrier height. Interestingly, the performance of our memories is drastically better than ever published work related to $MoS_2$ and black phosphorus flash memory technology.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.354.1-354.1
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• 2014

Hafnium nitride (HfN) 박막은 고온에서의 안정성과 낮은 비저항 그리고 산소확산에 대한 억제력을 가지고 있기 때문에 확산방지막으로 많은 연구가 진행 되고 있다. 현재까지 진행된 대부분의 연구는 HfN 박막의 전기적인 특성과 구조적인 특성에 대한 것이었고 다양한 연구 결과가 보고되었다. 하지만 기존의 연구들은 박막의 nano-electrotribology 특성에 대한 연구가 부족하여 박막 적층 공정시 요구되는 물성에 대한 연구가 절실하다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 HfN 박막의 증착조건 및 열처리조건에 따른 nano-electrotribology 특성 변화를 확인하고자 하였다. HfN박막은 rf magnetron sputter를 이용하여 Si 기판위에 Hf target으로 질소 유량을 변화시키며 증착하였고 가열로에서 $600^{\circ}C$와 $800^{\circ}C$로 20분간 열처리를 실시하였다. 열처리한 박막과 as-deposited 상태의 박막을 nano-indenter를 통하여 나노기계 전기적인 특성을 분석하였다. nano-indenter는 박막에 인가된 stress와 탄성계수(elastic modulus), 표면경도(surface hardness)와 같은 특성을 직접적인 tip 접촉을 통하여 in-situ로 분석할 수 있는 장비이다. 실험결과 HfN박막을 $600^{\circ}C$로 열처리 한 경우 표면경도가 16.20에서 18.59 GPa로 증가하였다. 표면경도의 증가는 열처리 시 박막내에 compressive stress가 생성되었기 때문이라고 생각된다. 그러나 $800^{\circ}C$로 열처리 한 경우 표면경도가 16.93 GPa로 감소하였는데 이는 표면균열 발생으로 인한 stress relaxation 때문인 것으로 생각된다. 증착 시 주입되는 질소의 유량과 열처리 온도는 HfN박막의 기계적 안정성에 영향을 미치는 중요한 요소임을 본 실험을 통해 확인하였다.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.30-35
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• 2023

Hafnium nitride (HfN) thin films were fabricated by mid-frequency magnetron sputtering (mfMS) and direct current magnetron sputtering (dcMS) and their mechanical and structural properties were compared. In particular, changes in the HfN film properties were observed by changing the pulse frequency of mfMS between 5 kHz, 15 kHz, and 30 kHz. The crystalline structure, microstructure, 3D morphology, and mechanical properties of the HfN films were compared by x-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and nanoindentation tester, respectively. HfN film deposited by mfMS showed a smoother and denser microstructure as the frequency increased, whereas the film deposited by dcMS showed a rough and sloppy microstructure. A single δ-HfN phase was observed in the HfN film made by mfMS with a pulse frequency of 30 kHz, but mixed δ-HfN and HfN_0·4 phases were observed in the HfN film made by dcMS. The mechanical properties of HfN film made by mfMS were improved compared to film made by dcMS.