• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.02a
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• pp.134-134
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• 2012

We investigated the interface of poly (3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and C61-butyric acid methylester (PCBM) by using photoelectron spectroscopy (PES). These are the most widely used materials for bulk heterojunction (BHJ) organic solar cells due to their high efficiency. Study of the BHJ interfaces is difficult because the organic films are typically prepared by spin coating in ambient conditions. This is incompatible with the interface electronic structure probes such as PES, which requires ultrahigh vacuum conditions. Study of interface requires gradual deposition of thin films that is also incompatible with the spin coating process. In this work, we used electrospray vacuum deposition (EVD) technique to deposit P3HT and PCBM in high vacuum conditions. EVD allows us to form polymer thin films onto ITO substrate in a step-wise manner directly from solutions and to use PES without exposing the sample to the ambient condition. Although the morphology of the EVD deposited P3HT films observed by optical and atomic force microscopes is quite different from that of the spin coated ones, the valence region spectra were similar. PCBM was deposited on the P3HT film in a similar manner and the energy level alignment between these two materials was studied. We discuss the relation between Voc of P3HT:PCBM solar cell and HOMO-LUMO energy offset obtained in this study.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.08a
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• pp.76-76
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• 2011

Polymer-fullerene based bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells can be fabricated in large area using low-cost roll-to-roll manufacturing methods. However, because of the low mobility of the BHJ materials, there is competition between the sweep-out of the photogenerated carriers by the built-in potential and recombination within the thin BHJ film [12-15]. Useful film thicknesses are limited by recombination. Thus, there is a need to increase the absorption by the BHJ film without increasing film thickness. Metal nanoparticles exhibit localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPR) which couple strongly to the incident light. In addition, relatively large metallic nanoparticles can reflect and scatter the light and thereby increase the optical path length within the BHJ film. Thus, the addition of metal nanoparticles into BHJ films offers the possibility of enhanced absorption and correspondingly enhanced photo-generation of mobile carriers. In this work, we have demonstrated several positive effects of shape controlled Au and Ag nanoparticles in organic P3HT/PC70BM, PCDTBT/PC70BM, Si-PCPDTBT/PC70BM BHJ-based PV devices. The use of an optimized concentration of Au and Ag nanomaterials in the BHJ film increases Jsc, FF, and the IPCE. These improvements result from a combination of enhanced light absorption caused by the light scattering of the nanomaterials in an active layer. Some of the metals induce the plasmon light concentration at specific wavelength. Moreover, improved charge transport results in low series resistance.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.08a
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• pp.53-53
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• 2011

This paper describes results for surface and bulk characterization of the most promising thin film solar cell material for high performance devices, (Ag,Cu) (In,Ga) Se2 (ACIGS). This material in particular exhibits a range of exotic behaviors. The surface and general materials science of the material also has direct implications for the operation of solar cells based upon it. Some of the techniques and results described will include scanning probe (AFM, STM, KPFM) measurements of epitaxial films of different surface orientations, photoelectron spectroscopy and inverse photoemission, Auger electron spectroscopy, and more. Bulk measurements are included as support for the surface measurements such as cathodoluminescence imaging around grain boundaries and showing surface recombination effects, and transmission electron microscopy to verify the surface growth behaviors to be equilibrium rather than kinetic phenomena. The results show that the polar close packed surface of CIGS is the lowest energy surface by far. This surface is expected to be reconstructed to eliminate the surface charge. However, the AgInSe2 compound has yielded excellent atomic-resolution images of the surface with no evidence of surface reconstruction. Similar imaging of CuInSe2 has proven more difficult and no atomic resolution images have been obtained, although current imaging tunneling spectroscopy images show electronic structure variations on the atomic scale. A discussion of the reasons why this may be the case is given. The surface composition and grain boundary compositions match the bulk chemistry exactly in as-grow films. However, the deposition of the heterojunction forming the device alters this chemistry, leading to a strongly n-type surface. This also directly explains unpinning of the Fermi level and the operation of the resulting devices when heterojunctions are formed with the CIGS. These results are linked to device performance through simulation of the characteristic operating behaviors of the cells using models developed in my laboratory.

• Vacuum Magazine
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.4-11
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• 2015

During last two decades, remarkable progresses have been made in organic electronic devices, such as organic light-emitting device, organic photovoltaic and many other applied devices. Many of these progress are attributed to the multilayered/heterojunction device architectures, which could be achieved from the control of "interfacial energetics". In that sense, the interfacial electronic structures in organic electronic devices have a decisive role in device performance. However, the prediction of the interfacial electronic structures from each separate material is not trivial. Many complex phenomena occur at the interface and these can be only understood from thorough measurements on interfacial electronic structures in situ. Photoemission and inverse photoemission spectroscopy have been known as the most proper measurement tools to analyze these interfacial electronic structures. In this review, the basic principles of (inverse) photoemission spectroscopy and typical measurement results on organic/inorganic interfaces are introduced.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.284-290
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• 2019

Ternary MoS₂/graphene (G)-TiO₂ photocatalysts were prepared by a simple hydrothermal method. The morphology, phase structure, band gap, and catalytic properties of the prepared samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, UV-vis spectrophotometry, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area measurement. The H₂ production efficiency of the prepared catalysts was tested in methanol-water mixture under visible light. MoS₂/G-TiO₂ exhibited the highest activity for photocatalytic H₂ production. For 5 wt.% and 1 wt.% MoS₂ and graphene (5MT-1G), the production rate of H₂ was as high as 1989 µmol^-1h^-1. The catalyst 5MT-1G showed H₂ production activity that was ~ 11.3, 5.6, and 4.1 times higher than those of pure TiO₂, 1GT, and 5MT, respectively. The unique structure and morphology of the MoS₂/G-TiO₂ photocatalyst contributed to its improved hydrogen production efficiency under visible light.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.573-578
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• 2003

Low temperature selective epitaxial growth of Si and SiGe has been obtained using an industrial single wafer chemical vapor deposition module operating at reduced pressure. Epitaxial Si and heteroepitaxial SiGe deposition with Ge content about 20 % has been studied as extrinsic base for self-aligned heterojunction bipolar transistors(HBTs), which helps to reduce the parasitic resistance to obtain higher maximum oscillation frequencies(f$\_$max/). The dependence of Si and SiGe deposition rates on exposed windows and their evolution with the addition of HCl to the gas mixture are investigated. SiH$_2$Cl$_2$ was used as the source of Si SEG(Selective Epitaxial Growth) and GeH$_4$ was added to grow SiGe SEG. The addition of HCl into the gas mixture allows increasing an incubation time even low growth temperature of 675∼725$^{\circ}C$. In addition, the selectivity is enhanced for the SiGe alloy and it was proposed that the incubation time for the polycrystalline deposit on the oxide is increased probably due to GeO formation. On the other hand, when only SiGe SEG(Selective Epitaxial Growth) layer is used for extrinsic base, it shows a higher sheet resistance with Ti-silicide because of Ge segregation to the interface, but in case of Si or Si/SiGe SEG layer, the sheet resistance is decreased up to 70 %.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.377-385
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• 2018

For the investigation of dopant profiles in implanted $Si_{1-x}Ge_x$, the implanted B and As profiles are measured using SIMS (secondary ion mass spectrometry). The fundamental ion-solid interactions of implantation in $Si_{1-x}Ge_x$ are discussed and explained using SRIM, UT-marlowe, and T-dyn programs. The annealed simulation profiles are also analyzed and compared with experimental data. In comparison with the SIMS data, the boron simulation results show 8% deviations of $R_p$ and 1.8% deviations of ${\Delta}R_p$ owing to relatively small lattice strain and relaxation on the sample surface. In comparison with the SIMS data, the simulation results show 4.7% deviations of $R_p$ and 8.1% deviations of ${\Delta}R_p$ in the arsenic implanted $Si_{0.2}Ge_{0.8}$ layer and 8.5% deviations of $R_p$ and 38% deviations of ${\Delta}R_p$ in the $Si_{0.5}Ge_{0.5}$ layer. An analytical method for obtaining the dopant profile is proposed and also compared with experimental and simulation data herein. For the high-speed CMOSFET (complementary metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor) and HBT (heterojunction bipolar transistor), the study of dopant profiles in the $Si_{1-x}Ge_x$ layer becomes more important for accurate device scaling and fabrication technologies.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.805-808
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• 2010

In this paper, CdS thin films, which were widey used window layer of the CdS/CdTe and the CdS/$CuInSe_2$ heterojunction solar cell, were grown by chemical bath deposition, and effects of temperature of reaction solution on the structural properties were investigated. Cadmium acetate and thiourea were used as cadmium and sulfur source, respectively. And ammonium acetate was used as the buffer solution. The reaction velocity was increased with increasing temerature of reaction solution. For temperature <= $85^{\circ}C$, as increasing temperature of solution, deposition rate of CdS films was increased by ion-by-ion reaction in the substrate surface, and the crystallinity of the films was improved. However, for temperature <= $55^{\circ}C$, deposition rate was decreased resulting from smaller Cd2+ ion, and the grain size was decreased.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.25 no.11
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• pp.862-866
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• 2012

Surface passivation of AlGaN/GaN heterojunction structure was examined through the thermal oxidation of evaporated Al. The Al-oxide passivation increased channel conductance of two dimensional electron gas (2DEG) on the AlGaN/GaN interface. The sheet resistance of 463 ohm/${\Box}$ for 2DEG channel before $Al_2O_3$ passivation was decreased to 417 ohm/${\Box}$ after passivation. The oxidation of Al induces tensile stress to the AlGaN/GaN structure and the stress seemed to enhance the sheet carrier density of the 2DEG channel. In addition, the $Al_2O_3$ films formed by thermal oxidation of Al suppressed thermal deterioration by the high temperature annealing.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.02a
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• pp.93-93
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• 2010

Semiconductor nanocrystal quantum dots (NQDs) have recently attracted considerable interest for use in photovoltaics. Band gaps of NQDs can be tuned over a considerable range by varying the particle size thereby allowing enhance absorption of solar spectrum. NQDs, synthesized using colloidal routes, are solution processable and promise for a large-area fabrication. Recent advancements in multiple-exciton generation in NQD solutions have afforded possible efficiency improvements. Various architectures have attempted to utilize the NQDs in photovoltaics, such as NQD-sensitized solar cell, NQD-bulk-heterojuction solar cell and etc. Here we have fabricated CdSe NQDs with the band gap of 1.8 eV to 2.1 eV on thin-layers of p-type organic crystallites (1.61 eV) to realize a donor-acceptor type heterojuction solar cell. Simple structure as it was, we could control the interface of electrode-p-layer, and n-p-layer and monitor the following efficiency changes. Specifically, surface molecules adsorbed on the NQDs were critical to enhance the carrier transfer among the n-layer where we could verify by measuring the photo-response from the NQD layers only. Further modifying the annealing temperature after the deposition of NQDs on p-layers allowed higher conversion efficiencies in the device.