• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.331-337
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• 2012

Electrical properties as a function of composition in silicon nitride ($SiN_x$) films grown at low temperatures ($<200^{\circ}C$) were studied for applications to photonic devices and thin film transistors. Both silicon-rich and nitrogen-rich compositions were successfully produced in final films by controlling the source gas mixing ratio, $R=[(N_2\;or\;NH_3)/SiH_4]$, and the RF plasma power. Depending on the film composition, the dielectric and optical properties of $SiN_x$ films varied substantially. Both the resistivity and breakdown field strength showed the maximum value at the stoichiometric composition (N/Si = 1.33), and degraded as the composition deviated to either side. The electrical properties degraded more rapidly when the composition shifted toward the silicon-rich side than toward the nitrogen-rich side. The composition shift from the silicon-rich side to the nitrogen-rich side accompanied the shift in the photoluminescence characteristic peak to a shorter wavelength, indicating an increase in the band gap. As long as the film composition is close to the stoichiometry, the breakdown field strength and the bulk resistivity showed adequate values for use as a gate dielectric layer down to $150^{\circ}C$ of the process temperature.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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• pp.183-184
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• 2013

Two main MBE growth techniques have been used: plasma-assisted MBE (PA-MBE), which utilizes a rf plasma to supply active nitrogen, and ammonia MBE, in which nitrogen is supplied by pyrolysis of NH3 on the sample surface during growth. PA-MBE is typically performed under metal-rich growth conditions, which results in the formation of gallium droplets on the sample surface and a narrow range of conditions for optimal growth. In contrast, high-quality GaN films can be grown by ammonia MBE under an excess nitrogen flux, which in principle should result in improved device uniformity due to the elimination of droplets and wider range of stable growth conditions. A drawback of ammonia MBE, on the other hand, is a serious memory effect of NH3 condensed on the cryo-panels and the vicinity of heaters, which ruins the control of critical growth stages, i.e. the native oxide desorption and the surface reconstruction, and the accurate control of V/III ratio, especially in the initial stage of seed layer growth. In this paper, we demonstrate that the reliable and reproducible growth of GaN on Si (110) substrates is successfully achieved by combining two MBE growth technologies using rf plasma and ammonia and setting a proper growth protocol. Samples were grown in a MBE system equipped with both a nitrogen rf plasma source (SVT) and an ammonia source. The ammonia gas purity was ＞99.9999% and further purified by using a getter filter. The custom-made injector designed to focus the ammonia flux onto the substrate was used for the gas delivery, while aluminum and gallium were provided via conventional effusion cells. The growth sequence to minimize the residual ammonia and subsequent memory effects is the following: (1) Native oxides are desorbed at $750^{\circ}C$ (Fig. (a) for [$1^-10$] and [001] azimuth) (2) 40 nm thick AlN is first grown using nitrogen rf plasma source at $900^{\circ}C$ nder the optimized condition to maintain the layer by layer growth of AlN buffer layer and slightly Al-rich condition. (Fig. (b)) (3) After switching to ammonia source, GaN growth is initiated with different V/III ratio and temperature conditions. A streaky RHEED pattern with an appearance of a weak ($2{\times}2$) reconstruction characteristic of Ga-polarity is observed all along the growth of subsequent GaN layer under optimized conditions. (Fig. (c)) The structural properties as well as dislocation densities as a function of growth conditions have been investigated using symmetrical and asymmetrical x-ray rocking curves. The electrical characteristics as a function of buffer and GaN layer growth conditions as well as the growth sequence will be also discussed. Figure: (a) RHEED pattern after oxide desorption (b) after 40 nm thick AlN growth using nitrogen rf plasma source and (c) after 600 nm thick GaN growth using ammonia source for (upper) [110] and (lower) [001] azimuth.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.69-69
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• 2001

We report a study of the nitriding of the martensitic grade of stainless steel AKSK 420 in a low-pressure rl discharge using pure nitrogen. Much studied samples of the austenitic grade AISI 304 were treated at the same time to provide a comparison. With a treatment time of 4.0 h at $400^{\circ}C$, the nitrogen-rich layer on MSK 420 is 20pm thick and has a hardness about 4.3 times higher than that of the untreated material. The layer thickness is much greater than that obtained on AISI 304 under identical treatment conditions, reflecting the different Cr content of the two alloys. The alloy AlISI 420 is more susceptible than AISI 304 to the formation of CrN and ferrite, and this has a deleterious effect on the hardnes, gain. Below the temperature at which CrN forms, the treated layer retains its martensitic structure, but with a larger lattice parameter than the bulk, a phase that we term expanded martensite, by analogy with the situation with austenitic stainless steel. The fact that the treated layer retains a martensitic structure is interesting in view of previous evidence that nitrogen is an austenite stabilizer.

• 한국연소학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.04a
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• pp.55-62
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• 2006

A two-step fuel-rich/fuel-lean catalytic combustion seems to be one of the most effective methods to control simultaneously the NO generation and the hydrocarbon (HC) conversion from fuel-bound nitrogen. By controlling equivalent air ratio for maintaining fuel-rich and fuel-lean condition over each catalytic layer, space velocity, inlet temperature, and catalyst component, the HCand ammonia conversion efficiency higher than 95% could be achieved, with ammonia conversion to NO remaining below 5%. The experimental results wouldbe applied to the combustion of land fill gas and to gasified refuse-derived fuels as a method of minimizing NO generation.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.237-243
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• 2018

In-rich InGaN epilayers were grown on (0001) sapphire substrates by radio-frequency plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (RF-MBE). InGaN epilayers grown at various growth condition were observed by SEM, XRD, and RHEED. When plasma power of nitrogen increased from 290 to 350 W, surface morphology and crystal quality became worse according to more active nitrogen on the surface of InGaN at N-rich growth condition. As In composition was reduced from 89 to 71% by changing the incoming flux of In and Ga, surface morphology and crystal quality became worse. In addition, weak peaks of cubic InGaN phase was observed from InGaN layer with 71% In composition by XRD ${\Phi}$ scan measurement. When growth temperature decreased from 500 to $400^{\circ}C$, RHEED diffraction pattern was changed to be from streaky to spotty which means atomically rough surface, and spotty pattern showed cubic symmetry of InGaN clearly. XRD ${\Phi}$ scan measurement gave clear evidence that more cubic InGaN phase was formed at low growth temperature. All these results indicates that extremely low surface mobility of Ga adatom caused inferior crystal quality and cubic InGaN phase.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.737-740
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• 2010

High leakage current and threshold voltage shift(${\Delta}Vth$) are demerits of a-Si:H TFT. These characteristics are influenced by gate insulator and active layer film quality, surface roughness, and process conditions. The purpose of this investigation is to improve off current($I_{off}$) and ${\Delta}V_{th}$ characteristics. Nitrogen-rich deposition condition was applied to gate insulator, and hydrogen-rich deposition condition was applied to active layer to reduce electron trap site and improve film density. $I_{off}$ improved from 1.01 pA to 0.18 pA at $65^{\circ}C$, and ${\Delta}V_{th}$ improved from -1.89 V to 1.22 V.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.53-57
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• 2004

Austenitic stainless steel AISI 304 was nitrided in a low-pressure RF plasma using pure nitrogen. With a treatment of time of 4.0h at $400^{\circ}C$, the nitrogen-rich layer on the sample was $3\mu\textrm{m}$thick and had a hardness of approximately 4.4 times higher than that of untreated material. XRD data showed that as the process temperature rose from 350∼$450^{\circ}C$, the expanded austenite peaks became more prominent while the austenite peaks became weaker. Expanded austenite was transformed to ferrite and CrN at the treatment of$ 500^{\circ}C$. Langmuir probe measurements showed that electron density decreased above $450^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Telematics and Electronics
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.1649-1655
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• 1988

Thermally growon SiO2 films were thermally nitrided in a hot-wall furnace and in a RF-heated cold-wall reactor and their characteristics were investigated by the AES and the C-V dmeasurements. The Auger depth profile show that 200\ulcornerSiO2 film nitrided at 1200\ulcorner, for 2hrs by the hot-wall process has a nitrogen-rich layer near the SiOxNy-Si interface. However the nitrogen-ri h layer is not observed in the case of cold-wall process. The maximum flat-band voltage for the SiO2 films nitrided by the hot-wall process is higher than by the cold-wall process, and the peak value of flat-band voltage for the hot-wall process appears the longer nitridation time than that for the cold-wall process. The SiOxNy-Si interface shift toward the Si substrate for the case of the hot-wall process is larger than that for the cold-wall process.

• 한국정보디스플레이학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.08a
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• pp.729-732
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• 2006

The effect of stress match between silicon nitride ($SiN_2$) and hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) layers on the electrical characteristics of thin-film transistors (TFTs) has been investigated. The result shows that modifying the deposition conditions of a Si:H and $SiN_2$ thin films can reduce the stress mismatch at a-Si:H/SiNx interface. Moreover, for best a-Si:H TFT characteristics, the internal stress of gate $SiN_2$ layer with slightly nitrogen-rich should be matched with that of a-Si:H channel layer. The ON current, field-effect mobility, and stability of TFTs can be enhanced by controlling the stress match between a-Si:H and gate insulator. The improvement of these characteristics appears to be due to both the decrease of the interface state density between the a-Si:H and SiNx layer, and the good dielectric quality of the bottom nitride layer.

• Electrical & Electronic Materials
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.25-31
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• 1994

Properties of oxynitride films reoxidized by $N_2{O}$ gas after thermal oxidation and $N_2{O}$ oxide films directly oxidized by using $N_2{O}$ gas on the bare silicon wafer have been studied. From the AES analysis, nitrogen pile-up at the interface of Si/oxynitride and Si/$N_2{O}$ oxide has observed. $N_2{O}$ oxide and oxynitride films have the self-limited characteristics. Therefore, it will be possible to obtain ultra-thin films. Nitrogen pile-up at the interfaces of Si/oxynitride and Si/$N_2{O}$ oxide strengthens film structure and improves dielectric reliability. Although fixed charge densities and interface trap densities of N20 oxide and oxynitride films have somewhat higher than those of thermal $SiO_2{O}$, $N_2{O}$ oxide and oxynitride films showed improved I-V characteristics and constant current stress.