• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.586-591
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• 2010

Solar cells have been more intensely studied as part of the effort to find alternatives to fossil fuels as power sources. The progression of the first two generations of solar cells has seen a sacrifice of higher efficiency for more economic use of materials. The use of a single junction makes both these types of cells lose power in two major ways: by the non-absorption of incident light of energy below the band gap; and by the dissipation by heat loss of light energy in excess of the band gap. Therefore, multi junction solar cells have been proposed as a solution to this problem. However, the $1^{st}$ and $2^{nd}$ generation solar cells have efficiency limits because a photon makes just one electron-hole pair. Fabrication of all-silicon tandem cells using an Si quantum dot superlattice structure (QD SLS) is one possible suggestion. In this study, an $SiO_x$ matrix system was investigated and analyzed for potential use as an all-silicon multi-junction solar cell. Si quantum dots with a super lattice structure (Si QD SLS) were prepared by alternating deposition of Si rich oxide (SRO; $SiO_x$ (x = 0.8, 1.12)) and $SiO_2$ layers using RF magnetron co-sputtering and subsequent annealing at temperatures between 800 and $1,100^{\circ}C$ under nitrogen ambient. Annealing temperatures and times affected the formation of Si QDs in the SRO film. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed that nanocrystalline Si QDs started to precipitate after annealing at $1,100^{\circ}C$ for one hour. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images clearly showed SRO/$SiO_2$ SLS and Si QDs formation in each 4, 6, and 8 nm SRO layer after annealing at $1,100^{\circ}C$ for two hours. The systematic investigation of precipitation behavior of Si QDs in $SiO_2$ matrices is presented.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.631-635
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• 2017

We report facile solution processing of mesoporous hematite (${\alpha}-Fe_2O_3$) thin films for high efficiency solar-driven water splitting. $Fe_2O_3$ thin films were prepared on fluorine doped tin oxide(FTO) conducting substrates by spin coating of a precursor solution followed by annealing at $550^{\circ}C$ for 30 min. in air ambient. Specifically, the precursor solution was prepared by dissolving non-toxic $FeCl_3$ as an Fe source in highly versatile dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO) as a solvent. The as-deposited and annealed thin films were characterized for their morphological, structural and optical properties using field-emission scanning electron microscopy(FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction(XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. The photoelectrochemical performance of the precursor (${\alpha}-FeOOH$) and annealed (${\alpha}-Fe_2O_3$) films were characterized and it was found that the ${\alpha}-Fe_2O_3$ film exhibited an increased photocurrent density of ${\sim}0.78mA/cm^2$ at 1.23 V vs. RHE, which is about 3.4 times higher than that of the ${\alpha}-FeOOH$ films ($0.23mA/cm^2$ at 1.23 V vs. RHE). The improved performance can be attributed to the improved crystallinity and porosity of ${\alpha}-Fe_2O_3$ thin films after annealing treatment at higher temperatures. Detailed electrical characterization was further carried out to elucidate the enhanced PEC performance of ${\alpha}-Fe_2O_3$ thin films.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.31 no.12
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• pp.1577-1587
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• 1994

TiO2 thin films with the substitution of oxygen with nitrogen were deposited on silicon substrate by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) using Ti(OCH(CH3)2)4 (titanium tetraisopropoxide, TTIP) and N2O as source materials. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results indicated that the crystal structure of the deposited thin films was anatase TiO2 with only (101) plane observed at the deposition temperatures of 36$0^{\circ}C$ and 38$0^{\circ}C$, and with (101) and (200) plane at above 40$0^{\circ}C$. Raman spectroscopic results indicated that the crystal structure was anatase TiO2 in accordance with the XRD results without any rutile, fcc TiN, or hcp TiN structure. No fundamental difference was observed with temperature increase, but the peak intensity at 194.5 cm-1 increased with strong intensity at 143.0 cm-1 for all samples. The crystalline size of the films varied from 49.2 nm to 63.9 nm with increasing temperature as determined by slow-scan XRD experiments. The refractive index of the films increased from 2.40 to 2.55 as temperature increased. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) study showed only Ti 2s, Ti 2p, C 1s, O 1s and O 2s peaks at the surface of the film. The composition of the surface was estimated to be TiO1.98 from the quatitative analysis. In the bulk of the film Ti 2s, Ti 2p, O 1s, O 2s, N 1s and N 2s were detected, and Ti-N bonding was observed due to the substitution of oxygen with nitrogen. A satellite structure was observed in the Ti 2p due to the Ti-N bonding, and the composition of titanium nitride was determined to be about TiN1.0 from the position of the binding energy of Ti-N 2p3/2 and the quatitative analysis. The spectrum of Ti 2p energy level could be the sum of a 4, 5, or 6 Gaussian curve reconstruction, and the case of the sum of the 6 Gaussian curve reconstruction was physically most meaningful. From the results of Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), it was known that the composition was not varied significantly throughout the whole thickness of the film, and silicon oxide was not observed at the interface between the film and the substrate. The composition of the film was possible (TiO2)1-x.(TiN)x or TiO2-2xNx and in this experimental condition x was found to be about 0.21-0.16.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.45-50
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• 2014

Effects of wet chemical treatment and thermal cycle conditions on the quantitative interfacial adhesion energy of $Cu/SiN_x$ thin film interfaces were evaluated by 4-point bending test method. The test samples were cleaned by chemical treatment after Cu chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP). The thermal cycle test between Cu and $SiN_x$ capping layer was experimented at the temperature, -45 to $175^{\circ}C$ for 250 cycles. The measured interfacial adhesion energy increased from 10.57 to $14.87J/m^2$ after surface chemical treatment. After 250 thermal cycles, the interfacial adhesion energy decreased to $5.64J/m^2$ and $7.34J/m^2$ for without chemical treatment and with chemical treatment, respectively. The delaminated interfaces were confirmed as $Cu/SiN_x$ interface by using the scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive spectroscopy. From X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis results, the relative Cu oxide amounts between $SiN_x$ and Cu decreased by chemical treatment and increased after thermal cycle. The thermal stress due to the mismatch of thermal expansion coefficient during thermal cycle seemed to weaken the $Cu/SiN_x$ interface adhesion, which led to increased CuO amounts at Cu film surface.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.80-80
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• 2010

전자제품의 소형화, 경량화, 고집적화가 심화됨에 따라 전자제품을 구성하는 회로의 미세화 또한 요구되고 있다. 이러한 요구는 경성회로기판 (rigid printed circuit board, RPCB) 뿐만 아니라 연성회로기판 (flexible printed circuit board, FPCB) 에도 적용되고 있으며 이에 대한 많은 연구 또한 이루어지고 있다. 연성회로기판은 일반적으로 절연층을 이루는 폴리이미드 (polyimide, PI)와 전도층을 이루는 구리로 이루어져 있다. 폴리이미드는 뛰어난 열적 화학적 안정성, 우수한 기계적 특성, 연속공정이 가능한 장점을 가지고 있으나, 고온다습한 환경하에서 높은 흡습성으로 인해 전도층을 이루는 구리와의 접합특성이 저하되는 단점 또한 가지고 있다. 또한 전도층을 이루는 구리는 고온다습한 환경하에서 산화 발생이 용이하기 때문에 접합특성의 감소를 야기할 수 있다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 고온다습한 조건하에서 sputtering and plating 공정을 통해 순수 Cr seed layer를 가지는 연성회로기판의 seed layer의 두께와 시효시간의 변화로 인해 발생하는 접합특성의 변화를 관찰하고 분석하였다. 본 연구에서는 두께 $25{\mu}m$의 일본 Kadena사(社)에서 제작된 폴리이미드 상에 sputtering 공정을 통해 순수 Cr으로 이루어진 각각 두께 100, 200, $300{\AA}$의 seed layer를 형성한 후 전해도금법을 이용, 두께 $8{\mu}m$의 구리 전도층을 형성한 시료를 사용하였다. 제작된 시료는 고온다습한 환경하에서의 접합 특성의 변화를 관찰하기 위하여 $85^{\circ}C$/85%RH 항온항습 조건하에서 각각 24, 72, 120, 168시간 동안 시효처리 한 후, Interconnections Packaging Circuitry (IPC) 규격에 의거하여 접합강도를 측정하였다. 시료의 전도층은 폭 3.2mm 길이 230mm의 패턴을 가지도록, 절연층은 폭 10mm, 길이 230mm으로 구성되었으며 이를 50.8mm/min의 박리 속도로 각 시편당 8회의 $90^{\circ}$ peel test를 실시하였다. 파면의 형상과 화학적 조성을 분석하기 위해 SEM (Scanning electron microscope)과 EDS (Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy)를 사용하였으며, 파면의 조도 측정을 위해 AFM (Atomic force microscope)을 사용하였다. 또한 계면의 화학적 결합상태를 분석하기 위해 XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy)를 통해 파면을 관찰 분석하였다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.335-335
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• 2014

Over the past several years, transparent conducting oxides have been extensively studied in order to replace indium tin oxide (ITO). Here we report on fluorine doped zinc tin oxide (FZTO) films deposited on glass substrates by radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering using a 30 wt% ZnO with 70 wt% SnO2 ceramic targets. The F-doping was carried out by introducing a mixed gas of pure Ar, CF4, and O2 forming gas into the sputtering chamber while sputtering ZTO target. Annealing temperature affects the structural, electrical and optical properties of FZTO thin films. All the as-deposited FZTO films grown at room temperature are found to be amorphous because of the immiscibility of SnO2 and ZnO. Even after the as-deposited FZTO films were annealed from $300{\sim}500^{\circ}C$, there were no significant changes. However, when the sample is annealed temperature up to $600^{\circ}C$, two distinct diffraction peaks appear in XRD spectra at $2{\Theta}=34.0^{\circ}$ and $52.02^{\circ}$, respectively, which correspond to the (101) and (211) planes of rutile phase SnO2. FZTO thin film annealed at $600^{\circ}C$ resulted in decrease of resistivity $5.47{\times}10^{-3}{\Omega}cm$, carrier concentration ~1019 cm-3, mobility~20 cm2 V-1s-1 and increase of optical band gap from 3.41 to 3.60 eV with increasing the annealing temperatures and well explained by Burstein-Moss effect. Change of work function with the annealing temperature was obtained by ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy. The increase of annealing temperature leads to increase of work function from ${\phi}=3.80eV$ (as-deposited FZTO) to ${\phi}=4.10eV$ ($600^{\circ}C$ annealed FZTO) which are quite smaller than 4.62 eV for Al-ZnO and 4.74 eV for SnO2. Through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, incorporation of F atoms was found at around the binding energy of 684.28 eV in the as-deposited and annealed FZTO up to 400oC, but can't be observed in the annealed FZTO at 500oC. This result indicates that F atoms in FZTO films are loosely bound or probably located in the interstitial sites instead of substitutional sites and thus easily diffused into the vacuum from the films by thermal annealing. The optical transmittance of FZTO films was higher than 80% in all specimens and 2-3% higher than ZTO films. FZTO is a possible potential transparent conducting oxide (TCO) alternative for application in optoelectronics.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.75-75
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• 2009

연성회로기판은 일반적으로 절연체를 이루는 폴리이미드와 전도체를 이루는 구리로 구성되어 있다. 폴리이미드는 뛰어난 열적 화학적 안정성, 기계적 특성, 공정성 등의 장점으로 인해 연성회로기판의 절연체로서 제안되었지만 전도체를 이루는 구리와의 접합 특성이 우수하지 않기 때문에 많은 연구가 현재까지 진행되고 있고, 그 결과 연성회로기판의 접합 특성에 많은 개선이 이루어짐과 동시에 다양한 공정 방법이 제안되고 있다. 하지만 고온다습한 환경에서 사용될 경우 폴리이미드의 높은 흡습성과, 구리와 seed layer의 산화 문제로 인해 접합 특성이 저하된다는 단점 또한 가지고 있다. 따라서 본 연구를 통해 고온다습한 조건하에서 seed layer가 80Ni/20Cr 합금으로 구성된 연성회로기판의 seed layer의 두께와 시효시간으로 인해 발생하는 접합 신뢰성의 차이를 관찰하였다. 본 연구에서는 두께 $25{\mu}m$의 폴리이미드 위에 각각 100, 200, $300{\AA}$ 두께의 80Ni/20Cr의 합금 조성을 가지는 seed layer를 스퍼터링 공정을 통해 형성한 후 전해도금법을 이용하여 $8{\mu}m$ 두께의 구리 전도층을 형성하였다. 접합 특성 평가를 위해 ICP 규격에 따라 전도층 패턴을 폭 3.2mm, 길이 230mm로 시편을 제작하여 50.8mm/min의 이송 속도로 각 시편당 8회의 $90^{\circ}$ peel test를 실시하였다. 또한 $85^{\circ}C$/85% 항온항습 조건하에서 각각 24, 72, 120, 168시간 동안 시효 처리 후 같은 방법으로 연성회로기판의 접합 특성을 평가하였다. 파면의 형상과 조성을 분석하기 위해 SEM (Scanning electron microscope)과 EDS (Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy)를 사용하였으며, 파면의 조도 측정을 위해 AFM (Atomic force microscope)을 사용하였다. 또한 파면의 잔여물 분석을 위해 EPMA (Energy probe microanalysis)를 사용하였고 계면의 화학적 결합상태를 분석하기 위해 XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy)를 통해 파면을 분석하였다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.02a
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• pp.347-347
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• 2012

Nickel Oxide (NiO) is a transition metal oxide of the rock salt structure that has a wide band gap of 3.5 eV. It has a variety of specialized applications due to its excellent chemical stability, optical, electrical and magnetic properties. In this study, we concentrated on the application of NiO thin film for transparent conducting oxide. The energy band structure, electronic and optical properties of Nickel Oxide (NiO) thin films grown on Si by using electron beam evaporation were investigated by X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Reflection Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (REELS), and UV-Spectrometer. The band gap of NiO thin films determined by REELS spectra was 3.53 eV for the primary energies of 1.5 keV. The valence-band offset (VBO) of NiO thin films investigated by XPS was 3.88 eV and the conduction-band offset (CBO) was 1.59 eV. The UV-spectra analysis showed that the optical transmittance of the NiO thin film was 84% in the visible light region within an error of ${\pm}1%$ and the optical band gap for indirect band gap was 3.53 eV which is well agreement with estimated by REELS. The dielectric function was determined using the REELS spectra in conjunction with the Quantitative Analysis of Electron Energy Loss Spectra (QUEELS)-${\varepsilon}({\kappa},{\omega})$-REELS software. The Energy Loss Function (ELF) appeared at 4.8, 8.2, 22.5, 38.6, and 67.0 eV. The results are in good agreement with the previous study [1]. The transmission coefficient of NiO thin films calculated by QUEELS-REELS was 85% in the visible region, we confirmed that the optical transmittance values obtained with UV-Spectrometer is the same as that of estimated from QUEELS-${\varepsilon}({\kappa},{\omega})$-REELS within uncertainty. The inelastic mean free path (IMFP) estimated from QUEELS-${\varepsilon}({\kappa},{\omega})$-REELS is consistent with the IMFP values determined by the Tanuma-Powell Penn (TPP2M) formula [2]. Our results showed that the IMFP of NiO thin films was increased with increasing primary energies. The quantitative analysis of REELS provides us with a straightforward way to determine the electronic and optical properties of transparent thin film materials.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.22 no.8
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• pp.439-444
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• 2012

To compare the photocatalytic performances of titania for purification of waste water according to applied voltages and doping, $TiO_2$ films were prepared in a 1.0 M $H_2SO_4$ solution containing $NH_4F$ at different anodic voltages. Chemical bonding states of F-N-codoped $TiO_2$ were analyzed using surface X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The photocatalytic activity of the co-doped $TiO_2$ films was analyzed by the degradation of aniline blue solution. Nanotubes were formed with thicknesses of 200-300 nm for the films anodized at 30 V, but porous morphology was generated with pores of 1-2 ${\mu}m$ for the $TiO_2$ anodized at 180 V. The phenomenon of spark discharge was initiated at about 98 V due to the breakdown of the oxide films in both solutions. XPS analysis revealed the spectra of F1s at 684.3 eV and N1s at 399.8 eV for the $TiO_2$ anodized in the $H_2SO_4-NH_4F$ solution at 180 V, suggesting the incorporation of F and N species during anodization. Dye removal rates for the pure $TiO_2$ anodized at 30 V and 180 V were found to be 14.0% and 38.9%, respectively, in the photocatalytic degradation test of the aniline blue solution for 200 min irradiation; the rates for the F-N-codoped $TiO_2$ anodized at 30 V and 180 V were found to be 21.2% and 65.6%, respectively. From the results of diffuse reflectance absorption spectroscopy (DRS), it was found that the absorption edge of the F-N-codoped $TiO_2$ films shifted toward the visible light region up to 412 nm, indicating that the photocatalytic activity of $TiO_2$ is improved by appropriate doping of F and N by the addition of $NH_4F$.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.612-616
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• 2012

In this work, the effect of chemical treatments of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) on the mechanical interfacial properties of carbon fiber fabric-reinforced composites was investigated. The surface properties of the MWNTs were determined by acid and base values, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses. The mechanical interfacial properties of the composites were assessed by interlaminar shear stress (ILSS) and critical stress intensity factor ($K_{IC}$). The chemical treatments based on acid and base reactions led to a significant change of surface characteristics of the MWNTs, especially A-MWNTs/carbon fibers/epoxy composites had higher mechanical properties than those of B-MWNTs and non-treated MWNTs/carbon fibers/epoxy composites. These results were probably due to the improvement of interfacial bonding strength, resulting from the acid-base interaction and hydrogen bonding between the epoxy resins and the MWNT fillers.