• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.8.1-8.1
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• 2011

Nanocrystalline titanium dioxide ($TiO_2$) materials have been widely used as an electron collector in DSSC. This is required to have an extremely high porosity and surface area such that the dye can be sufficiently adsorbed and be electronically interconnected, resulting in the generation of a high photocurrent within cells. In particular, their geometrical structures and crystalline phase have been extensively investigated as important issues in improving its photovoltaic efficiency. In this study, we present a new strategy to fabricate a photoelectrode having a periodic structured $TiO_2$ film templated from 1D or 3D polystyrene (PS) microspheres array. Monodisperse PS spheres of various radiuses were used for colloidal array on FTO glasses and two types of photoelectrode structures with different $TiO_2$ materials were investigated respectively. One is the igloo-shaped electrode prepared by $TiO_2$ deposition by RF-sputtering onto 2D microsphere-templated substrates. At the interface between the film and substrate, there are voids formed by the decomposition of PS microspheres during the calcination step. These holes might be expected to play the predominant roles as scattering spherical voids to promote a light harvesting effect, a spacious structure for electrolytes with higher viscosity and effective paths for electron transfer. Additionally the nanocrystalline $TiO_2$ phase prepared by the RF-sputtering method was previously reported to improve the electron drift mobility within $TiO_2$ electrodes. This yields solar cells with a cell efficiency of 2.45% or more at AM 1.5 illumination, which is a very remarkable result, considering its $TiO_2$ electrode thickness (<2 ${\mu}m$). This study can be expanded to obtain higher cell efficiency by higher dye loading through the increase of surface area or multi-layered stacking. The other is the inverse opal photonic crystal electrode prepared by titania particles infusion within 3D colloidal arrays. To obtain the enlargement of ordered area and high quality of crystallinity, the synthesis of titania particles coated with a organic thin layer were applied instead of sol-gel process using the $TiO_2$ precursors. They were dispersed so well in most solvents without aggregates and infused successfully within colloidal array structures. This ordered mesoporous structure provides the large surface area leading to the enough adsorption of dye molecules and have an light harvesting effect due to the photonic band gap properties (back-and-forth reflection effects within structures). A major advantage of this colloidal array template method is that the pore size and its distribution within $TiO_2$ photoelectrodes are determined by those of latex beads, which can be controlled easily. These materials may have promising potentials for future applications of membrane, sensor and so on as well as solar cells.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.54-59
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• 2008

We report on the measurements of absorption spectra from acetylene ($^{12}C_2H_2$) and hydrogen cyanide ($H^{13}C^{14}N$) for wavelength reference in the C-band (conventional band) region using a supercontinuum optical source generated from a mode-locked $Cr^{4+}$:YAG laser. The center wavelength of the mode-locked $Cr^{4+}$:YAG laser was 1510 nm and the pulse duration was 75 fs at 100 MHz repetition rate. The supercontinuum source achieved a flatness of ${\pm}5dB$ over a wavelength range of more than 400 nm, using a 20 m long photonic crystal fiber. The measured absorption spectra from acetylene ($^{12}C_2H_2$) and hydrogen cyanide ($H^{13}C^{14}N$) had more than 50 lines and were analyzed for wavelength standardization.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.477-482
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• 2014

$CaNb_2O_6:RE^{3+}$ (RE=Sm or Eu) phosphor powders were prepared with different contents of activator ions by using solid-state reaction method. The X-ray diffraction patterns exhibited that the phosphors synthesized with different activator ions showed an orthorhombic system with a main (131) diffraction peak. The maximum size of the grain particles, determined from the measurement of scanning electron microscopy, was observed at 0.05 mol of $Eu^{3+}$ ions and at 0.01 mol of $Sm^{3+}$. As for the $Eu^{3+}$-doped phosphor powders, the excitation spectra were composed of a broad band peaked at 278 nm and several weak bands in the range of 350~500 nm, and the highest red emission spectrum was observed at 0.15 mol of $Eu^{3+}$ ions. As for the $Sm^{3+}$-activated phosphor powders, three strong emission bands under excitation at 273 nm were observed at 570, 612, and 659 nm, respectively. The intensities of all the emission bands approached maxima for 0.05 mol of $Sm^{3+}$ ions. The optical properties show that the $Eu^{3+}$- or $Sm^{3+}$-doped $CaNb_2O_6$ powders are promising red-orange emitting phosphor powders applicable to full-color photonic devices.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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• pp.226-226
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• 2013

Si is a dominant solar material, which is the second most abundant element in the earth giving a benefit in the aspect in cost with low toxicity. However, the inherent limit of Si has an indirect band gap of 1.1 eV resulting in the limited optical absorption. Therefore, a critical issue has been raised to increase the utilization of the incident light into the Si absorber. The enhancement of light absorption is a crucial to improve the performances and thus relieves the cost burden of Si photovoltaics. For the optical aspect, an efficient design of a front surface, where the incident light comes in, has been intensively investigated to improve the performance of photon absorption. Lambertian light trapping can be attained when the light active surface is ideally rough to increase the optical length by about 50 compared to a planar substrate. This suggests that an efficient design may reduce thickness of the Si absorber from the conventional 100~300 ${\mu}m$ to less than 3 ${\mu}m$. Theoretically, a hole-array structure satisfies an equivalent efficiency of c-Si with only one-twelfth mass and one-sixth thickness. Various approaches have been applied to improve the incident light utilization in a Si absorber using textured structures, periodic gratings, photonic crystals, and nanorod arrays. We have designed hole and pillar structured Si absorbers. Four-different Si absorbers have been simultaneously fabricated on an identical Si wafer with hole arrays or pillar arrays at a fixed depth of 2 ${\mu}m$. We have found that the significant enhanced solar cell performances both for the hole arrayed and pillar arrayed Si absorbers compared to that of a planar Si wafer resulting from the effective improvement in the quantum efficiencies.

• Information and Communications Magazine
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.77-89
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• 1994

High speed optical fiber transmission technology has been remarkably improved during the past 20 years. This paper presents recent research status and future technological issues for the future information society, that is, the Tb/s transmission by frequency division multiplexing and the ultra long-distance by optical soliton transmission. Erbium-doped fiber amplifier and recent optical technology have brought optical transmission system of up to 10 Gb/s to the point of commercialization. Taking into account the future super information highway, that is, B-ISDN network, ultra wide-band picture-based information can be provided for many subscribers via existing optical fiber cables. However, to achieve the high speed transmission, the technologies must be developed not only for transmission lines but also for transmission nodes. Since the conventional signal transmission/processing technique using electronics has the limit in its speed, novel photonic technology is being developed for this purpose. On the other hand, optical solitons propagate stably through optical fibers, without pulse broadening effect of the fiber dispersion. Since the pulse broadening effect becomes serious as the transmission speed increases, optical solitons is the important technologies to realize the high speed, long distance transmission.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.2178-2182
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• 2011

Recently, the synthesis of ordered macroporous materials has received much attention due to its potential use as photonic band gap materials.$^1$ In this study, we have used the three-dimensional (3D) latex array template impregnated with benzenesulfonic acid (BSA), which is capable of catalyzing the reaction using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as a precursor and distilled water. The polystyrene (PS) templates were reacted with TEOS in $scCO_2$ at 40 $^{\circ}C$ and at 80 bar. In the reactor, TEOS was filtrated into the PS particle lattice. After the reaction, porous silica materials were obtained by calcinations of the template. The stability test of the PS template in pure $CO_2$ was conducted before the main experiment. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed that the reaction in $scCO_2$ takes place only on the particle surface. This new method using $scCO_2$ has advantages over conventional sol-gel processes in its capability to control the fluid properties such as viscosity and interfacial tension. It has been found that the reaction in $scCO_2$ occurs only on the particle surface, making the proposed technique as more rapid and sustainable method of synthesizing inverse opal materials than conventional coating processes in the liquid phase and in the vapor phase.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.08a
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• pp.259-259
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• 2010

Periodically polarity inverted (PPI) ZnO structures on (0001) Al2O3 substrates are demonstrated by plasmas assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The patterning and re-growth methods are used to realize the PPI ZnO by employing the polarity controlling method. For the in-situ polarity controlling of ZnO films, Cr-compound buffer layers are used.[1, 2] The region with the CrN intermediate layer and the region with the Cr2O3 and Al2O3 substrate were used to grow the Zn- and O-polar ZnO films, respectively. The growth behaviors with anisotropic properties of PPI ZnO heterostructures are investigated. The periodical polarity inversion is evaluated by contrast images of piezo-response microscopy. Structural and optical interface properties of PPI ZnO are investigated by the transmission electron microcopy (TEM) and micro photoluminescence ($\mu$-PL). The inversion domain boundaries (IDBs) between the Zn and the O-polar ZnO regions were clearly observed by TEM. Moreover, the investigation of spatially resolved local photoluminescence characteristics of PPI ZnO revealed stronger excitonic emission at the interfacial region with the IDBs compared to the Zn-polar or the O-polar ZnO region. The possible mechanisms will be discussed with the consideration of the atomic configuration, carrier life time, and geometrical effects. The successful realization of PPI structures with nanometer scale period indicates the possibility for the application to the photonic band-gap structures or waveguide fabrication. The details of application and results will be discussed.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.40 no.8
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• pp.580-587
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• 2003

In this paper, we introduce a novel model to analyze the linearity of a TW-EAM (traveling-wave electroabsorption modulator). The device length, microwave loss (ML), and internal reflection (IR) due to impedance mismatch have effect on the linearity of a TW-EAM. The longer devices have characteristics of lower biases with minimum IMDS (intermodulation distortions). ML decreases the output power as well as the IMD value. Internal reflection has different nonlinear characteristics according to the wavelength of the input frequency and the device length. There is little change in SFDR (spurious-free dynamic range) due to ML or IR. As a result, for a 50 GHz band RF-optical communication system, a 0.8 mm-long TW-EAM with the lowest ML would have better properties by using n, which is caused by impedance, mismatch at the output port.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2008.06a
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• pp.241-241
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• 2008

Macrofore formation in silicon and other semiconductors using electrochemical etching processes has been, in the last years, a subject of great attention of both theory and practice. Its first reason of concern is new areas of macropore silicone applications arising from microelectromechanical systems processing (MEMS), membrane techniques, solar cells, sensors, photonic crystals, and new technologies like a silicon-on-nothing (SON) technology. Its formation mechanism with a rich variety of controllable microstructures and their many potential applications have been studied extensively recently. Porous silicon is formed by anodic etching of crystalline silicon in hydrofluoric acid. During the etching process holes are required to enable the dissolution of the silicon anode. For p-type silicon, holes are the majority charge carriers, therefore porous silicon can be formed under the action of a positive bias on the silicon anode. For n-type silicon, holes to dissolve silicon is supplied by illuminating n-type silicon with above-band-gap light which allows sufficient generation of holes. To make a desired three-dimensional nano- or micro-structures, pre-structuring the masked surface in KOH solution to form a periodic array of etch pits before electrochemical etching. Due to enhanced electric field, the holes are efficiently collected at the pore tips for etching. The depletion of holes in the space charge region prevents silicon dissolution at the sidewalls, enabling anisotropic etching for the trenches. This is correct theoretical explanation for n-type Si etching. However, there are a few experimental repors in p-type silicon, while a number of theoretical models have been worked out to explain experimental dependence observed. To perform ordered macrofore formaion for p-type silicon, various kinds of mask patterns to make initial KOH etch pits were used. In order to understand the roles played by the kinds of etching solution in the formation of pillar arrays, we have undertaken a systematic study of the solvent effects in mixtures of HF, N-dimethylformamide (DMF), iso-propanol, and mixtures of HF with water on the macrofore structure formation on monocrystalline p-type silicon with a resistivity varying between 10 ~ 0.01 $\Omega$ cm. The etching solution including the iso-propanol produced a best three dimensional pillar structures. The experimental results are discussed on the base of Lehmann's comprehensive model based on SCR width.