• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2018.06a
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• pp.125-125
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• 2018

반도체 소자의 미새화에 따라 선폭이 10nm 이하로 줄어듦에 따라, 금속 배선의 저항이 급격하게 상승하고 있다. Cu는 낮은 저항과 높은 전도도를 가지고 있어 현재 배선물질로써 가장 많이 사용되고 있지만, 소자가 미세화됨에 따라 Cu를 미래의 배선물질로써 계속 사용하기에는 몇 가지 문제점이 제기되고 있다. Cu는 electron mean free path (EMFP)가 39 nm로 긴 특성을 가지기 때문에, 선폭이 줄어듦에 따라 surface 및 grain boundary scattering이 증가하여 저항이 급격하게 증가한다. 또한, technology node에 따른 소자의 operating temperature와 current density의 증가로 인해 Cu의 reliability가 감소하게 된다. 텅스텐은 EMFP가 19 nm로 짧은 특성을 가지고 있어, 소자의 크기가 줄어듦에 따라 Cu보다 낮은 저항 특성을 가질 수 있으며, 녹는점이 3695K로 1357K인 Cu보다 높으므로 배선물질로써 Cu를 대체할 가능성이 있다. 본 연구에서는 Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) assisted magnetron sputtering을 통해 매우 얇은 텅스텐 박막을 증착하여 저항을 낮추고자 하였다. 고밀도 플라즈마의 방전을 위해, internal-type coil antenna를 사용하였으며 텅스텐 박막의 증착을 위해 DC sputter system이 사용되었다. 높은 에너지를 가진 텅스텐 이온을 이용하여 낮은 온도에서 고품위 박막을 증착할 수 있었으며, dense한 구조의 박막 성장이 가능하였다. ICP assisted를 이용하여 증착했을 때와, 그렇지 않을 때를 비교하여 ICP 조건에 따라서 박막의 저항이 감소함을 확인할 수 있었을 뿐만 아니라 최대 약 65% 감소함을 확인할 수 있었다. XRD를 이용하여 ICP power를 인가했을 때, 높은 저항을 갖는 A-15 구조를 가진 ${\beta}$ peak의 감소와 낮은 저항을 갖는 BCC 구조를 가진 ${\alpha}$ peak의 증가를 상온과 673K에서 증착한 박막 모두에서 확인하였으며, 이를 통해 ICP power가 저항 감소에 영향을 미친다는 것을 확인하였다. 또한, 두 온도 조건에서 grain size를 계산하여 ICP power를 인가함에 따라 두 조건 모두 grain size가 증가하였음을 조사하였다. 또한, XPS 분석을 통해 ICP power를 인가하였을 때 박막의 저항에 많은 영향을 끼치는 O peak이 감소하는 것을 통해 ICP assisted의 효과를 확인하였다. 이를 통해, ICP assisted magnetron sputtering을 통해 텅스텐 박막을 증착함으로써 차세대 배선물질로써 텅스텐의 가능성을 확인할 수 있었다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2006.06a
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• pp.450-450
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• 2006

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) as pixels for flat panel displays are being actively pursued because of their relatively simple structure, high brightness, and self-emitting nature [1, 2]. The top-emitting diode structure is preferred because of their geometrical advantage allowing high pixel resolution [3]. To enhance the performance of TOLEDs, it is important to deposit transparent top cathode films, such as transparent conducting oxides (TCOs), which have high transparency as well as low resistance. In this work, we report on investigation of the characteristics of an indium tin oxide (ITO) cathode electrode, which was deposited on organic films by using a radio-frequency magnetron sputtering method, for use in top-emitting organic light emitting diodes (TOLED). The cathode electrode composed of a very thin layer of Mg-Ag and an overlaying ITO film. The Mg-Ag reduces the contact resistivity and plasma damage to the underlying organic layer during the ITO sputtering process. Transfer length method (TLM) patterns were defined by the standard shadow mask for measuring specific contact resistances. The spacing between the TLM pads varied from 30 to $75\;{\mu}m$. The electrical properties of ITO as a function of the deposition and annealing conditions were investigated. The surface roughness as a function of the plasma conditions was determined by Atomic Force Microscopes (AFM).

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.98-103
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• 2004

The plasma properties in the facing target sputtering system during carbon nitride film deposition have been investigated. The ionized nitrogen species of the deposited films increased with increasing discharge current and were independent of the nitrogen pressure. The nitrogen content in the films did not vary significantly with the variation of nitrogen gas. The electron temperature was high close to that in the inter-cathode region, reduced as the electrons moved away from the most intense region of magnetic confinement and increased again outside this region. Calculations based on the film composition showed that the ion to carbon atom ratio at the substrate was about 50 and that the ratio between the ionized and neutral nitrogen molecules was about 0.25.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
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• 1999.11a
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• pp.891-894
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• 1999

ICP reactor produces high-density and high-uniformity plasma in large area, are has excellent characteristic of direction in the case of etching. Until now, many algorithms used one mesh method. These algorithms are not appropriate for sub 0.1 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ device technologies which should deal with each ion. These algorithms could not present exactly straggle and interaction between projectile ions and could not consider reflection effects due to interactions among next projectile ions, reflected ions and sputtering ions, simultaneously. And difficult consider am-bipolar drift effect.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.212-217
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• 2013

Ultra hard TiN coatings were fabricated by DC and ICP (inductively coupled plasma) magnetron sputtering techniques. The effects of ICP power, ranging from 0 to 300 W, on the coating microstructure, crystallographic, and mechanical properties were systematically investigated with FE-SEM, AFM, HR-XRD and nanoindentation. The results show that ICP power has a significant influence on the coating microstructure and mechanical properties of TiN coatings. With an increasing ICP power, the film microstructure evolves from an apparent columnar structure to a highly dense one. Grain sizes of TiN coatings decreased from 12.6 nm to 8.7 nm with an increase of the ICP power. A maximum nanohardness of 67.6 GPa was obtained for the coatings deposited at an ICP power of 300 W. The crystal structure and preferred orientation in the TiN coatings also varied with the ICP power, exerting an effective influence on film nanohardness.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.105-109
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• 2019

Plasmons have conductive properties using the effect of amplifying magnetic and electric fields around metal particles. The collective movement of free electrons in metal particles induces and produces the generation of plasmon. Because the plasmon is concentrated on the surface of the nanoparticles, it is also called the surface plasmon. The polarizing effect of plasma on the surface is similar to the principle of surface currents occurring in insulators. In this study, it was found the conditions under which plasma is produced in SiOC insulators and studied the electrical properties of SiOC insulators that are improved in conductivity by plasmons. Due to the heat treatment temperature of thin film, plasma formation was shown differently, metal particles were used with normal aluminium, SiOC thin films were treated with heat at 60 degrees, conductivity was improved dramatically, and heat treatment at higher temperatures was found to be less conductivity.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.73-77
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• 2021

In this study, we report on the effects of argon plasma treatment on Ag nanowires by varying the power and duration. Sheet resistance was found to be significantly reduced to 10 ohm/sq. relative to the value of 21 ohm/sq. for the pristine sample. Such a reduction was found to be associated with welded junctions between Ag nanowires, which results in enhanced current flow. With the optimized plasma treatment conditions, the maximum and average transmittance were 76.8% and 71%, respectively. Finally, we fabricated transparent heating devices based on the methodology, which exhibited superior heating capability.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.108-109
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• 2009

In this study we investigated the characteristics of GZOB thin film on $O_2$ plasma treated Polycarbonate substrate using DC magnetron sputtering method. In our experiments results, GZOB thin film on $O_2$ plasma treated Polycarbonate substrate showed low resistivity than As-grown GZOB thin film, and visible transmission of 85% with a thickness 400 nm. Compared with As-Grown the electrical properties of GZOB were relatively improved by $O_2$ plasma treated substrate. From these results, we could confirm the suitable GZOB thin films for transparent electrode.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.116-119
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• 2010

The etching characteristics of zinc oxide (ZnO) were investigated, including the etch rate and the selectivity of ZnO in a $Cl_2/BCl_3$/Ar plasma. It was found that the ZnO etch rate, the RF power, and the gas pressure showed non-monotonic behaviors with an increasing Cl2 fraction in the $Cl_2/BCl_3$/Ar plasma, a gas mixture of $Cl_2$(3 sccm)/$BCl_3$(16 sccm)/Ar (4 sccm) resulted in a maximum ZnO etch rate of 53 nm/min and a maximum etch selectivity of 0.89 for ZnO/$SiO_2$. We used atomic force microscopy to determine the roughness of the surface. Based on these data, the ion-assisted chemical reaction was proposed as the main etch mechanism for the plasmas. Due to the relatively low volatility of the by-products formed during etching with $Cl_2/BCl_3$/Ar plasma, ion bombardment and physical sputtering were required to obtain the high ZnO etch rate. The chemical states of the etched surfaces were investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). This data suggested that the ZnO etch mechanism was due to ion enhanced chemical etching.

• Journal of Surface Science and Engineering
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.183-187
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• 2005

The quaternary ZrCrAIN nanocomposite thin films are synthesized by Closed-Field Unbalanced Magnetron Sputtering (CFUBMS). Microstructure and mechanical properties of ZrCrAIN nanocomposite thin films are studied. Grain refinement of ZrCrAIN nanocomposite thin film is occurred by controlling $N_{2}$ partial pressure. Maximum hardness value according to the various $N_{2}$ partial pressures is obtained at 45 GPa. It is also conformed that critical value of the grain size (d) needs to achieve the maximum hardness.