• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.168-173
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• 2014

The paper presents the comparative results of TiAlN coatings deposited by DC and pulsed DC asymmetric bipolar magnetron sputtering systems. The results show that, with the decreasing duty cycle and increasing pulse frequency, the coating morphology changes from a columnar to a dense structure, with finer grains. Pulsed sputtered TiAlN coatings showed higher hardness, higher residual stress, and smaller grain sizes than dc prepared TiAlN coatings. Moreover residual stress of pulsed sputtered TiAlN coatings increased on increasing pulse frequency. Meanwhile, the surface roughness decreased continuously with increasing pulsed DC frequency up to 50 kHz.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.136-141
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• 2015

The paper presents the comparative results of NbN coatings deposited by DC and pulsed DC asymmetric bipolar magnetron sputtering systems. The results show that, with the decreasing duty cycle and increasing pulse frequency, the coating morphology changes from a columnar to a dense structure, with finer grains. The Pulsed sputtered NbN coatings showed higher hardness, higher residual stress, and smaller grain sizes than those of DC prepared NbN coatings. Moreover residual stress of pulsed sputtered NbN coatings increased on increasing pulse frequency. Meanwhile, the surface roughness decreased continuously with increasing pulsed DC frequency up to 50 kHz.

• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.339-346
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• 2015

Aerodynamic flow control phenomena were investigated with a low-current DC surface discharge plasma actuator. The plasma actuator was found to operate in three different discharge modes with similar discharge currents of about 1 mA or less. Stable continuous DC discharge without audible noise was obtained at higher ballast resistances and lower discharge currents. However, even with continuous DC power input, a low-frequency self-pulsed discharge was obtained at lower ballast resistances, and a high-frequency self-pulsed discharge was obtained at higher set-point currents and higher ballast resistances, both with audible noise. The Schlieren image reveals that the low-frequency self-pulsed mode produces a synthetic jet-like flow implying that a gas heating effect plays a role, even though the discharge current is small. The high-frequency self-pulsed mode produces pulsed jets in a tangent direction, and the continuous DC mode produces a steady straight pressure wave. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) images reveal that the induced flow field by the low-frequency self-pulsed mode has flow propagating in the radial direction and centered between the electrodes. The high-frequency self-pulsed mode and continuous DC mode produce flow from the anode to the cathode. The perturbed region downstream of the cathode is larger in the high-frequency self-pulsed mode with similar maximum speeds.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.86-92
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• 2014

The purpose of this comparative study was to investigate the properties of chromium nitride coatings deposited by asymmetric bipolar pulsed DC sputtering and DC sputtering system. Oscilloscope traces of the I-V waveforms indicate high power and high current density outputs during the asymmetric bipolar pulsed mode. The grain size decreases with decreasing duty cycle. The duty cycle has a strong influence not only on the microstructural properties but also on the mechanical properties of chromium nitride coatings. Comparing with the continuous DC sputtering, the chromium nitride coatings prepared by pulsed DC asymmetric bipolar process also exhibit better surface roughness.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.139-139
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• 2011

DC magnetron sputtering과 DC pulsed magnetron sputtering을 이용하여 공정 압력별, $O_2$ 분압별, 온도등의 증착조건에 따른 IGZO 박막의 특성을 조사하였다. Working pressure 따른 deposition rate 측정한 결과 동일 파워 적용 시 DC magnetron sputtering 대비하여 DC pulsed magnetron sputtering 은 약 84% 수준에 머물렀으며, IGZO 박막 내에 $O_2$의 분압비가 증가함에 따라 투과도는 단파장 영역에서 장파장 영역으로 갈수록 상승 경향을 보였다. 캐리어 농도와 이동도 등 전기적 특성도 증가하는 경향을 보였다. 온도에 따른 전기적 특성을 비교 해 본 결과 상온과 $150^{\circ}C$ 영역에서는 유의차가 없었으며, DC pulsed magnetron sputtering의 경우 $50^{\circ}C$ 영역에서 변곡점이 형성됨을 알수 있었다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.02a
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• pp.236-236
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• 2011

본 연구 축전 결합형 고주파 플라즈마(CCP) 식각장비에 펄스 직류(Pulse DC) 전원을 인가하여 오실로스코프(oscilloscope)를 분석하여 전기적 특성을 평가하는 것이다. 펄스 직류전원 플라즈마 시스템에서는 다양한 변수를 이해하여야 한다. 본 실험에서 사용한 공정 변수는 Pulsed DC Voltage 300~500 V, Pulsed DC reverse time $0.5{\sim}2.0{\mu}s$, Pulsed DC Frequency 100~250 kHz 이었다. 실험 결과를 정리하면 1) Pulsed DC Voltage 가 증가할수록 Input voltage의 최대값은 336~520 V, 최소값은 -544~-920 V로 변하여 피크 투 피크 (peak to peak)값은 880~1460 V로 증가였다. Input current 또한 최대값은 1.88~2.88 A, 최소값은 -0.84~-1.28 A로 변하여 피크 투피크 값은 2.88~4.24 A로 증가하였다. 이는 척에 인가되는 전류와 파워의 증가를 의미한다. 2) Pulsed DC reverse time이 증가하면 Input voltage와 Input current값이 증가했다 (Input voltage의 피크 투 피크 값은 1200~1440 V, Input current의 피크 투 피크 값은 3.56~4.56 A). 3) Pulsed DC frequency가 증가하면 주기가 짧아져 Input voltage와 Input current값이 증가 한다 (Input voltage의 피크 투 피크 값은 900~1320 V, Input current의 피크 투 피크 값은 2.36~3.64 A). 결론적으로 펄스 직류 플라즈마의 다양한 전기적 변수들은 반응기 내부에 인가되는 Input voltage와 Input current의 값에 큰 영향을 준다는 것을 알 수 있었다.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.179-184
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• 2011

This work investigated the effect of duty cycle and pulse frequency on the microstructures and properties of titanium nitride thin films deposited by asymmetric bipolar pulsed DC sputtering system. Oscilloscope traces of the I-V waveforms indicate high power and high current density outputs during the asymmetric bipolar pulsed mode. The grain size decreases with decreasing duty cycle. The duty cycle has a strong influence not only on the microstructural properties but also on the mechanical properties of titanium nitride films. Comparing with the continuous DC sputtering, the titanium nitride films prepared by pulsed DC asymmetric bipolar process exhibit better properties.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.33-37
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• 2017

Single phase niobium nitride (NbN) coatings were deposited using asymmetric bipolar pulsed dc sputtering by varying pulse frequency and duty cycle of pulsed plasmas. Crystal structure, microstructure, morphology and mechanical properties were examined using XRD, FE-SEM, AFM and nanoindentation. Upon increasing pulse frequencies and decreasing duty cycles, the coating morphology was changed from a pyramidal-shaped columnar structure to a round-shaped dense structure with finer grains. Asymmetric bipolar pulsed dc sputtered NbN coatings deposited at pulse frequency of 25 kHz is characterized by higher hardness up to 17.4 GPa, elastic modulus up to 193.9 GPa, residual compressive stress and a smaller grain size down to 27.5 nm compared with dc sputtered NbN coatings at pulse frequency of 0 kHz. The results suggest that the asymmetric bipolar pulsed dc sputtering technique is very beneficial to reactive deposition of transition-metal nitrides such as NbN coatings.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.461-466
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• 2016

Nanocrystalline vanadium nitride (VN) coatings were deposited using asymmetric bipolar pulsed dc sputtering to further understand the influence of the pulsed plasmas on the crystal structure, microstructure and mechanical properties. Properties of VN coatings were investigated with FE-SEM, XRD and nanoindentation. The results show that, with the increasing pulse frequency and decreasing duty cycle, the coating morphology changed from a porous columnar to a dense structure, with finer grains. Asymmetric bipolar pulsed dc sputtered VN coatings showed higher hardness, elastic modulus and residual compressive stress than dc sputtered VN coatings. The results suggest that asymmetric bipolar pulsed dc sputtering technique is very beneficial for the reactive sputtering deposition of VN coatings.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.08a
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• pp.123.1-123.1
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• 2013

반도체 공정에서는 사용하는 power source의 형태는 pulse-DC이다. Pulse-DC는 DC power에 비해 증착율이 좋고, 박막의 특성도 우수한 특성을 가진다. 이러한 장점에도 불구하고 pulse-DC나 DC power는 플라즈마 내 이온이 가지는 에너지가 크고, 이온화율도 낮다. 이러한 단점을 극복하기 위해 등장한 power source가 modulated pulsed power이다. Modulated pulsed power는 이온이 가지는 에너지가 DC power의 1/2 수준이며, 이온화율은 4배 이상 높은 특징을 가진다. 본 연구에서는 modulated pulsed power를 사용하여 Cr 박막을 Si wafer 위에 증착하여 박막의 특성을 관찰하였다. 연구에 사용된 power는 5 kV (800 V, 12.5 A), 20~120 KHz, 3 step까지 설정이 가능한 장비이며, base pressure $1.5{\times}10^{-6}$ Torr에서 실험이 진행되었고, 실험에 사용된 불활성 기체는 Ar을 사용하였다.