• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2016.11a
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• pp.181-181
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• 2016

Hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (${\mu}c-Si:H$) films have attracted much attention as materials of the bottom-cells in Si thin film tandem photovoltaics due to their low bandgap and excellent stability against light soaking. However, in PECVD, the source gas $SiH_4$ must be highly diluted by $H_2$, which eventually results in low deposition rate. Moreover, it is known that high-rate ${\mu}c-Si:H$ growth is usually accompanied by a large number of dangling-bond (DB) defects in the resulting films, which act as recombination centers for photoexcited carriers, leading to a deterioration in the device performance. During film deposition, Si nanoparticles generated in $SiH_4$ discharges can be incorporated into films, and such incorporation may have effects on film properties depending on the size, structure, and volume fraction of nanoparticles incorporated into films. Here we report experimental results on the effects of nonoparticles incorporation at the different substrate temperature studied using a multi-hollow discharge plasma CVD method in which such incorporation can be significantly suppressed in upstream region by setting the gas flow velocity high enough to drive nanoparticles toward the downstream region. All experiments were performed with the multi-hollow discharge plasma CVD reactor at RT, 100, and $250^{\circ}C$, respectively. The gas flow rate ratio of $SiH_4$ to $H_2$ was 0.997. The total gas pressure P was kept at 2 Torr. The discharge frequency and power were 60 MHz, 180 W, respectively. Crystallinity Xc of resulting films was evaluated using Raman spectra. The defect densities of the films were measured with electron spin resonance (ESR). The defect density of fims deposited in the downstream region (with nonoparticles) is higher defect density than that in the upstream region (without nanoparticles) at low substrate temperature of RT and $100^{\circ}C$. This result indicates that nanoparticle incorporation can change considerably their film properties depending on the substrate temperature.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.39-44
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• 2015

$Cu(In,Ga)_3Se_5$ (${\beta}-CIGS$) has a band gap of 1.35 eV which is an optimum value for high solar-energy conversion efficiency. However, ${\beta}-CIGS$ film was not well characterized yet due to lower efficiency compared to $Cu(In,Ga)Se_2$ (${\alpha}-CIGS$). In this work, ${\beta}-CIGS$ films were fabricated by a three-stage co-evaporation of elemental sources with various Se fluxes. As the Se flux increased, the crystallinity of ${\beta}-CIGS$ phase was improved from the analysis of Raman spectroscopy and a deep-level defect was reduced from the analysis of photoluminescence spectroscopy. A Se treatment of the ${\beta}-CIGS$ film at $200^{\circ}C$ increased Ga content and decreased Cu content at the surface of the film. With the Se treatment at $200^{\circ}C$, the cell efficiency was greatly improved for the CIGS films prepared with low Se flux due to the increase of short-circuit current and fill factor. It was found that the main reason of performance improvement was lower Cu content at the surface instead of higher Ga content.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.5-12
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• 2000

As a semiconductor material for electronic devices operated under extreme environmental conditions, silicon carbides (SiCs) have been intensively studied because of their excellent electrical, thermal and other physical properties. The growth characteristics of single- crystalline 6H-SiC homoepitaxial layers grown by a thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) were investigated. Especially, the successful growth condition of 6H-SiC homoepitaxial layers using a SiC-uncoated graphite susceptor that utilized Mo-plates was obtained. The CVD growth was performed in an RF-induction heated atmospheric pressure chamber and carried out using off-oriented ($3.5^{\circ}$tilt) substrates from the (0001) basal plane in the <110> direction with the Si-face side of the wafer. In order to investigate the crystallinity of grown epilayers, Nomarski optical microscopy, transmittance spectra, Raman spectroscopy, XRD, Photoluninescence (PL) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were utilized. The best quality of 6H-SiC homoepitaxial layers was observed in conditions of growth temperature $1500^{\circ}C$ and C/Si flow ratio 2.0 of $C_3H_8$ 0.2 sccm & $SiH_4$ 0.3 sccm.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.531-539
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• 2019

The development of cost-effective electrocatalysts with high durability is one of the most important challenges for the commercialization of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). The durability of the electrocatalyst has been studied in terms of structural change in the active metal and the support. In particular, in fuel cell vehicles, degradation of the carbon-based support is known to have a significant effect on the electrocatalyst deterioration since the start-up/shut-down cycle is frequently repeated. The requirements for the support of the electrocatalyst include high surface area, electrical conductivity, chemical stability, and so on. In this study, we propose the evaluation methods for choosing better support materials and present the physicochemical properties that promising carbon supports should have. Three kinds of carbon materials with different crystallinity are compared. From in-depth study using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and accelerated stress test, it is clearly confirmed that the durability of carbon-supported electrocatalysts is closely related to the physicochemical properties of the carbon supports.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.02a
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• pp.80-80
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• 2010

Graphene has attracted tremendous attention for the last a few years due to it fascinating electrical, mechanical, and chemical properties. Up to now, several methods have been developed exclusively to prepare graphene, which include micromechanical cleavage, polycrystalline Ni employing chemical vapor deposition technique, solvent thermal reaction, thermal desorption of Si from SiC substrates, chemical routes via graphite intercalation compounds or graphite oxide. In particular, polycrystalline Ni foil and conventional chemical vapor deposition system have been widely used for synthesis of large-area graphene. [1-3] In this study, synthesis of mono-layer graphene on a Ni foil, the mixing ratio of hydrocarbon ($CH_4$) gas to hydrogen gas, microwave power, and growth time were systemically optimized. It is possible to synthesize a graphene at relatively lower temperature ($500^{\circ}C$) than those (${\sim}1000^{\circ}C$) of previous results. Also, we could control the number of graphene according to the growth conditions. The structural features such as surface morphology, crystallinity and number of layer were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and resonant Raman spectroscopy with 514 nm excitation wavelength. We believe that our approach for the synthesis of mono-layer graphene may be potentially useful for the development of many electronic devices.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.243-248
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• 2018

All solid state thin film batteries with two types of cell structure, Pt / $LiCoO_2$ / LiPON / Cu and Pt / $LiCoO_2$ / LiPON / $LiCoO_2$ / Cu, are prepared and their electrochemical performances are investigated to evaluate the effect of $LiCoO_2$ interlayer at the interface of LiPON / Cu. The crystallinity of the deposited $LiCoO_2$ thin films is confirmed by XRD and Raman analysis. The crystalline $LiCoO_2$ cathode thin film is obtained and $LiCoO_2$ as the interlayer appears to be amorphous. The surface morphology of Cu current collector after cycling of the batteries is observed by AFM. The presence of a 10 nm-thick layer of $LiCoO_2$ at the interface of LiPON / Cu enhances the interfacial adhesion and reduces the interfacial resistance. As a result, Li plating / stripping at the interface of LiPON / Cu during charge/discharge reaction takes place more uniformly on Cu current collector, while without the interlayer of $LiCoO_2$ at the interface of LiPON / Cu, the Li plating / stripping is localized on current collector. The thin film batteries with the interlayer of $LiCoO_2$ at the interface of LiPON / Cu exhibits enhanced initial coulombic efficiency, reversible capacity and cycling stability. The thickness of the anode current collector Cu also appears to be crucial for electrochemical performances of all solid state thin film batteries.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.412-412
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• 2009

Carbon-based nano materials have a significant effect on various fields such as physics, chemistry and material science. Therefore carbon nano materials have been investigated by many scientists and engineers. Especially, since graphene, 2-dimemsonal carbon nanostructure, was experimentally discovered graphene has been tremendously attracted by both theoretical and experimental groups due to their extraordinary electrical, chemical and mechanical properties. Electrical conductivity of graphene is about ten times to that of silicon-based material and independent of temperature. At the same time silicon-based semiconductors encountered to limitation in size reduction, graphene is a strong candidate substituting for silicon-based semiconductor. But there are many limitations on fabricating large-scale graphene sheets (GS) without any defect and controlling chirality of edges. Many scientists applied micromechanical cleavage method from graphite and a SiC decomposition method to the fabrication of GS. However these methods are on the basic stage and have many drawbacks. Thereupon, our group fabricated GS through Thermo-electrical Pulse Induced Evaporation (TPIE) motivated by arc-discharge and field ion microscopy. This method is based on interaction of electrical pulse evaporation and thermal evaporation and is useful to produce not only graphene but also various carbon-based nanostructures with feeble pulse and at low temperature. On fabricating GS procedure, we could recognize distinguishable conditions (electrical pulse, temperature, etc.) to form a variety of carbon nanostructures. In this presentation, we will show the structural properties of OS by synthesized TPIE. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Optical Microscopy (OM) observations were performed to view structural characteristics such as crystallinity. Moreover, we confirmed number of layers of GS by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Raman spectroscopy. Also, we used a probe station, in order to measure the electrical properties such as sheet resistance, resistivity, mobility of OS. We believe our method (TPIE) is a powerful bottom-up approach to synthesize and modify carbon-based nanostructures.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.08a
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• pp.154-155
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• 2012

The promise of nano-crystalites (nc) as a technological material, for applications including display backplane, and solar cells, may ultimately depend on tailoring their behavior through doping and crystallinity. Impurities can strongly modify electronic and optical properties of bulk and nc semiconductors. Highly doped dopant also effect structural properties (both grain size, crystal fraction) of nc-Si thin film. As discussed in several literatures, P atoms or radicals have the tendency to reside on the surface of nc. The P-radical segregation on the nano-grain surfaces that called self-purification may reduce the possibility of new nucleation because of the five-coordination of P. In addition, the P doping levels of ${\sim}2{\times}10^{21}\;at/cm^3$ is the solubility limitation of P in Si; the solubility of nc thin film should be smaller. Therefore, the non-activated P tends to segregate on the grain boundaries and the surface of nc. These mechanisms could prevent new nucleation on the existing grain surface. Therefore, most researches shown that highly doped nc-thin film by using conventional PECVD deposition system tended to have low crystallinity, where the formation energy of nucleation should be higher than the nc surface in the intrinsic materials. If the deposition technology that can make highly doped and simultaneously highly crystallized nc at low temperature, it can lead processes of next generation flexible devices. Recently, we are developing a novel CVD technology with a neutral particle beam (NPB) source, named as neutral beam assisted CVD (NBaCVD), which controls the energy of incident neutral particles in the range of 1~300eV in order to enhance the atomic activation and crystalline of thin films at low temperatures. During the formation of the nc-/pm-Si thin films by the NBaCVD with various process conditions, NPB energy directly controlled by the reflector bias and effectively increased crystal fraction (~80%) by uniformly distributed nc grains with 3~10 nm size. In the case of phosphorous doped Si thin films, the doping efficiency also increased as increasing the reflector bias (i.e. increasing NPB energy). At 330V of reflector bias, activation energy of the doped nc-Si thin film reduced as low as 0.001 eV. This means dopants are fully occupied as substitutional site, even though the Si thin film has nano-sized grain structure. And activated dopant concentration is recorded as high as up to 1020 #/$cm^3$ at very low process temperature (＜ $80^{\circ}C$) process without any post annealing. Theoretical solubility for the higher dopant concentration in Si thin film for order of 1020 #/$cm^3$ can be done only high temperature process or post annealing over $650^{\circ}C$. In general, as decreasing the grain size, the dopant binding energy increases as ratio of 1 of diameter of grain and the dopant hardly be activated. The highly doped nc-Si thin film by low-temperature NBaCVD process had smaller average grain size under 10 nm (measured by GIWAXS, GISAXS and TEM analysis), but achieved very higher activation of phosphorous dopant; NB energy sufficiently transports its energy to doping and crystallization even though without supplying additional thermal energy. TEM image shows that incubation layer does not formed between nc-Si film and SiO2 under later and highly crystallized nc-Si film is constructed with uniformly distributed nano-grains in polymorphous tissues. The nucleation should be start at the first layer on the SiO2 later, but it hardly growth to be cone-shaped micro-size grains. The nc-grain evenly embedded pm-Si thin film can be formatted by competition of the nucleation and the crystal growing, which depend on the NPB energies. In the evaluation of the light soaking degradation of photoconductivity, while conventional intrinsic and n-type doped a-Si thin films appeared typical degradation of photoconductivity, all of the nc-Si thin films processed by the NBaCVD show only a few % of degradation of it. From FTIR and RAMAN spectra, the energetic hydrogen NB atoms passivate nano-grain boundaries during the NBaCVD process because of the high diffusivity and chemical potential of hydrogen atoms.