• Solar Energy
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.3-11
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• 1997

Because grain boundaries in polycrystalline silicon act as potential barriers and recombination centers for the photo-generated charge carriers, these defects degrade conversion effiency of solar cell. To reduce these effects of grain boundaries, we investigated various influencing factors such as thermal treatment, various grid pattern, selective wet etching for grain boundaries, buried contact metallization along grain boundaries, grid on metallic thin film. Pretreatment above $900^{\circ}C$ in $N_2$ atmosphere, gettering by $POCl_3$ and Al treatment for back surface field contributed to obtain a high quality poly-Si. To prevent carrier losses at the grain boundaries, we carried out surface treatment using Schimmel etchant. This etchant delineated grain boundaries of $10{\mu}m$ depth as well as surface texturing effect. A metal AI diffusion into grain boundaries on rear side reduced back surface recombination effects at grain boundaries. A combination of fine grid with finger spacing of 0.4mm and buried electrode along grain boundaries improved short circuit current density of solar cell. A ultra-thin Chromium layer of 20nm with transmittance of 80% reduced series resistance. This paper focused on the grain boundary effect for terrestrial applications of solar cells with low cost, large area, and high efficiency.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.02a
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• pp.44-45
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• 2010

We are currently conducting studies on culturing and biocompatibility assessment of various cells such as neural stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells(IPS cells) on carbon nanotube (CNT), on nerve regeneration electrodes, and on silicon wafers with a focus on developing nerve integrated CNT based bio devices for interfacing with living organisms, in order to develop brain-machine interfaces (BMI). In addition, we are carried out the chemical modification of carbon nanotube (mainly SWCNTs)-based bio-nanosensors by the plasma ion irradiation (plasma activation) method, and provide a characteristic evaluation of a bio-nanosensor using bovine serum albumin (BSA)/anti-BSA binding and oligonucleotide hybridization. On the other hand, the researches in the case of "novel plasma" have been widely conducted in the fields of chemistry, solid physics, and nanomaterial science. From the above-mentioned background, we are conducting basic experiments on direct irradiation of body tissues and cells using a micro-spot atmospheric pressure plasma source. The device is a coaxial structure having a tungsten wire installed inside a glass capillary, and a grounded ring electrode wrapped on the outside. The conditions of plasma generation are as follows: applied voltage: 5-9 kV, frequency: 1-3 kHz, helium (He) gas flow: 1-1.5 L/min, and plasma irradiation time: 1-300 sec. The experiment was conducted by preparing a culture medium containing mouse fibroblasts (NIH3T3) on a culture dish. A culture dish irradiated with plasma was introduced into a $CO_2$-incubator. The small animals used in the experiment involving plasma irradiation into living tissue were rat, rabbit, and pick and are deeply anesthetized with the gas anesthesia. According to the dependency of cell numbers against the plasma irradiation time, when only He gas was flowed, the growth of cells was inhibited as the floatation of cells caused by gas agitation inside the culture was promoted. On the other hand, there was no floatation of cells and healthy growth was observed when plasma was irradiated. Furthermore, in an experiment testing the effects of plasma irradiation on rats that were artificially given burn wounds, no evidence of electric shock injuries was found in the irradiated areas. In fact, the observed evidence of healing and improvements of the burn wounds suggested the presence of healing effects due to the growth factors in the tissues. Therefore, it appears that the interaction due to ion/radicalcollisions causes a substantial effect on the proliferation of growth factors such as epidermal growth factor (EGF), nerve growth factor (NGF), and transforming growth factor (TGF) that are present in the cells.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.63-68
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• 2009

Purpose: TiN films were deposited on sus304 by unbalanced magnetron sputtering system which was designed and developed as unbalancing the strength of the magnets in the magnetron electrode. The effect of oxygen incorporation in the fabrication of deposited films was investigated. Methods: The cross sections of deposited films on Silicon wafer were observed by SEM to measure the thickness of the films, the components of the surface of the films were identified by XPS survey spectra, the compositional depth-profile of deposited films was examined by an XPS apparatus. Results: From the data of XPS depth profile of films, it could be seen that the element O as well as the elements Ti and N present in the surface of the film and the relative percentage of the element O was constant at 65 at.% with respect to the depth of film. Conclusions: The color change with thickness of the films had something to do with the change of Ti $ 2p_{3/2}$ peak intensity and shape mixed of $ TiO_2$, TiN, $ TiO_{x}N_{y}$ compound.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.57-62
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• 2009

Purpose: TiN films were deposited on sus304 by unbalanced magnetron sputtering system which was designed and developed as unbalancing the strength of the magnets in the magnetron electrode. The color and hardness of deposited TiN films was investigated. Methods: The cross sections of deposited films on silicon wafer were observed by SEM to measure the thickness of the films, the components of the surface of the films were identified by XPS, the components of the inner parts of the films were observed by XPS depth profiling. XPS high resolution scans and curve fittings of deposited films were performed for quantitative chemical analysis, Vickers micro hardness measurements of deposited films were performed with a nano indenter equipment. Results: The colors of deposited films gradually changed from light gold to dark gold, light violet, and indigo color with increasing of the thickness. It could be seen that the color change come from the composite change of three compound,$TiO_{x}N_{y}$, $TiO_2$, TiN. Especially, the composite change of$TiO_{x}N_{y}$ compound was thought to affect the color change with respect to thickness. Conclusions: Deposited films had lower than the value of general TiN film in Vickers hardness, which was caused by mixing three TiN, $TiO_2$,$TiO_{x}N_{y}$ compound in the deposited films. The increasing and decreasing of micro hardness with respect to thickness was thought to have something to do with the composite of TiN in the films.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.17-24
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• 2021

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) can be fabricated through solution process economically with variable bandgap that is controlled by composition of precursor solution. Tandem cells in which PSCs combined with silicon solar cells have potential to reach high power conversion efficiency over 30%, however, lack of long-term stability of PSCs is an obstacle to commercialization. Degradation of PSCs is mainly attributed to the mass transport of halide and metal electrode materials. In order to ensure the long-term stability, the mass transport should be inhibited. In this study, we confirmed degradation behaviors due to the mass transport in PSCs and designed buffer layers with LiF and/or SnO₂ to improve the long-term stability by suppressing the mass transport. Under high-temperature storage test at 85℃, PSCs without the buffer layers were degraded by forming PbI₂, AgI, and the delta phase of the perovskite material, while PSCs with the buffer layers showed improved stability with keeping the original phase of the perovskite. When the LiF buffer and encapsulation were applied to PSCs, superior long-term stability on 85℃-85% RH dump heat test was achieved; efficiency drop was not observed after 200 h. It was also confirmed that 90.6% of the initial efficiency was maintained after 200 hours of maximum power tracking test under AM 1.5G-1SUN illumination. Here, we have demonstrated that the buffer layer is essential to achieve long-term stability of PSCs.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.342-351
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• 2010

The SiC-$ZrB_2$ composites were fabricated by combining 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 vol. % of zirconium diboride ($ZrB_2$) powders with silicon carbide (SiC) matrix. The SiC-$ZrB_2$ composites and the sintered compacts were produced through spark plasma sintering (SPS) under argon atmosphere, and its physical, electrical, and mechanical properties were examined. Also, the thermal image analysis of the SiC-$ZrB_2$ composites was examined. Reactions between $\beta$-SiC and $ZrB_2$ were not observed via x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The apparent porosity of the SiC+30vol.%$ZrB_2$, SiC+35vol.%$ZrB_2$, SiC+40vol.%$ZrB_2$, SiC+45vol.%$ZrB_2$ and SiC+50vol.%$ZrB_2$ composites were 7.2546, 0.8920, 0.6038, 1.0981, and 10.0108%, respectively. The XRD phase analysis of the sintered compacts demonstrated a high phase of SiC and $ZrB_2$. Among the $SiC+ZrB_2$ composites, the SiC+50vol.%$ZrB_2$ composite had the lowest flexural strength, 290.54MPa, the other composites had more than 980MPa flexural strength except the SiC+30vol.%$ZrB_2$ composite; the SiC+40vol.%$ZrB_2$ composite had the highest flexural strength, 1011.34MPa, at room temperature. The electrical properties of the SiC-$ZrB_2$ composites had positive temperature coefficient resistance (PTCR). The V-I characteristics of the SiC-$ZrB_2$ composites had a linear shape in the temperature range from room to $500^{\circ}C$. The electrical resistivities of the SiC+30vol.%$ZrB_2$, SiC+35vol.%$ZrB_2$, SiC+40vol.%$ZrB_2$ SiC+45vol.%$ZrB_2$ and SiC+50vol.%$ZrB_2$ composites were $4.573\times10^{-3}$, $1.554\times10^{-3}$, $9.365\times10^{-4}$, $6.999\times10^{-4}$, and $6.069\times10^{-4}\Omega{\cdot}cm$, respectively, at room temperature, and their resistance temperature coefficients were $1.896\times10^{-3}$, $3.064\times10^{-3}$, $3.169\times10^{-3}$, $3.097\times10^{-3}$, and $3.418\times10^{-3}/^{\circ}C$ in the temperature range from room to $500^{\circ}C$, respectively. Therefore, it is considered that among the sintered compacts the SiC+35vol.%$ZrB_2$, SiC+40vol.%$ZrB_2$ and SiC+45vol.%$ZrB_2$ composites containing the most outstanding mechanical properties as well as PTCR and V-I characteristics can be used as an energy friendly ceramic heater or ohmic-contact electrode material through SPS.