• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.41 no.12 s.271
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• pp.900-906
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• 2004

Solid oxide fuel cells have a limitation in their low-temperature application due to the low ionic conductivity of electrolyte materials and difficulties in thin film formation on porous gas diffusion layer. These problems can be solved by improvement of ionic conductivity through controlled nanostructure of electrolyte and adopting nanoporous electrodes as substrates which have homogeneous submicron pore size and highly flattened surface. In this study, ultra-thin oxide films having submicron thickness without gas leakage are deposited on nanoporous substrates. By oxidation of metal thin films deposited onto nanoporous anodic alumina substrates with pore size of $20nm{\sim}200nm$ using dc-magnetron sputtering at room temperature, ultra-thin and dense ionic conducting oxide films with submicron thickness are realized. The specific material properties of the thin films including gas permeation, grain/gran boundaries formation, change of crystalline structure/microstructure by phase transition are investigated for optimization of ultra thin film deposition process.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.326-326
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• 2014

It has been known since the mid 1960s that Ag can be photodissolved in chalcogenide glasses to form materials with interesting technological properties. In the 40 years since, this effect has been used in diverse applications such as the fabrication of relief images in optical elements, micro photolithographic schemes, and for direct imaging by photoinduced Ag surface deposition. ReRAM, also known as conductive bridging RAM (CBRAM), is a resistive switching memory based on non-volatile formation and dissolution of a conductive filament in a solid electrolyte. Especially, Ag-doped chalcogenide glasses and thin films have become attractive materials for fundamental research of their structure, properties, and preparation. Ag-doped chalcogenide glasses have been used in the formation of solid electrolyte which is the active medium in ReRAM devices. In this paper, we investigated the nature of thin films formed by the photo-dissolution of Ag into Ge-Se glasses for use in ReRAM devices. These devices rely on ion transport in the film so produced to create electrically programmable resistance states [1-3]. We have demonstrated functionalities of Ag doped chalcogenide glasses based on their capabilities as solid electrolytes. Formation of such amorphous systems by the introduction of Ag+ ions photo-induced diffusion in thin chalcogenide films is considered. The influence of Ag+ ions is regarded in terms of diffusion kinetics and Ag saturation is related to the composition of the hosting material. Saturated Ag+ ions have been used in the formation of conductive filaments at the solid electrolyte which is the active medium in ReRAM devices. Following fabrication, the cell displays a metal-insulator-metal structure. We measured the I-V characteristics of a cell, similar results were obtained with different via sizes, due to the filamentary nature of resistance switching in ReRAM cell. As the voltage is swept from 0 V to a positive top electrode voltage, the device switches from a high resistive to a low resistive, or set. The low conducting, or reset, state can be restored by means of a negative voltage sweep where the switch-off of the device usually occurs.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.77-82
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• 2015

To increase the performance of solid oxide fuel cell operating at intermediate temperature ($600^{\circ}C{\sim}800^{\circ}C$), $Sm_{0.2}Ce_{0.8}O_2$ (SDC) thin layer was applied to the $La_{0.8}Sr_{0.2}Mn_{0.8}Cu_{0.2}O_3$ (LSMCu) cathode by sol-gel coating method. The SDC was employed as a diffusion barrier layer on the yttria-stabilized zirconia(YSZ) to prevent the interlayer by-product formation of $SrZrO_3$ or $La_2Zr_2O_7$. The by-products were hardly formed at the electrolyte-cathode interlayer resulting to reduce the cathode polarization resistance. Moreover, SDC thin film was coated on the cathode pore wall surface to extend the triple phase boundary (TPB) area.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.82-85
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• 2010

Recently, thin film processes for oxides and metal deposition, such as physical vapor deposition (PVD) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD), have been widely adapted to fabricate solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). In this paper, we presented two research area of the use of such techniques. Gadolinium doped ceria (GDC) showed high ionic conductivity and could guarantee operation at low temperature. But the electron conductivity at low oxygen partial pressure and the weak mechanical property have been significant problems. To solve these issues, we coated GDC electrolyte with a nano scale yittria-doped stabilized zirconium (YSZ) layer via atomic layer deposition (ALD). We expected that the thin YSZ layer could have functions of electron blocking and preventing ceria from the reduction atmosphere. Yittria-doped barium zirconium (BYZ) has several orders higher proton conductivity than oxide ion conductor as YSZ and also has relatively high chemical stability. The fabrication processes of BYZ is very sophisticated, especially the synthesis of thin-film BYZ. We discussed the detailed fabrication processes of BYZ as well as the deposition of electrode. This paper discusses possible cell structure and process flow to accommodate such films.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.480.1-480.1
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• 2014

In this study, we suggest the new emitter formation applied solid phase epitaxy (SPE) growth process using rapid thermal process (RTP). Preferentially, we describe the SPE growth of intrinsic a-Si thin film through RTP heat treatment by radio-frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RF-PECVD). Phase transition of intrinsic a-Si thin films were taken place under $600^{\circ}C$ for 5 min annealing condition measured by spectroscopic ellipsometer (SE) applied to effective medium approximation (EMA). We confirmed the SPE growth using high resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM) analysis. Similarly, phase transition of P doped a-Si thin films were arisen $700^{\circ}C$ for 1 min, however, crystallinity is lower than intrinsic a-Si thin films. It is referable to the interference of the dopant. Based on this, we fabricated 16.7% solar cell to apply emitter layer formed SPE growth of P doped a-Si thin films using RTP. We considered that is a relative short process time compare to make the phosphorus emitter such as diffusion using furnace. Also, it is causing process simplification that can be omitted phosphorus silicate glass (PSG) removal and edge isolation process.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.299-302
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• 2009

Oxygen ionic conductors of YSZ electrolyte in SOFC unit cell are applied to anode and cathode as well as electrolyte to have triple-phase-boundaries(TPB) of electrochemical reaction, and it is required to decrease the sintering temperature of anode-supported electrolyte by the nanoscale of YSZ powder.In this report, nanoscale YSZ powder was synthesized by the chemical co-precipitation method. The particle size, surface area and morphology of the powder were observed by SEM and BET. Thin film electrolyte of under 10㎛ was fabricated by tape casting using the synthesized YSZ powder, and ionic conductivity and gas permiability of electrolyte film were evaluated. Finally, the SOFC unit cell was fabricated using the anode-supported electrolyte prepared by a tape casting method and co-sintering. Electrochemical evauations of the SOFC unit cell, including measurements such as power density and impedance, were performed and analyzed.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.295-298
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• 2009

Oxygen ionic conductors of CeScSZ electrolyte in SOFC unit cell are applied to anode and cathode as well as electrolyte to have the triple-phase-boundaries of electrochemical reaction, and it is required to decrease the sintering temperature of anode-supported electrolyte by the nanoscale of CeScSZ electrolyte powder. In this report, nanoscale CeScSZ electrolyte powder was synthesized by chemical synthesis method. The particle size, surface area and morphology of the powder were observed by SEM and BET. Thin film electrolyte of under $10{\mu}m$ was fabricated by tape casting using the synthesized CeScSZ electrolyte powder, and ionic conductivity and gas permeability of electrolyte film were evaluated. Finally the SOFC unit cell was fabricated using the anode-supported electrolyte prepared by a tape casting method and co-sintering, in which the active layer, measuring $20{\mu}m$, was introduced in the anode layer to provide a more efficient reaction. Electrochemical evaluations of the SOFC unit cell, including measurements such as power density and impedance, were performed and analyzed.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.189-192
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• 2014

Yttria-stablized zirconia (YSZ) is the most commonly used electrolyte material, but the reduction in working temperature leads to insufficient ionic conductivity. Ceria based electrolytes (GDC) are more attractive in terms of conductivity at low temperature, but these materials are well known to be reducible at very low oxygen partial pressure. The reduction of electrolyte resistivity is necessary to overcome cell performance losses. So, thin YSZ/GDC bilayer technology seems suitable for decreasing the electrolyte resistance at lower operating temperatures. Bilayer electrolytes composed of a galdolinium-doped $CeO_2$ ($Ce_{0.9}Gd_{0.1}O_{1.95}$, GDC) layer and yttria-stabilized $ZrO_2$ (YSZ) layer with various thicknesses were deposited by RF sputtering and E-beam evaporation. The bilayer electrolytes were deposited between porous Ni-GDC anode and LSM cathode for anode-supported single cells. Thin film structure and surface morphology were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), using $CuK{\alpha}$-radiation in the range of 2ce morphol$^{\circ}C$. The XRD patterns exhibit a well-formed cubic fluorite structure, and sharp lines of XRD peaks can be observed, which indicate a single solid solution. The morphology and size of the prepared particles were investigated by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The performance of the cells was evaluated over $500{\sim}800^{\circ}C$, using humidified hydrogen as fuel, and air as oxidant.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.08a
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• pp.248-248
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• 2010

We have demonstrated new functionalities of Ag-doped chalcogenide glasses based on their capabilities as solid electrolytes. The influence of silver on the properties of the newly formed materials is regarded in terms of diffusion kinetics, and Ag saturation is related to the composition of the hosting material. Silver saturated in chalcogenide glass has been used in the formation of solid electrolyte, which is the active medium in the programmable metallization cell (PMC) device. In this paper, we investigated the optical properties of Ag-doped chalcogenide thin film by He-Ne laser beam exposure, which is concerned with the Ag-doping effect of PMCs before or after annealing. Chalcogenide bulk glass was fabricated by a conventional melt quenching technique. Amorphous chalcogenide and Ag thin films were prepared by e-beam evaporation at a deposition rate of about $4\;{\AA}/sec$. As a result of resistance change with laser beam exposure, the resistance abruptly dropped from the initial value of $1.4\;M{\Omega}$ to the saturated value of $400\;{\Omega}$.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2004.04b
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• pp.85-88
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• 2004

Mono-crystalline silicon(mono-Si) is both abundant in our environment and an excellent material for Si device applications. However, single crystalline silicon solar cell has been considered to be expensive for terrestrial applications. For that reason, the last few years have seen very rapid progress in the research and development activities of layer transfer(LT) processes. Thin film Si layers which can be detached from a reusable mono-Si wafers served as a substrate for epitaxial growth. The epitaxial films have a very high efficiency potential. LT technology is a promising approach to reduce fabrication cost with high efficiency at large scale since expensive Si substrate can be recycled. Low quality Si can be used as a substrate. Therefore, we propose one of the major technologies on fabricating thin film Si substrate using a LT. In this paper, we study the LT method using the electrochemical etching(ECE) and solid edge.