• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.24 no.12
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• pp.962-968
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• 2011

In this study, we investigated the effects of Mn dopant (0.1~3.0 at% $Mn_3O_4$ sintered at 1000$^{\circ}C$ for 1 h in air) on the bulk trap (i.e. defect) and grain boundary properties of ZnO, ZM(0.1~3.0) using admittance spectroscopy (AS), and impedance-modulus spectroscopy (IS & MS). As a result, three kinds of defect were found below the conduction band edge of ZnO as 0.09~0.14 eV (attractive coulombic center), 0.22~25 eV ($Zn^{{\cdot}{\cdot}}_i$), and 0.32~0.33 eV ($V^{\cdot}_o$). The oxygen vacancy increased with Mn doping. In ZM, an electrically single grain boundary as double Schottky barrier was formed with 0.82~1.0 eV of activation energies by IS & MS. We also find out that the barriers of grain boundary of Mn-doped ZnO (${\alpha}$-factor=0.13) were more stabilized and homogenized with temperature compared to pure ZnO.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.276-280
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• 2019

In this study, we investigated the crystal defects and grain boundary properties in a ZZCCC ($ZnO-Zn_2BiVO_6-Co_3O_4-Cr_2O_3-CaCO_3$) varistor, with the liquid-phase sintering aid $Zn_2BiVO_6$ developed by our laboratory. The ZZCCC varistor sintered at $1,200^{\circ}C$ exhibited excellent nonlinear current-voltage characteristics (${\alpha}=63$), with oxygen vacancy ($V_o^*$ ; 0.35 eV) as a main defect, and an apparent activation energy of 1.1 eV with an electrically single grain boundary. Therefore, among the various additives to improve the electrical properties of ZnO varistors, if $Zn_2BiVO_6$ is used as a liquid phase sintering aid, it will be ideal to use Co for the oxygen vacancy and Ca for the electrically single grain boundary. This will allow the good properties of ZnO varistors to be maintained up to high sintering temperatures.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.272-278
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• 2013

In this study, a c-axis displacement and an internal stress of the sapphire crystal of 300 mm length have been analyzed numerically and the crystal length having no sub-grain defects have been predicted. The hot zone structures were modified with the crucible geometry change and the additional insulation layer installed above the crucible. The simulation results show that the c-axis displacement difference between the original hot zone and others originated from the sub-grain defect formations in the sapphire ingot. When the crystal grown by CZ (Czochralski) grower using the modified hot zone, the crystal length having no sub-grain defects was increased about 57 mm maximum than the original one. When the simulation results compared with the experimental one, the predicted crystal length having no sub-grain defects were well corresponded with the experiment one in c-axis wafer of the 300 mm sapphire ingot. Therefore the sapphire crystal of 250 mm length having no sub-grain defects was successfully grown by CZ process.

• Electrical & Electronic Materials
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.640-647
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• 1995

In this study, the BaTiO$\sub$3/ capacitor add to MnO$\sub$2/ like depressor and shifter were investigated for temperature or voltage compensation by structural and electrical analysis. The relative density of BCTM, generating poly crystall and formation of lattice defect, has a 90[%] over as the CaTiO$\sub$3/ come out to control grain size. The current density of BCTM2 increased non-ohmic in high-electric field but that BCTM3 and BCTM4 had a few changing. The BCTM3 and BCTM4 unformated grain boundary shown temperature compensation properties, so that the dielectric constant was low value. The curie point was near 140[.deg. C] in BCTM1 and BCTM4, but BCTM3 and BCTM4 not shown the curie point. It is found that the charging energy of BCTM4 was changed 6[%] according to rising temperature from room temperature to 417[K]. The formation of BaMnO$\sub$3/ was low dielectric constant to change frequency and temperature.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.961-968
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• 2012

In this study, we have investigated the effects of Mn and Co co-doping on defects, J-E curves and grain boundary characteristics of ZnO-$Bi_2O_3$ (ZB) varistor. Admittance spectra and dielectric functions show two bulk defects of $Zn_i^{{\cdot}{\cdot}}$ (0.17~0.18 eV) and $V_o^{\cdot}$ (0.30~0.33 eV). From J-E characteristics the nonlinear coefficient (${\alpha}$) and resistivity (${\rho}_{gb}$) of pre-breakdown region decreased as 30 to 24 and 5.1 to 0.08 $G{\Omega}cm$ with sintering temperature, respectively. The double Schottky barrier of grain boundaries in ZB(MCo) ($ZnO-Bi_2O_3-Mn_3O_4-Co_3O_4$) could be electrochemically single type. However, its thermal stability was slightly disturbed by ambient oxygen because the apparent activation energy of grain boundaries was changed from 0.64 eV at lower temperature to 1.06 eV at higher temperature. It was revealed that a co-doping of Mn and Co in ZB reduced the heterogeneity of the barrier in grain boundaries and stabilized the barrier against an ambient temperature (${\alpha}$-factor= 0.136).

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.301-305
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• 2016

We investigate proton conduction in a nonstoichiometric ${\Sigma}3$ $BaZrO_3$ (210)[001] tilt grain boundary using density functional theory (DFT). We employ the space charge layer (SCL) and structural disorder (SD) models with the introduction of protons and oxygen vacancies into the system. The segregation energies of proton and oxygen vacancy are determined as -0.70 and -0.54 eV, respectively. Based on this data, we obtain a Schottky barrier height of 0.52 V and defect concentrations at 600K, in agreement with the reported experimental values. We calculate the energy barrier for proton migration across the grain boundary core as 0.61 eV, from which we derive proton mobility. We also obtain the proton conductivity from the knowledge of proton concentration and mobility. We find that the calculated conductivity of the nonstoichiometric grain boundary is similar to those of the stoichiometric ones in the literature.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.24 no.11
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• pp.882-889
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• 2011

In this study, we have investigated the effects of Co doping on I-V curves, bulk trap levels and grain boundary characteristics of ZnO-$Bi_2O_3$ (ZB) varistor. From I-V characteristics the nonlinear coefficient (a) and the grain boundary resistivity (${\rho}_{gb}$) decreased as 32${\rightarrow}$22 and 18.4${\rightarrow}0.6{\times}10^9{\Omega}cm$ with sintering temperature (900~1,300$^{\circ}C$), respectively. Admittance spectra and dielectric functions show two bulk traps of zinc interstitial, $Zn_i^{{\cdot}{\cdot}}$(0.16~0.18 eV) and oxygen vacancy, $V_o^{{\cdot}}$ (0.28~0.33 eV). The barrier of grain boundaries in ZBCo (ZnO-$Bi_2O_3-Co_3O_4$) could be electrochemically single type. However, its thermal stability was slightly disturbed by ambient oxygen because the apparent activation energy of grain boundaries was changed from 0.93 eV at the 460~580 K to 1.13 eV at the 620~700 K. It is revealed that Co dopant in ZB reduced the heterogeneity of the barrier in grain boundaries and stabilized the barrier against the ambient temperature.

• Journal of Ceramic Processing Research
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.59-62
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• 2019

Y2O3-MgO nanocomposites are promising materials for hypersonic infrared windows and domes due to their excellent midIR transmittance and mechanical properties. In this work, influence of SPS heating rate on the microstructure, IR transmittance, and mechanical properties of Y2O3-MgO nanocomposites was investigated. It was found that the average grain size decreases with a decreasing heating rate, which can be attributed to high defect concentration by rapid heating and deformation during densification. Also, the residual porosity decreases with a decreasing heating rate, which is ascribed to the enhancement of grain boundary diffusion by a large grain-boundary area (a small grain size). Consequently, high transmittance and hardness were attained by the low heating rate. On the other hand, the mechanical strength showed little difference with the heating rate change, which is somewhat different from the general knowledge on ceramics and will be discussed in this letter.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.368-373
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• 2010

In this study, we have investigated the effects of Cr dopant on the bulk trap levels and grain boundary characteristics of $Bi_2O_3$-based ZnO (ZB) varistor using admittance spectroscopy and dielectric functions (such as $Z^*,\;Y^*,\;M^*,\;{\varepsilon}^*$, and $tan{\delta}$). Admittance spectra show more than two bulk traps of $Zn_i$ and $V_o$ probably in different ionization states in ZnO-$Bi_2O_3-Cr_2O_3$ (ZBCr) system. Three kinds of temperature-dependant activation energies ($E_{bt}'s$) were calculated as 0.11~0.14 eV of attractive coulombic center, 0.16~0.17 eV of $Zn_{\ddot{i}}$, and 0.33 eV of $V_o^{\cdot}$ as dominant bulk defects. The grain boundaries of ZBCr could be electrochemically divided into two types as a sensitive to ambient oxygen i.e. electrically active one and an oxygen-insensitive i.e. electrically inactive one. The grain boundaries were electrically single type under 460 K (equivalent circuit as parallel $R_{gb1}C_{gb1}$) but separated as double one ($R_{gb1}C_{gb1}-R_{gb2}C_{gb2}$) over 480 K. It is revealed that the dielectric functions are very useful tool to separate the overlapped bulk defect levels and to characterize the electrical properties of grain boundaries.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.307-312
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• 2018

Liquid phases in ZnO varistors cause more complex phase development and microstructure, which makes the control of electrical properties and reliability more difficult. Therefore, we have investigated 2 mol% $CaCO_3$ doped $ZnO-Co_3O_4-Cr_2O_3-La_2O_3$ (ZCCLCa) bulk ceramics as one of the compositions without liquid phase sintering additive. The results were as follows: when $CaCO_3$ is added to ZCCLCa ($644{\Omega}cm$) acting as a simple ohmic resistor, CaO does not form a secondary phase with ZnO but is mostly distributed in the grain boundary and has excellent varistor characteristics (high nonlinear coefficient ${\alpha}=78$, low leakage current of $0.06{\mu}A/cm^2$, and high insulation resistance of $1{\times}10^{11}{\Omega}cm$). The main defects $Zn_i^{{\cdot}{\cdot}}$ (AS: 0.16 eV, IS & MS: 0.20 eV) and $V_o^{\bullet}$ (AS: 0.29 eV, IS & MS: 0.37 eV) were found, and the grain boundaries had 1.1 eV with electrically single grain boundary. The resistance of each defect and grain boundary decreases exponentially with increasing the measurement temperature. However, the capacitance (0.2 nF) of the grain boundary was ~1/10 lower than that of the two defects (~3.8 nF, ~2.2 nF) and showed a tendency to decrease as the measurement temperature increased. Therefore, ZCCLCa varistors have high sintering temperature of $1,200^{\circ}C$ due to lack of liquid phase additives, but excellent varistor characteristics are exhibited, which means ZCCLCa is a good candidate for realizing chip type or disc type commercial varistor products with excellent performance.