• Archives of Metallurgy and Materials
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• v.64 no.3
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• pp.907-911
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• 2019

Effects of various friction stir processing (FSP) variables on the microstructural evolution and microhardness of the AZ31 magnesium alloy were investigated. The processing variables include rotational and travelling speed of the tool, kind of second phase (i.e., diamond, Al₂O₃, and ZrO₂) and groove depth (i.e., volume fraction of second phase). Grain size, distribution of second phase particle, grain texture, and microhardness were analyzed as a function of the FSP process variables. The FSPed AZ31 composites fabricated with a high heat input condition showed the better dispersion of particle without macro defect. For all composite specimens, the grain size decreased and the microhardness increased regardless of the grooved depth compared with that of the FSPed AZ31 without strengthening particle, respectively. For the AZ31/diamond composite having a grain size of about 1 ㎛, microhardness (i.e., about 108 Hv) was about two times higher than that of the matrix alloy (i.e., about 52 Hv). The effect of second phase particle on retardation of grain growth and resulting hardness increase was discussed.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.91-96
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• 2021

The enhancement of thermoelectric figure of merit was achieved by the simple processes of sieving and high energy ball milling, respectively, which are enable to reduce the grain size of n-type Bi₂Te₃ thermoelectric materials. By optimizing the grain size, the electrical conductivities and thermal conductivities were controlled. In this study, spark plasma sintering was employed for hindering the grain growth during the sintering process. The thermoelectric figure of merit was measured to be 0.78 in the samples with 30 min high energy ball milling process. Notably, this value was 40 % higher than that of pristine Bi₂Te₃ sample. This result shows the properties of thermoelectric materials can be readily controlled by optimization of grain size via simple ball milling process.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.24 no.12
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• pp.969-976
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• 2011

In this study we aims to evaluate the effects of 1/3 mol% $Co_3O_4$ addition on the reaction, microstructure development, resultant electrical properties, and especially the bulk trap and grain boundary properties of $ZnO-Bi_2O_3-Sb_2O_3$ (Sb/Bi=2.0, 1.0, and 0.5) system (ZBS). The samples were prepared by conventional ceramic process, and characterized by XRD, density, SEM, I-V, impedance and modulus spectroscopy (IS & MS) measurement. In addition of $Co_3O_4$ in $ZnO-Bi_2O_3-Sb_2O_3$ (ZBSCo), the phase development, density, and microstructure were controlled by Sb/Bi ratio. Pyrochlore on cooling was reproduced in all systems. The more homogeneous microstructure was obtained in ZBSCo (Sb/Bi=1.0) system. In ZBSCo, the varistor characteristics were improved drastically (non-linear coefficient ${\alpha}$=23~50) compared to ZBS. Doping of $Co_3O_4$ to ZBS seemed to form $V^{\cdot}_o$(0.33 eV) as dominant defect. From IS & MS, especially the grain boundary of Sb/Bi=0.5 system is composed of electrically single barrier (0.93 eV) and somewhat sensitive to ambient oxygen with temperature.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.61-67
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• 2020

BiFeO₃ with perovskite structure is a well-known material that has both ferroelectric and antiferromagnetic properties called multiferroics. However, leaky electrical properties and difficulty of controlling stoichiometry due to Bi volatility and difficulty of obtaining high relative density due to high dependency on the ceramic process are issues for BiFeO₃ applications. In this work we investigated the sintering behavior of samples with different stoichiometries and sintering conditions. To understand the optimum sintering conditions, nonstoichiometric Bi_1±xFeO_3±δ ceramics and Ti-doped Bi_1.03Fe_1-4x/3Ti_xO₃ ceramics were synthesized by a conventional solid-state route. Dense single phase BiFeO₃ ceramics were successfully fabricated using a two-step sintering and quenching process. The effects of Bi volatility on microstructure were determined by Bi-excess and Ti doping. Bi-excess increased grain size, and Ti doping increased sintering temperature and decreased grain size. It should be noted that Ti-doping suppressed Bi volatility and stabilized the BiFeO₃ phase.

• Journal of Ceramic Processing Research
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.582-588
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• 2019

FeVSb1-xTex (0.02 ≤ x ≤ 0.10) half-Heusler alloys were fabricated by mechanical alloying process and subsequent vacuum hot pressing. Near single half-Heusler phases are formed in vacuum hot pressed samples but a second phase of FeSb2 couldn't be avoided. After doping, the lattice thermal conductivity in the system was shown to decrease with increasing Te concentration and with increasing temperature. The lowest thermal conductivity was achieved for FeVSb0.94Te0.06 sample at about 657 K. This considerable reduction of thermal conductivities is attributed to the increased phonon scattering enhanced by defect structure, which is formed by doping of Te at Sb site. The phonon scattering might also increase at grain boundaries due to the formation of fine grain structure. The Seebeck coefficient increased considerably as well, consequently optimizing the thermoelectric figure of merit to a peak value of ~0.24 for FeVSb0.94Te0.06. Thermoelectric properties of various Te concentrations were investigated in the temperature range of around 300~973 K.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.440-446
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• 2016

This study introduces the characteristics of current-voltage (I-V) and impedance variance for $ZnO-Zn_2BiVO_6-Co_3O_4$ (ZZCo), which is sintered at $900^{\circ}C$, according to temperature changes. ZZCo varistor demonstrates dramatic improvement of non-linear coefficient, ${\alpha}=66$, with lower leakage current and higher insulating resistivity than those of ZZ ($ZnO-Zn_2BiVO_6$) from the aspect of I-V curves. While both systems are thermally stable up to $125^{\circ}C$, ZZCo represents a higher grain boundary activation energy with 1.05 eV and 0.94 eV of J-E-T and from IS & MS, respectively, than that of ZZ with 0.73 eV and 0.82 eV of J-E-T and from IS & MS, respectively, in the region above $180^{\circ}C$. It could be attributed to the formation of $V^*_o$(0.41~0.47 eV) as dominant defect in two systems, as well as the defect-induced capacitance increase from 781 pF to 1 nF in accordance with increasing temperature. On the other hand, both the grain boundary capacitances of ZZ and ZZCo are shown to decrease to 357 pF and 349 pF, respectively, while the resistances systems decreased exponentially, in accordance with increasing temperature. So, this paper suggests that the application of newly formed liquid phases as sintering additives in both $Zn_2BiVO_6$ and the ZZCo-based varistors would be helpful in developing commercialized devices such as chips, disk-type ZnO varistors in the future.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.187-191
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• 2019

Perovskite-type oxides have consistently attracted considerable attention for their applications in high-temperature electrochemical devices, such as electrolytes and electrodes of solid oxide fuel cells, oxygen permeating membranes and sensors etc. Among them, the electrical conductivity of 10 % Sr and 10 % Mg doped $LaAlO_3$ (LSAM9191) was measured using impedance spectroscopy and 4-probe d.c. method. Below $550^{\circ}C$, the grain boundary resistance mostly determined the overall conductivity; however, it nearly disappeared above $800^{\circ}C$. Using the defect model and curve fitting, the ionic and electronic conductivity contributions were also separated. In the temperature region where the sample resistance is mostly determined by the grain volume property, LSAM9191 was an oxygen ion conductor at low $Po_2$ and a mixed conductor at high $Po_2$. With increasing temperature, the ionic conduction region only slightly increased. Thus, LSAM9191 is a promising material as an oxygen ion conductor at high temperature and in low $Po_2$.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.313-319
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• 2018

This study introduces a new investigation report on the microstructural and electrical property changes of $ZnO-Zn_2BiVO_6-Mn_3O_4$ (ZZMn), where 0.33 mol% of $Mn_3O_4$ and 0.5 mol% of $Zn_2BiVO_6$ were added to ZnO (99.17 mol%) as liquid phase sintering aids. $Zn_2BiVO_6$ contributes to the decrease of sintering temperatures by up to $800^{\circ}C$, and segregates its particles at the grain boundary, while $Mn_3O_4$ enhances ${\alpha}$, the nonlinear coefficient, of varistor properties up to ${\alpha}=62$. In comparison, when the sintering temperature is increased from $800^{\circ}C$ to $1,000^{\circ}C$, the resistivity of ZnO grains decreases from $0.34{\Omega}cm$ to $0.16{\Omega}cm$, and the varistor property degrades. Oxygen vacancy ($V_o^{\bullet}$) (P1, 0.33~0.36 eV) is formed as a dominant defect. Two different kinds of grain boundary activation energies of P2 (0.51~0.70 eV) and P3 (0.70~0.93 eV) are formed according to different sintering temperatures, which are tentatively attributed to be $ZnO/Zn_2BiVO_6$-rich interface and ZnO/ZnO interface, respectively. Accordingly, this study introduces a progressive method of manufacturing ZnO chip varistors by way of sintering ZZMn-based varistor under $900^{\circ}C$. However, to procure a higher reliability, an in-depth study on the multi-component varistors with double-layer grain boundaries should be executed.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.328-333
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• 2004

Transparent ZnO:Al conductor films for the optoelectronic devices were deposited by using the capacitively coupled DC magnetron sputtering method. The effect of Al doping concentration and discharge power on the electrical and optical properties of the films was studied. The film resistivity of $8.5${\times}$10^{-4}$ $\Omega$-cm was obtained at the discharge power of 40 W with the ZnO target doped with 2 wt% $Al_2$$_O3$. The transmittance of the 840 nm thick film was 91.7% in the visible waves. Increasing doping concentration of 3 wt% $Al_2$$O_3$ in ZnO target results in significant decrease of film resistivity, which may be due to the formation of $Al_2$$O_3$ particles in the as-deposited ZnO:Al film and the reduced ZnO grain sizes. Increasing DC power from 40 to 60 W increases deposition rate by more than 50%, but can induce high defect density in the film, resulting in higher film resistivity.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.675-681
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• 2012

We aimed to examine the co-doping effects of 1/6 mol% $Mn_3O_4$ and 1/4 mol% $Cr_2O_3$ (Mn:Cr = 1:1) on the reaction, microstructure, and electrical properties, such as the bulk defects and grain boundary properties, of ZnO-$Bi_2O_3-Sb_2O_3$ (ZBS; Sb/Bi = 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0) varistors. The sintering and electrical properties of Mn,Cr-doped ZBS, ZBS(MnCr) varistors were controlled using the Sb/Bi ratio. Pyrochlore ($Zn_2Bi_3Sb_3O_{14}$), ${\alpha}$-spinel ($Zn_7Sb_2O_{12}$), and ${\delta}-Bi_2O_3$ (also ${\beta}-Bi_2O_3$ at Sb/Bi ${\leq}$ 1.0) were detected for all of the systems. Mn and Cr are involved in the development of each phase. Pyrochlore was decomposed and promoted densification at lower temperature on heating in Sb/Bi = 1.0 system by Mn rather than Cr doping. A more homogeneous microstructure was obtained in all systems affected by ${\alpha}$-spinel. In ZBS(MnCr), the varistor characteristics were improved dramatically (non-linear coefficient, ${\alpha}$ = 40~78), and seemed to form ${V_o}^{\cdot}$(0.33 eV) as a dominant defect. From impedance and modulus spectroscopy, the grain boundaries can be seen to have divided into two types, i.e. one is tentatively assigned to ZnO/$Bi_2O_3$ (Mn,Cr)/ZnO (0.64~1.1 eV) and the other is assigned to the ZnO/ZnO (1.0~1.3 eV) homojunction.