• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제33권6호
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• pp.1989-1992
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• 2012

We present a low temperature (${\approx}70^{\circ}C$) method to prepare anatase, vertically aligned feather-like $TiO_2$ (VAFT) nanowire arrays $via$ reactive pulsed DC magnetron sputtering. The synthesis method is general, offering a promising strategy for preparing crystalline nanowire metal oxide films for applications including gas sensing, photocatalysis, and 3rd generation photovoltaics. As an example application, anatase nanowire films are grown on fluorine doped tin oxide coated glass substrates and used as the photoanode in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). AM1.5G power conversion efficiencies for the solar cells made of 1 ${\mu}m$ thick VAFT have reached 0.42%, which compares favorably to solar cells made of the same thickness P25 $TiO_2$ (0.35%).

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• 제30권8호
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• pp.474-478
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• 2017

We report on thin-film transistors based on $TiO_x$ pre-annealed by femtosecond laser pulses. A 30-nm thick $TiO_x$ active channel layer was initially deposited by an ALD system. The $TiO_x$ semiconducting films were annealed by irradiation with a femtosecond laser (power: $3W/cm^2$) for 5, 25, and 50s. Atomic force microscopy images revealed that the surface of a $TiO_x$ film without femtosecond laser pre-annealing was relatively rough, while after annealing with femtosecond laser pulses, the surface of the $TiO_x$ films became smooth. With increasing radiation time, the surrounding gas atmosphere could have a larger impact on the $TiO_x$ surface; meanwhile, the thin-film roughness decreased. Thin-film transistors with $TiO_x$ active channels pre-annealed at 50s exhibited good transfer characteristics and an on-to-off current ratio of ${\sim}10^3$.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• 제19권3호
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• pp.202-208
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• 2010

This study examined the dependency of crystalline orientation and electric properties of sol-gel PZT film on hydrolysis, a $PbTiO_3$ seed layer and a concentration of sol-gel solution. The PZT thin films were prepared by using 2-Methoxyethanol-based sol-gel method and spin-coating on Pt/Ti/$SiO_2$/Si substrates. The 1-${\mu}m$-thick PZT films were coated and then fired in a furnace by direct insert method. The highly (111) oriented PZT film of pure perovskite structure could be obtained. We could control the degree of orientation by various parameters such as hydrolysis, a $PbTiO_3$ seed layer and a concentration of sol-gel solution. The highest measured remanent polarization, dielectric constant and piezoelectric coefficient are $24.16\;{\mu}C/cm^2$, 2808, and 159 pC/N, respectively.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 한국전기전자재료학회 2007년도 하계학술대회 논문집 Vol.8
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• pp.397-397
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• 2007

Multilayer transparent electrodes, having a much lower electrical resistance than the widely used transparent conducting oxide electrodes, were prepared by using radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The multilayer structure consisted of five layers, indium tin oxided(ITO)/zinc oxide(ZnO)/Ag/oxide(ZnO)/ITO. With about 50nm thick ITO films, the multilayer showed a high optical transmittance in the visible range of the spectrum and had color neutrality. The electrical and optical properties of ITO/ZnO/Ag/ZnO/ITO multilayer were changed mainly by Ag film properties, which were affected by the deposition process of the upper layer. Especially ZnO layer was improved to adhesion of Ag and ITO. A high quality transparent electrode, having a resistance as low as and a high optical transmittance of 91% at 550nm, was obtained. It could satisfy the requirement for the flexible OLED and LCD.

• Current Applied Physics
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• 제18권12호
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• pp.1486-1491
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• 2018

In recent years, mica has been successfully used as a substrate for the growth of flexible epitaxial ferroelectric oxide thin films. Here, we systematically investigated the flexibility of mica in terms of its thickness, repeated bending/unbending, extremely hot/cold conditions, and successive thermal cycling. A $20-{\mu}m-thick$ sheet of mica is flexible even up to the bending radius of 5 mm, and it is durable for 20,000 cycles of up- and down-bending. In addition, the mica shows flexibility at 10 and 773 K, and thermal cycling stability for the temperature variation of ca. 400 K. Compared with the widely used flexible polyimide, mica has a significantly higher Young's modulus (ca. 5.4 GPa) and negligible hysteresis in the force-displacement curve. These results show that mica should be a suitable substrate for piezoelectric energy-harvesting applications of ferroelectric oxide thin films at extremely low and high temperatures.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• 제48권5호
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• pp.449-455
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• 2010

To enhance the efficiency of dye sensitized solar cells, we proposed crystalline anatase-$TiO_{2}$ by using a low temperature process ($150^{\circ}C{\sim}250^{\circ}C$). We successfully fabricated 30 nm-$TiO_{2}$ at a fixed atomic layer deposition condition of 1.0 sec of TDMAT pulse, 20 sec of TDMAT purge, 0.5 sec of H$_{2}$O pulse, and 20 sec of H$_{2}$O purge. In order to examine the microstructure, phase, and band-gap of the TiO$_{2}$ respectively, we employed a Nano-Spec, transmission electron microscope, high resolution XRD, Auger electron spectroscopy, scanning probe microscope, and UV-VIS-NIR. We were able to fabricate a crystalline anatase-phase of 30 nm-TiO$_{2}$ successfully at temperatures above $180^{\circ}C$. Our results showed that our proposed low temperature ALD process (below $200^{\circ}C$) might be applicable to glass and flexible polymer substrates.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• 제20권5호
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• pp.356-360
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• 2011

Indium oxide ($In_2O_3$) single layer and $In_2O_3$/copper (Cu) bi-layer films were prepared on glass substrates by RF and DC magnetron sputtering without intentional substrate heating. In order to determine the effect of the Cu bottom layer on the optical, electrical and structural properties of $In_2O_3$ films, 3-nm-thick Cu film was deposited on the glass substrate prior to deposition of the $In_2O_3$ films. As-deposited $In_2O_3$ films had an optical transmittance of 79% in the visible wavelength region and a sheet resistance of 2,300 ${\Omega}/{\square}$, while the $In_2O_3$/Cu film had optical and electrical properties that were influenced by the Cu bottom layer. $In_2O_3$/Cu films had a lower sheet resistance of 110 ${\Omega}/{\square}$ and an optical transmittance of 71%. Based on the figure of merit, it can be concluded that the Cu bottom layer effectively increases the performance of $In_2O_3$ films for use as transparent conducting oxides in flexible display applications.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Telematics and Electronics D
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• 제36D권7호
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• pp.17-25
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• 1999

Tungsten nitride($WN_x$) films were deposited by PECVD method on silicon nitride($WSi_3N_4$) substrate. The characteristics of $WN_x$ film were investigated with changing various processing parameters ; substrate temperature, gas flow rate, rf power, and different nitrogen sources. The nitrogen composition in $WN_x$ film varied from 0 to 45% according to the $NH_3$ and $N_2$ flow rate. The highest deposition rate of 160 nm/min was obtained for the $NH_3$ gas and relatively low deposition rate of $WN_x$ films were formed by $N_2$ gas. $WN_x$ films deposited on $WSi_3N_4$ substrate had higher deposition rate than that of TiN and Si substrates. The purity of $WN_x$ film were analyzed by AES and higher purity $WN_x$ films were deposited using $NH_3$ gas. The XRD analysis indicates a phase transition from polycrystalline tungsten(W) to amorphous tungsten nitride($WN_x$), showing improved etching profile of $WN_x$ films Thick $WN_x$ films were deposited on various substrates such as Tin, NiCr and Al and maximum thickness of $1.6 {\mu}m$ was obtained on the Al adhesion layer.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• 제18권3호
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• pp.101-104
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• 2008

GaN films were grown on the vertical and horizontal reactors by the hydride vapour phase epitaxy (HVPE). The structural and optical characteristics of the GaN films were investigated depending on the reactor-type. GaN epilayers were characterized by double crystal X-ray diffraction (DC-XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and photoluminescence (PL). Surface defects of two kinds of the GaN films were revealed by the wet chemical etching method, using $H_3PO_4$ acid at $200^{\circ}C$ for 8 minutes. Hexagonal etch pits were analyzed by optical microscopy and SEM. Etch pit densities were calculated to be approximately $1.4{\times}10^7$ and $1.2{\times}10^6\;cm^{-2}$ for GaN layers grown on horizontal and vertical reactors, respectively. Those results show GaN grown in the vertical reactor having a better quality of optical properties and crystallinity than that in the horizontal reactor.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• 제22권12호
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• pp.696-700
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• 2012

(Na, K) $NbO_3$ thick film was successfully achieved using a sol-gel coating process with the addition of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) to a metal alkoxide solution. The transparent coating solution, mixed with Nb:PVP = 1:1 in a molar ration, was synthesized by evaporating the solvent to over 62.5 wt%. Additive PVP increased the viscosity of the solution so that the coating thickness could be enhanced. The thickness of the (Na, K) $NbO_3$ film assisted by PVP was ca. 320 nm at the time of deposition; this value is four times thicker than that of the sample fabricated without PVP. Also, due to PVP binding with the OH groups of the metal alkoxide, the condensation reaction in the film was suppressed. The crystalline size of the (Na, K) $NbO_3$ films assisted by PVP was ca. 15 nm smaller than that of the film fabricated without PVP. After the sintering process at $700^{\circ}C$, the (Na, K) $NbO_3$ films were mainly composed of randomly oriented (Na, K) $NbO_3$ phase of perovskite crystal structure, including a somewhat secondary phase of $K_2Nb_4O_{11}$. However, by adding PVP, the content of the secondary phase became quite smaller than that of the sample without PVP. It was thought that the addition of PVP might have the effect of restraining the loss of potassium and that PVP could hold metalloxane by strong hydrogen bonding before complete decomposition. Therefore, the film thickness of the (Na, K) $NbO_3$ films could be considerably advanced and made more crack-free by the addition of PVP.