• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.273.2-273.2
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• 2014

Sputtering process has been widely used in Si-based semiconductor industry and it is also an ideal method to deposit transparent oxide materials for thin-film transistors (TFTs). The oxide films grown at low temperature by conventional RF sputtering process are typically amorphous state with low density including a large number of defects such as dangling bonds and oxygen vacancies. Those play a crucial role in the electron conduction in transparent electrode, while those are the origin of instability of semiconducting channel in oxide TFTs due to electron trapping. Therefore, post treatments such as high temperature annealing process have been commonly progressed to obtain high reliability and good stability. In this work, the scheme of electron-assisted RF sputtering process for high quality transparent oxide films was suggested. Through the additional electron supply into the plasma during sputtering process, the working pressure could be kept below $5{\times}10-4Torr$. Therefore, both the mean free path and the mobility of sputtered atoms were increased and the well ordered and the highly dense microstructure could be obtained compared to those of conventional sputtering condition. In this work, the physical properties of transparent oxide films such as conducting indium tin oxide and semiconducting indium gallium zinc oxide films grown by electron-assisted sputtering process will be discussed in detail. Those films showed the high conductivity and the high mobility without additional post annealing process. In addition, oxide TFT characteristics based on IGZO channel and ITO electrode will be shown.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.612-616
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• 2009

Transparent conductive oxide (TCO) films have been widely used in the field of flat panel display industry. Transparent conductive indium zinc oxide (IZO) thin films with excellent chemical stability have attracted much attention as an alternative material for indium tin oxide (ITO) films. In this study, using a $In_2O_3$ and ZnO powder mixture with a ratio of 90 : 10wt% as a target, IZO films were prepared on polynorbornene (PNB) substrates by electron beam evaporation. The effect of substrate temperature and $O_2$ introduction flow rate were investigated in terms of electrical and optical properties of deposited IZO films. The best electrical and optical properties we obtained from this study were sheet resistance value of $5.446{\times}10^2{\Omega}/{\boxempty}$ and optical transmittance of 87.4% at 550 nm at $O_2$ introduction flow rate of 4 sccm, deposition rate of $2{\AA}$/sec, thickness of 1000 $\AA$ and substrate temperature of $150^{\circ}C$.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.65 no.12
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• pp.2014-2018
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• 2016

Transparent, conductive electrode films, showing the particular characteristics of good conductivity and high transparency, are of considerable research interest because of their potential for use in opto-electronic applications, such as smart window, photovoltaic cells and flat panel displays. Multilayer transparent electrodes, having a much lower electrical resistance than widely-used transparent conducting oxide electrodes, were prepared by using RF/DC magnetron sputtering system. The multilayer structure consisted of three layers, [NiInZnO(NIZO)/Ag/NIZO]. The optical and electrical properties of the multilayered NIZO/Ag/NIZO structure were investigated in relation to the thickness of each layer. The optical and electrical characteristics of multilayer structures have been investigated as a function of the Ag and NIZO film thickness. High-quality transparent conductive films have been obtained, with sheet resistance of $9.8{\Omega}/sq$ for Ag film thickness of 8 nm. Also the multilayer films of inserted Ag 8 nm thickness showed a high optical transmittance above 93% in the visible range. The electrical and optical properties of the new multilayer films were mainly dependent on the thickness of Ag insertion layer.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.55-60
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• 2024

Two-dimensional (2D) RuO₂ nanosheets with nanometer thickness were synthesized using a chemical exfoliation method. The synthesized 2D-RuO₂ was hybridized with Ag-nanowire (NW), which is attracting attention as a next-generation transparent electrode material. After coating Ag-NW on the substrate, 2D-RuO₂ was subsequently coated on the Ag-NW. Although there was a decrease in optical transmittance, the hybridization of 2D-RuO₂ confirmed the effect of reducing sheet resistance. Furthermore, the flexibility of the fabricated transparent electrodes was also studied. It was confirmed by the change in sheet resistance after bending. The additional coating of 2D-RuO₂ improved the flexibility of the transparent electrodes.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.23 no.8
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• pp.435-440
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• 2013

Transparent and conducting thin films of Ta-doped $SnO_2$ were fabricated on a glass substrate by a pulse laser deposition(PLD) method. The structural, optical, and electrical properties of these films were investigated as a function of doping level, oxygen partial pressure, substrate temperature, and film thickness. XRD results revealed that all the deposited films were polycrystalline and the intensity of the (211) plane of $SnO_2$ decreased with an increase of Ta content. However, the orientation of the films changed from (211) to (110) with an increase in oxygen partial pressure (40 to 100 mTorr) and substrate temperature. The crystallinity of the films also increased with the substrate temperature. The electrical resistivity measurements showed that the resistivity of the films decreased with an increase in Ta doping, which exhibited the lowest resistivity (${\rho}{\sim}1.1{\times}10^{-3}{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$) for 10 wt% Ta-doped $SnO_2$ film, and then increased further. However, the resistivity continuously decreased with the oxygen partial pressure and substrate temperature. The optical bandgap of the 10 wt% Ta-doped $SnO_2$ film increased (3.67 to 3.78 eV) with an increase in film thickness from 100-700 nm, and the figure of merit revealed an increasing trend with the film thickness.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.139-146
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• 1996

Transparent and conducting Sb-doped $SnO_2$ thin films were prepared by rf magnetron sputtering technology. But it showed a serious damage phenomenon on the surface of as-deposited films. In order to avoid a damage caused in the substrate center and location facing to target erosion, a ring plate of masking glass was installed at 1.5 cm above target surface. The uniformity and electrical characteristic of $SnO_2$ thin films were evaluated by the control of optimal conditions in the magnetron sputtering operation such as rf power, sputtering gas pressure, and substrate temperature. In the experimental results using the operating conditions, the optimum temperature, which produced uniform and damageless films, shifted with the change of gas pressure. The rate was about $100^{\circ}C$/5 mTorr at rf power of 50 W Similarly, the optimum temperature in compensation for an increase of rf power shifted down to a proper rate.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2008.07a
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• pp.1260-1261
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• 2008

Aluminium doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al) thin film has emerged as one of the most promising transparent conducting electrode in flat panel displays(FPD) and in photovoltaic devices since it is inexpensive, mechanically stable, and highly resistant to deoxidation. In this paper ZnO:Al thin film was deposited on the polyethylene terephthalate(PET) substrate by the capacitively coupled r.f. magnetron sputtering method. Wide ranges of bias voltage, -30V${\sim}$45V, was applied to the growing films as an additional energy instead of substrate heating, and the effect of positive and negative bias on the film structure and electrical properties of ZnO:Al films was studied and discussed. The results showed that a bias applied to the substrate during sputtering contributed to the improvement of electrical properties of the film by attracting ions and electrons in the plasma to bombard the growing films. These bombardments provided additional energy to the growing ZnO film on the substrate, resulting in significant variations in film structure and electrical properties. The film deposited on the PET substrate at r. f. discharge power of 200 W showed the minimum resistivity of about $2.4{\times}10^{-3}{\Omega}-cm$ and a transmittance of about 87%.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.150-154
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• 2016

Mg and In co-doped ZnO (MIZO) thin films with transparent conducting characteristics were successfully prepared on glass substrates by RF magnetron sputtering technique. The Influence of different substrate temperature (from RT to $400^{\circ}C$) on the structural, morphological, electrical, and optical properties of MIZO thin films were investigated. The MIZO thin film prepared at the substrate temperature of $350^{\circ}C$ showed the best electrical characteristics in terms of the carrier concentration ($4.24{\times}10^{20}cm^{-3}$), charge carrier mobility ($5.01cm^2V^{-1}S^{-1}$), and a minimum resistivity ($1.24{\times}10^{-4}{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$). The average transmission of MIZO thin films in the visible range was over 80% and the absorption edges of MIZO thin films were very sharp. The bandgap energy of MIZO thin films becomes wider from 3.44 eV to 3.6 eV as the substrate temperature increased from RT to $350^{\circ}C$. However, Band gap energy of MIZO thin film was narrow at substrate temperature of $400^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.731-739
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• 2014

Aluminum and boron co-doped zinc-oxide(AZOB) powders as transparent conducting oxide(TCO) were prepared by spray pyrolysis at $900^{\circ}C$. The micron-sized AZOB particles were prepared by spray pyrolysis from aqueous precursor solutions for aluminium, boron, and zinc. The micron-sized AZOB particle after the spray pyrloysis underwent post-heat treatment at $700^{\circ}C$ for 2 hours and it was changed fully to nano-sized AZOB particle by ball milling for 24 hours. The size of primary AZOB particle by Debye-Scherrer Equation and surface resistance of AZOB pellet were measured.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.02a
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• pp.487-487
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• 2011

Recently graphene has emerged as a fascinating 2D system in condensed-matter physics as well as a new material for the development of nanotechnology. The unusual electronic band structure of graphene allows it to exhibit a strong ambipolar electric field effect with high mobility. These properties lead to the possibility of its application in high-performance transparent conducting films (TCFs). Compared to indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes, which have a typical sheet resistance of ${\sim}60{\Omega}$/sq and ~85 % transmittance in the visible range (400?900 nm), the CVD-grown graphene electrodes have a higher/flatter transmittance in the visible to IR region and are more robust under bending. Nevertheless, the lowest sheet resistance of the currently available CVD graphene electrodes is higher than that of ITO. Here, we report an ingenious strategy, irradiation of MeV electron beam (e-beam) at room temperature under ambient condition, for obtaining size-homogeneous gold nanoparticle decorated on graphene. The nano-particlization promoted by MeV e-beam irradiation was investigated by transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy elemental mapping, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. These results clearly revealed that gold nanoparticle with 10 ~ 15 nm in mean size were decorated along the surface of the graphene after 1.5 MeV-e-beam irradiation. A chemical transformation and charge transfer for the metal gold nanoparticle were systematically explored by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. This approach advances the numerous applications of graphene films as transparent conducting electrodes.