• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.143-149
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• 2022

Membrane distillation (MD) has emerged as a sustainable desalination technology to solve the water and energy problems faced by the modern society. In particular, the surface wetting properties of the membrane have been recognized as a key parameter to determine the performance of the MD system. In this study, a novel surface modification technique was developed to induce a Janus-type hydrophilic/hydrophobic layer on the membrane surface. The hydrophilic layer was created on a porous PVDF membrane by vapor phase polymerization of the pyrrole monomer, forming a thin coating of polypyrrole on the membrane walls. A rigid polymeric coating layer was created without compromising the membrane porosity. The hydrophilic coating was then followed by the in-situ growth of siloxane nanoparticles, where the condensation of organosilane provided quick loading of hydrophobic layers on the membrane surface. The composite layers of dual coatings allowed systematic control of the surface wettability of porous membranes. By the virtue of the photothermal property of the hydrophilic polypyrrole layer, the desalination performance of the coated membrane was tested in a solar MD system. The wetting properties of the dual-layer were further evaluated in a direct-contact MD module, exploring the potential of the Janus membrane structure for effective and low-energy desalination.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.455-460
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• 2022

Brush-like ZnO hierarchical nanostructures decorated with MgxZn1-xO (x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5) were fabricated and examined for application to a gas sensor. They were synthesized using vapor phase growth (VPG) on indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates. To generate electronic accumulation at ZnO surface, MgZnO nanoparticles were prepared by sol-gel method, and the ratio of Mg and Zn was adjusted to optimize the device for NO₂ gas detection. As the electrons in the accumulation layer generated by the heterojunction reacted faster and more frequently with the gas, the sensitivity and speed improved. When tested as sensing materials for gas sensors at 100 ppm NO₂ at 300℃, these MgZnO decorated ZnO nanostructures exhibited an improvement from 165 to 514 times compared to pristine ZnO. The response and recovery time of the MgZnO decorated ZnO samples were shorter than those of the pristine ZnO. Various analyzing techniques, including field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) were employed to confirm the growth morphology, atomic composition, and crystalline information of the samples, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.435-441
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• 2022

We report the synthesis and gas sensing properties of bare and ZnO decorated TeO₂ nanowires (NWs). A catalyst assisted-vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth method was used to synthesize TeO₂ NWs and ZnO decoration was performed using an Au-catalyst assisted-VLS growth method followed by a subsequent heat treatment. Structural and morphological analyses using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning/transmission electron microscopies, respectively, demonstrated the formation of bare and ZnO decorated TeO₂ NWs with desired phase and morphology. NO₂ gas sensing studies were performed at different temperatures ranging from 50 to 400 ℃ towards 50 ppm NO₂ gas. The results obtained showed that both sensors had their best optimal sensing temperature at 350 ℃, while ZnO decorated TeO₂ NWs sensor showed much better sensitivity towards NO₂ relative to a bare TeO₂ NWs gas sensor. The reason for the enhanced sensing performance of the ZnO decorated TeO₂ NWs sensor was attributed to the formation of ZnO (n)/ TeO₂ (p) heterojunctions and the high intrinsic gas sensing properties of ZnO.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.68-68
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• 2001

Thin films of polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) is a promising material for use in large-area electronic devices. Especially, the poly-Si can be used in high resolution and integrated active-matrix liquid-crystal displays (AMLCDs) and active matrix organic light-emitting diodes (AMOLEDs) because of its high mobility compared to hydrogenated _amorphous silicon (a-Si:H). A number of techniques have been proposed during the past several years to achieve poly-Si on large-area glass substrate. However, the conventional method for fabrication of poly-Si could not apply for glass instead of wafer or quartz substrate. Because the conventional method, low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) has a high deposition temperature ($600^{\circ}C-1000^{\circ}C$) and solid phase crystallization (SPC) has a high annealing temperature ($600^{\circ}C-700^{\circ}C$). And also these are required time-consuming processes, which are too long to prevent the thermal damage of corning glass such as bending and fracture. The deposition of silicon thin films on low-cost foreign substrates has recently become a major objective in the search for processes having energy consumption and reaching a better cost evaluation. Hence, combining inexpensive deposition techniques with the growth of crystalline silicon seems to be a straightforward way of ensuring reduced production costs of large-area electronic devices. We have deposited crystalline poly-Si thin films on soda -lime glass and SiOz glass substrate as deposited by PVD at low substrate temperature using high power, magnetron sputtering method. The epitaxial orientation, microstructual characteristics and surface properties of the films were analyzed by TEM, XRD, and AFM. For the electrical characterization of these films, its properties were obtained from the Hall effect measurement by the Van der Pauw measurement.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.62-68
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• 2023

Silicon (Si) is considered as a promising substitute for the conventional graphite due to its high theoretical specific capacity (3579 mAh/g, Li₁₅Si₄) and proper working voltage (~0.3V vs Li⁺/Li). However, the large volume change of Si during (de)lithiation brings about severe degradation of battery performances, rendering it difficult to be applied in the practical battery directly. As a one feasible candidate of industrial Si anode, silicon monoxide (SiO_x) demonstrates great electrochemical stability with its specialized strategy, downsized Si nanocrystallites surrounded by Li⁺ inactive buffer phase (Li₂O and Li₄SiO₄). Nevertheless, SiO_x inherently has the initial irreversible capacity and poor electrical conductivity. To overcome those issues, conformal carbon coating has been performed on SiO_x utilizing ethylbenzene as the carbon precursor of chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Through various characterizations, it is confirmed that the carbon is homogeneously coated on the surface of SiO_x. Accordingly, the carbon-coated SiOx from CVD using ethylbenzene demonstrates 73% of the first cycle efficiency and great cycle life (88.1% capacity retention at 50th cycle). This work provides a promising synthetic route of the uniform and scalable carbon coating on Si anode for high-energy density.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.503-509
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• 2001

Thin films of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si : H) and hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC:H) of different compositions were deposited on Si(100) wafer and glass by RF plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RF-PECVD). In the present work, we have investigated the effects of the RF power on the properties, such as optical band gap, transmittance and crystallinity. The Raman data show that the a-Si:H material consists of an amorphous and crystalline phase for the co-presence of two peaks centered at 480 and $520 cm^{-1}$ . The UV-VIS data suggested that the optical energy band gap ($E_{g}$ ) is not changed effectively with RF power and the obtained $E_{g}$(1.80eV) of the $\mu$c-Si:H thin film has almost the same value of a-Si:H thin film (1.75eV), indicating that the crystallity of hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin film can mainly not affected to their optical properties. However, the experimental results have shown that$ E_{g}$ of the a-SiC:H thin films changed little on the annealing temperature while $E_{g}$ increased with the RF power. The Raman spectrum of the a-SiC:H thin films annealed at high temperatures showed that graphitization of carbon clusters and microcrystalline silicon occurs.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 2013

The Daehwa Mo-W deposit is located within the Gyeonggi massif. Quartz and calcite vein mineralization occurred in the Precambrian gneiss and Jurassic granites. Three main types (Type I: liquid-rich $H_2O$ type, Type II: vapor-rich $H_2O$ type, Type III: $CO_2-H_2O$ type) of fluid inclusions were observed and are classified herein based on their phase relations at room temperature. Within ore shoots, type III fluid inclusions have been classified into four subtypes (type IIIa, IIIb, IIIc and IIId) based on their volume percent of aqueous and carbonaceous ($CO_2$) phase at room temperatures combined with their total homogenization behavior and homogenization behavior of $CO_2$ phase. Homogenization temperatures of primary type I fluid inclusions in the quartz range from $374^{\circ}C$ to $161^{\circ}C$ with salinities between 13.6 and 0.5 equiv. wt.% NaCl. Homogenization temperatures of primary type III fluid inclusions in quartz of main generation, are in the range of $303^{\circ}C$ to $251^{\circ}C$. Clathrate melting temperatures of the type III fluid inclusions were 7.3 to $9.5^{\circ}C$, corresponding to salinities of 5.2 to 1.0 equiv. wt. % NaCl. Melting and homogenization temperatures of $CO_2$ phase of type III fluid inclusions were -57.4 to $-56.6^{\circ}C$ and 29.0 to $30.8^{\circ}C$, respectively. Fluid inclusion data indicate a complex geochemical evolution of hydrothermal fluids. The Daehwa early hydrothermal system is characterized by $H_2O-CO_2$-NaCl fluid at about $400^{\circ}C$. The main mineralization occurred by $CO_2$ immiscibility at temperatures of about 300 to $250^{\circ}C$. At the late base-metal mineralization aqueous fluid formed by mixing with cooler and less saline meteoric groundwater.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.02a
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• pp.100-101
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• 2012

The plasma damage free and room temperature processedthin film deposition technology is essential for realization of various next generation organic microelectronic devices such as flexible AMOLED display, flexible OLED lighting, and organic photovoltaic cells because characteristics of fragile organic materials in the plasma process and low glass transition temperatures (Tg) of polymer substrate. In case of directly deposition of metal oxide thin films (including transparent conductive oxide (TCO) and amorphous oxide semiconductor (AOS)) on the organic layers, plasma damages against to the organic materials is fatal. This damage is believed to be originated mainly from high energy energetic particles during the sputtering process such as negative oxygen ions, reflected neutrals by reflection of plasma background gas at the target surface, sputtered atoms, bulk plasma ions, and secondary electrons. To solve this problem, we developed the NBAS (Neutral Beam Assisted Sputtering) process as a plasma damage free and room temperature processed sputtering technology. As a result, electro-optical properties of NBAS processed ITO thin film showed resistivity of $4.0{\times}10^{-4}{\Omega}{\cdot}m$ and high transmittance (>90% at 550 nm) with nano- crystalline structure at room temperature process. Furthermore, in the experiment result of directly deposition of TCO top anode on the inverted structure OLED cell, it is verified that NBAS TCO deposition process does not damages to the underlying organic layers. In case of deposition of transparent conductive oxide (TCO) thin film on the plastic polymer substrate, the room temperature processed sputtering coating of high quality TCO thin film is required. During the sputtering process with higher density plasma, the energetic particles contribute self supplying of activation & crystallization energy without any additional heating and post-annealing and forminga high quality TCO thin film. However, negative oxygen ions which generated from sputteringtarget surface by electron attachment are accelerated to high energy by induced cathode self-bias. Thus the high energy negative oxygen ions can lead to critical physical bombardment damages to forming oxide thin film and this effect does not recover in room temperature process without post thermal annealing. To salve the inherent limitation of plasma sputtering, we have been developed the Magnetic Field Shielded Sputtering (MFSS) process as the high quality oxide thin film deposition process at room temperature. The MFSS process is effectively eliminate or suppress the negative oxygen ions bombardment damage by the plasma limiter which composed permanent magnet array. As a result, electro-optical properties of MFSS processed ITO thin film (resistivity $3.9{\times}10^{-4}{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$, transmittance 95% at 550 nm) have approachedthose of a high temperature DC magnetron sputtering (DMS) ITO thin film were. Also, AOS (a-IGZO) TFTs fabricated by MFSS process without higher temperature post annealing showed very comparable electrical performance with those by DMS process with $400^{\circ}C$ post annealing. They are important to note that the bombardment of a negative oxygen ion which is accelerated by dc self-bias during rf sputtering could degrade the electrical performance of ITO electrodes and a-IGZO TFTs. Finally, we found that reduction of damage from the high energy negative oxygen ions bombardment drives improvement of crystalline structure in the ITO thin film and suppression of the sub-gab states in a-IGZO semiconductor thin film. For realization of organic flexible electronic devices based on plastic substrates, gas barrier coatings are required to prevent the permeation of water and oxygen because organic materials are highly susceptible to water and oxygen. In particular, high efficiency flexible AMOLEDs needs an extremely low water vapor transition rate (WVTR) of $1{\times}10^{-6}gm^{-2}day^{-1}$. The key factor in high quality inorganic gas barrier formation for achieving the very low WVTR required (under ${\sim}10^{-6}gm^{-2}day^{-1}$) is the suppression of nano-sized defect sites and gas diffusion pathways among the grain boundaries. For formation of high quality single inorganic gas barrier layer, we developed high density nano-structured Al2O3 single gas barrier layer usinga NBAS process. The NBAS process can continuously change crystalline structures from an amorphous phase to a nano- crystalline phase with various grain sizes in a single inorganic thin film. As a result, the water vapor transmission rates (WVTR) of the NBAS processed $Al_2O_3$ gas barrier film have improved order of magnitude compared with that of conventional $Al_2O_3$ layers made by the RF magnetron sputteringprocess under the same sputtering conditions; the WVTR of the NBAS processed $Al_2O_3$ gas barrier film was about $5{\times}10^{-6}g/m^2/day$ by just single layer.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.307-313
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• 2010

One-dimensional cubic phase silicon carbide nanowires (${\beta}$-SiC NWs) were efficiently synthesized by thermal chemical vapor deposition (TCVD) with mixtures containing Si powders and nickel chloride hexahydrate $(NiCl_2{\cdot}6H_2O)$ in an alumina boat with a carbon source of methane $(CH_4)$ gas. SEM images are shown that the growth temperature (T) of $1,300^{\circ}C$ is not enough to synthesize the SiC NWs owing to insufficient thermal energy for melting down a Si powder and decomposing the methane gas. However, the SiC NWs could be synthesized at T>$1,300^{\circ}C$ and the most efficient temperature for growth of SiC NWs is T=$1,400^{\circ}C$. The synthesized SiC NWs have the diameter with an average range between 50~150 nm. Raman spectra clearly revealed that the synthesized SiC NWs are forming of a cubic phase (${\beta}$-SiC). Two distinct peaks at 795 and $970 cm^{-1}$ in Raman spectra of the synthesized SiC NWs at T=$1,400^{\circ}C$ represent the TO and LO mode of the bulk ${\beta}$-SiC, respectively. XRD spectra are also supported to the Raman spectra resulting in the strongest (111) peaks at $2{\Theta}=35.7^{\circ}$, which is the (111) plane peak position of 3C-SiC. Moreover, the gas flow rate of 300 sccm for methane is the optimal condition for synthesis of a large amount of ${\beta}$-SiC NW without producing the amorphous carbon structure shown at a high methane flow rate of 800 sccm. TEM images are shown two kinds of the synthesized ${\beta}$-SiC NWs structures. One is shown the defect-free ${\beta}$-SiC NWs with a (111) interplane distance of 0.25 nm, and the other is the stacking-faulted ${\beta}$-SiC NWs. Also, TEM images exhibited that two distinct SiC NWs are uniformly covered with $SiO_2$ layer with a thickness of less 2 nm.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.08a
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• pp.251-252
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• 2012

Recently, the growing interest in organic microelectronic devices including OLEDs has led to an increasing amount of research into their many potential applications in the area of flexible electronic devices based on plastic substrates. However, these organic devices require a gas barrier coating to prevent the permeation of water and oxygen because organic materials are highly susceptible to water and oxygen. In particular, high efficiency OLEDs require an extremely low Water Vapor Transition Rate (WVTR) of $1{\times}10^{-6}g/m^2$/day. The Key factor in high quality inorganic gas barrier formation for achieving the very low WVTR required ($1{\times}10^{-6}g/m^2$/day) is the suppression of defect sites and gas diffusion pathways between grain boundaries. In this study, we developed an $Al_2O_3$ nano-crystal structure single gas barrier layer using a Neutral Beam Assisted Sputtering (NBAS) process. The NBAS system is based on the conventional RF magnetron sputtering and neutral beam source. The neutral beam source consists of an electron cyclotron Resonance (ECR) plasma source and metal reflector. The Ar+ ions in the ECR plasma are accelerated in the plasma sheath between the plasma and reflector, which are then neutralized by Auger neutralization. The neutral beam energies were possible to estimate indirectly through previous experiments and binary collision model. The accelerating potential is the sum of the plasma potential and reflector bias. In previous experiments, while adjusting the reflector bias, changes in the plasma density and the plasma potential were not observed. The neutral beam energy is controlled by the metal reflector bias. The NBAS process can continuously change crystalline structures from an amorphous phase to nano-crystal phase of various grain sizes within a single inorganic thin film. These NBAS process effects can lead to the formation of a nano-crystal structure barrier layer which effectively limits gas diffusion through the pathways between grain boundaries. Our results verify the nano-crystal structure of the NBAS processed $Al_2O_3$ single gas barrier layer through dielectric constant measurement, break down field measurement, and TEM analysis. Finally, the WVTR of $Al_2O_3$ nano-crystal structure single gas barrier layer was measured to be under $5{\times}10^{-6}g/m^2$/day therefore we can confirm that NBAS processed $Al_2O_3$ nano-crystal structure single gas barrier layer is suitable for OLED application.