• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.235.2-235.2
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• 2015

The front transparent conductive oxide (TCO) films must exhibit good transparency, low resistivity and excellent light scattering properties for high efficiency amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin film solar cells. The light trapping phenomenon is limited due to non-uniform and low aspect ratio of the textured glass [1]. We present the low cost electrochemically deposited uniform zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods with various aspect ratios for a-Si thin film solar cells. Since the major drawback of the electrochemically deposited ZnO nanorods was the high sheet resistance and low transmittance that was overcome by depositing the RF magnetron sputtered AZO films as a seed layer with various thicknesses [2]. The length and diameters of the ZnO nanorods was controlled by varying the deposition conditions. The length of ZnO nanorods were varied from 400 nm to $2{\mu}m$ while diameter was kept higher than 200 nm to obtain different aspect ratios. The uniform ZnO nanorods showed higher haze ratio as compared to the commercially available FTO films. We also observed that the scattering in the longer wavelength region was favored for the high aspect ratio of ZnO nanorods and much higher aspect ratios degraded the light scattering phenomenon. Therefore, we proposed our low cost and uniform ZnO nanorods for the high efficiency of thin film solar cells.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.236.1-236.1
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• 2015

The surface morphology of front transparent conductive oxide (TCO) films is very important to achieve high current density in amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin film solar cells since it can scatter the light in a better way. In this study, we present the low cost hydrothermal deposited uniform zinc oxide (ZnO) nano-flower structure with various aspect ratios for a-Si thin film solar cells. The ZnO nano-flower structures with various aspect ratios were grown on the RF magnetron sputtered AZO films. The diameters and length of the ZnO nano-flowers was controlled by varying the annealing time. The length of ZnO nano-flowers were varied from 400 nm to $2{\mu}m$ while diameter was kept higher than 200 nm to obtain different aspect ratios. The ZnO nano-flowers with higher surface area as compared to conventional ZnO nano structure are preferred for the better light scattering. The conductivity and crystallinity of ZnO nano-flowers can be enhanced by annealing in hydrogen atmosphere at 350 oC. The vertical aligned ZnO nano-flowers showed higher haze ratio as compared to the commercially available FTO films. We also observed that the scattering in the longer wavelength region was favored for the high aspect ratio of ZnO nano-flowers. Therefore, we proposed low cost and vertically aligned ZnO nano-flowers for the high performance of thin film solar cells.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.863-867
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• 2008

In this paper, to increase the light current efficiency of photodiode, we fabricated aluminum-doped zinc oxide(AZO) thin films by RF magnetron sputtering. AZO thin films were deposited at low temperature of 100 $^{\circ}C$ and different RF powers of 50, 100, 150 and 200 W due to selective process technology. Then the AZO thin films were annealed at 400 $^{\circ}C$ for 1 hr in vacuum ambient to increase crystalline. The lowest resistivity of 1.35 ${\times}$ $10^{-3}$ ${\Omega}cm$ and a high transmittance over 90 % were obtained under the conditions of 3 mTorr, 100 'c and 150 W. The optimized AZO thin films were deposited as anti-reflection coating on PN junction of silicon photodiode. It was confirmed by the result of $V_r-I_{ph}$ curve that the efficiency of photodiode with AZO thin film was enhanced 17 % more than commercial photodiode.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.2353-2358
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• 2017

A femtosecond laser pre-annealing process based on indium zinc oxide (IZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) is fabricated. We demonstrate a stable pre-annealing process to analyze surface structure change of thin films, and we maintain electrical stability and improve electrical performance. Furthermore, dynamic electrical characteristics of the IZO TFTs were investigated. Femtosecond laser pre-annealing process-based IZO TFTs exhibit a field-effect mobility of $3.75cm^2/Vs$, an $I_{on}/I_{off}$ ratio of $1.77{\times}10^5$, a threshold voltage of 1.13 V, and a subthreshold swing of 1.21 V/dec. And the IZO-based inverter shows a fast switching behavior response. From this study, IZO TFTs from using the femtosecond laser annealing technique were found to strongly affect the electrical performance and charge transport dynamics in electronic devices.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.225-228
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• 2017

In this study, zinc tin oxide (ZTO) films were prepared on indium tin oxide (ITO) glasses and annealed at different temperatures under vacuum to investigate the correlation between the Ohmic/Schottky contacts, electrical properties, and bonding structures with respect to the annealing temperatures. The ZTO film annealed at $150^{\circ}C$ exhibited an amorphous structure because of the electron-hole recombination effect, and the current of the ZTO film annealed at $150^{\circ}C$ was less than that of the other films because of the potential barrier effect at the Schottky contact. The drift current as charge carriers was similar to the leakage current in a transparent thin-film device, but the diffusion current related to the Schottky barrier leads to the decrease in the leakage current. The direction of the diffusion current was opposite to that of the drift current resulting in a two-fold enhancement of the cut-off effect of leakage drift current due to the diffusion current, and improved performance of the device with the Schottky barrier. Hence, the thin film with an amorphous structure easily becomes a Schottky contact.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.08a
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• pp.251-251
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• 2010

Organic-inorganic hybrid materials have attracted because of its combined properties, such as flexibility and high electrical performance. In addition, the hybrid materials are expected to have synergic effect which are not shown in just one component. Here, we fabricated organic-inorganic hybrid thin film. Organic-inorganic hybrid thin film have been deposited from diethyl zinc and 1, 2, 4-trihydroxybenzene (THB) by molecular layer deposition (MLD). UV-VIS, Using Infrared spectrum and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirm that Zinc and THB hybrid film (ZnTHB) consist of Zn-O and THB - oxide units and the micro structure and composition of hybrid film. hat the sequential surface reactions of diethyl zinc and ethylene glycol are sufficiently self-limiting and saturating to enable well-controlled MLD growth. Transmission electron microscopy image shows lamination growth of ZnTHB film according to cycle.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.293.2-293.2
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• 2016

The In this paper, we have fabricated the solution processed In-Ga-ZnO thin film transistors (IGZO TFTs) by varying indium and gallium ratio. The indium ratio of IGZO TFTs was changed from 1 to 5 at fixed gallium and zinc oxide atomic percent of 1:1 and gallium ratio was varied from 1 to 5 at fixed indium and zinc oxide atomic percent of 1:1. When the indium ratio was increased at fixed gallium and zinc oxide ratio of 1:1, threshold voltage was negatively shifted from 1.03 to -6.18 V and also mobility was increased from 0.018 to $0.076cm2/V{\cdot}sec$. It means that the number of carriers in IGZO TFTs were increased due to great formation of the oxygen vacancies which generate electrons. In contrast, when the gallium ratio was increased in IGZO TFTs with indium and zinc oxide ration of 1:1, the on/off current ratio was increased from $1.88{\times}104$ to $2.22{\times}105$. It is because gallium have stronger chemical bonds with oxygen than that with the zinc and indium ions that lead to the decreased in electron concentration.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.18 no.10
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• pp.529-534
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• 2008

The hydrogen gas sensing properties of a zinc oxide nanowire structure were studied. Porous zinc oxide nanowire structures were fabricated by oxidizing zinc deposited on a single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) template. This revealed a porous ZnO-SWNT composite due to the porosity in the SWNT film. The gas sensing properties were compared with those of zinc oxide thin films deposited on SiO2/Si substrates in sensitivity and operating temperature. The composite structure showed higher sensitivity and lower operating temperature than the zinc oxide film. It showed a response even at room temperature while the film structure did not.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.196-203
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• 2019

We report on the fabrication and characterization of an oxide photoanode with a zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorod array embedded in cuprous oxide ($Cu_2O$) thin film, namely a $ZnO/Cu_2O$ oxide p-n heterostructure photoanode, for enhanced efficiency of visible light driven photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. A vertically oriented n-type ZnO nanorod array is first prepared on an indium-tin-oxide-coated glass substrate via a seed-mediated hydrothermal synthesis method and then a p-type $Cu_2O$ thin film is directly electrodeposited onto the vertically oriented ZnO nanorod array to form an oxide p-n heterostructure. The introduction of $Cu_2O$ layer produces a noticeable enhancement in the visible light absorption. From the observed PEC current density versus voltage (J-V) behavior under visible light illumination, the photoconversion efficiency of this $ZnO/Cu_2O$ p-n heterostructure photoanode is found to reach 0.39 %, which is seven times that of a pristine ZnO nanorod photoanode. In particular, a significant PEC performance is observed even at an applied bias of 0 V vs $Hg/Hg_2Cl_2$, which makes the device self-powered. The observed improvement in the PEC performance is attributed to some synergistic effect of the p-n bilayer heterostructure on the formation of a built-in potential including the light absorption and separation processes of photoinduced charge carriers, which provides a new avenue for preparing efficient photoanodes for PEC water splitting.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.15-18
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• 2012

Transparent conductive indium zinc oxide thin films were prepared by spin-coating a sol-gel solution. Zinc acetate dihydrate [$Zn(CH_3COO)_2{\cdot}2H_2O$] and indium acetate [In$(CH_3COO)_3$] were used as starting precursors, and 2-methoxyethanol with 1-propanol as solvents. Upon annealing in a temperature range from 500 to $1000^{\circ}C$, the thin film crystallizes into polycrystalline $In_2O_3$(ZnO). The lowest electrical resistivity was obtained at an annealing temperature of $700^{\circ}C$ as $2{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$. Average optical transmittances were higher than 80% at all annealing temperatures. These experimental results confirm that the sol-gel spin-coating can be a good simplified practical method for forming transparent electrodes.