• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.20 no.11
• /
• pp.606-610
• /
• 2010

Films consisting of a silicon quantum dot superlattice were fabricated by alternating deposition of silicon rich silicon nitride and $Si_3N_4$ layers using an rf magnetron co-sputtering system. In order to use the silicon quantum dot super lattice structure for third generation multi junction solar cell applications, it is important to control the dot size. Moreover, silicon quantum dots have to be in a regularly spaced array in the dielectric matrix material for in order to allow for effective carrier transport. In this study, therefore, we fabricated silicon quantum dot superlattice films under various conditions and investigated crystallization behavior of the silicon quantum dot super lattice structure. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra showed an increased intensity of the $840\;cm^{-1}$ peak with increasing annealing temperature due to the increase in the number of Si-N bonds. A more conspicuous characteristic of this process is the increased intensity of the $1100\;cm^{-1}$ peak. This peak was attributed to annealing induced reordering in the films that led to increased Si-$N_4$ bonding. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis showed that peak position was shifted to higher bonding energy as silicon 2p bonding energy changed. This transition is related to the formation of silicon quantum dots. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron spin resonance (ESR) analysis also confirmed the formation of silicon quantum dots. This study revealed that post annealing at $1100^{\circ}C$ for at least one hour is necessary to precipitate the silicon quantum dots in the $SiN_x$ matrix.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
• /
• v.37 no.11
• /
• pp.18-24
• /
• 2000

(Ba,Sr)$TiO_3$ thin films have attracted great interest as new dielectric materials of capacitors for ultra-large-scale integrated dynamic random access memories (ULSI-DRAMs) such as 1 Gbit or 4 Gbit. In this study, inductively coupled $BCl_3/Cl_2/Ar$ plasmas was used to etch (Ba,Sr)$TiO_3$ thin films. RF power/dc bias voltage=600 W/-250 V and chamber pressure was 10 mTorr. The $Cl_2/(Cl_2+Ar)$ was fixed at 0.2 the (Ba,Sr)$TiO_3$ thin films were etched adding $BCl_3$. The highest (Ba,Sr)$TiO_3$ etch rate is $480{\AA}/min$ at 10 % $BCl_3$ to $Cl_2/Ar$. The change of Cl, B radical density measured by optical emission spectroscopy(OES) as a function of $BCl_3$ percentage in $Cl_2/Ar$. The highest Cl radical density was shown at the addition of 10% $BCl_3$ to $Cl_2/Ar$. To study on the surface reaction of (Ba, Sr)$TiO_3$ thin films was investigated by XPS analysis. Ion bombardment etching is necessary to break Ba-O bond and to remove $BaCl_2$. There is a little chemical reaction between Sr and Cl, but Sr is removed by physical sputtering. There is a chemical reaction between Ti and Cl, and $TiCl_4$ is removed with ease. The cross-sectional of (Ba,Sr)$TiO_3$ thin film was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the etch slope is about 65~70$^{\circ}$.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.14-21
• /
• 2010

Ge is one of the attractive channel materials for the next generation high speed metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) due to its higher carrier mobility than Si. But the absence of a chemically stable thermal oxide has been the main obstacle hindering the use of Ge channels in MOS devices. Especially, the fabrication of gate oxide on Ge with high quality interface is essential requirement. In this study, $HfO_xN_y$ thin films were prepared by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition on Ge substrate. The nitrogen was incorporated in situ during PE-ALD by using the mixture of nitrogen and oxygen plasma as a reactant. The effects of nitrogen to oxygen gas ratio were studied focusing on the improvements on the electrical and interface properties. When the nitrogen to oxygen gas flow ratio was 1, we obtained good quality with 10% EOT reduction. Additional analysis techniques including X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy were used for chemical and microstructural analysis.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2012.02a
• /
• pp.347-347
• /
• 2012

Nickel Oxide (NiO) is a transition metal oxide of the rock salt structure that has a wide band gap of 3.5 eV. It has a variety of specialized applications due to its excellent chemical stability, optical, electrical and magnetic properties. In this study, we concentrated on the application of NiO thin film for transparent conducting oxide. The energy band structure, electronic and optical properties of Nickel Oxide (NiO) thin films grown on Si by using electron beam evaporation were investigated by X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Reflection Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (REELS), and UV-Spectrometer. The band gap of NiO thin films determined by REELS spectra was 3.53 eV for the primary energies of 1.5 keV. The valence-band offset (VBO) of NiO thin films investigated by XPS was 3.88 eV and the conduction-band offset (CBO) was 1.59 eV. The UV-spectra analysis showed that the optical transmittance of the NiO thin film was 84% in the visible light region within an error of ${\pm}1%$ and the optical band gap for indirect band gap was 3.53 eV which is well agreement with estimated by REELS. The dielectric function was determined using the REELS spectra in conjunction with the Quantitative Analysis of Electron Energy Loss Spectra (QUEELS)-${\varepsilon}({\kappa},{\omega})$-REELS software. The Energy Loss Function (ELF) appeared at 4.8, 8.2, 22.5, 38.6, and 67.0 eV. The results are in good agreement with the previous study [1]. The transmission coefficient of NiO thin films calculated by QUEELS-REELS was 85% in the visible region, we confirmed that the optical transmittance values obtained with UV-Spectrometer is the same as that of estimated from QUEELS-${\varepsilon}({\kappa},{\omega})$-REELS within uncertainty. The inelastic mean free path (IMFP) estimated from QUEELS-${\varepsilon}({\kappa},{\omega})$-REELS is consistent with the IMFP values determined by the Tanuma-Powell Penn (TPP2M) formula [2]. Our results showed that the IMFP of NiO thin films was increased with increasing primary energies. The quantitative analysis of REELS provides us with a straightforward way to determine the electronic and optical properties of transparent thin film materials.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
• /
• 2008.06a
• /
• pp.477-477
• /
• 2008

For more than three decades, the gate dielectrics in CMOS devices are $SiO_2$ because of its blocking properties of current in insulated gate FET channels. As the dimensions of feature size have been scaled down (width and the thickness is reduced down to 50 urn and 2 urn or less), gate leakage current is increased and reliability of $SiO_2$ is reduced. Many metal oxides such as $TiO_2$, $Ta_2O_4$, $SrTiO_3$, $Al_2O_3$, $HfO_2$ and $ZrO_2$ have been challenged for memory devices. These materials posses relatively high dielectric constant, but $HfO_2$ and $Al_2O_3$ did not provide sufficient advantages over $SiO_2$ or $Si_3N_4$ because of reaction with Si substrate. Recently, $HfO_2$ have been attracted attention because Hf forms the most stable oxide with the highest heat of formation. In addition, Hf can reduce the native oxide layer by creating $HfO_2$. However, new gate oxide candidates must satisfy a standard CMOS process. In order to fabricate high density memories with small feature size, the plasma etch process should be developed by well understanding and optimizing plasma behaviors. Therefore, it is necessary that the etch behavior of $HfO_2$ and plasma parameters are systematically investigated as functions of process parameters including gas mixing ratio, rf power, pressure and temperature to determine the mechanism of plasma induced damage. However, there is few studies on the the etch mechanism and the surface reactions in $BCl_3$ based plasma to etch $HfO_2$ thin films. In this work, the samples of $HfO_2$ were prepared on Si wafer with using atomic layer deposition. In our previous work, the maximum etch rate of $BCl_3$/Ar were obtained 20% $BCl_3$/ 80% Ar. Over 20% $BCl_3$ addition, the etch rate of $HfO_2$ decreased. The etching rate of $HfO_2$ and selectivity of $HfO_2$ to Si were investigated with using in inductively coupled plasma etching system (ICP) and $BCl_3/Cl_2$/Ar plasma. The change of volume densities of radical and atoms were monitored with using optical emission spectroscopy analysis (OES). The variations of components of etched surfaces for $HfO_2$ was investigated with using x-ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS). In order to investigate the accumulation of etch by products during etch process, the exposed surface of $HfO_2$ in $BCl_3/Cl_2$/Ar plasma was compared with surface of as-doped $HfO_2$ and all the surfaces of samples were examined with field emission scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscope (AFM).

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
• /
• 2008.06a
• /
• pp.169-169
• /
• 2008

To keep pace with scaling trends of CMOS technologies, high-k metal oxides are to be introduced. Due to their high permittivity, high-k materials can achieve the required capacitance with stacks of higher physical thickness to reduce the leakage current through the scaled gate oxide, which make it become much more promising materials to instead of $SiO_2$. As further studying on high-k, an understanding of the relation between the etch characteristics of high-k dielectric materials and plasma properties is required for the low damaged removal process to match standard processing procedure. There are some reports on the dry etching of different high-k materials in ICP and ECR plasma with various plasma parameters, such as different gas combinations ($Cl_2$, $Cl_2/BCl_3$, $Cl_2$/Ar, $SF_6$/Ar, and $CH_4/H_2$/Ar etc). Understanding of the complex behavior of particles at surfaces requires detailed knowledge of both macroscopic and microscopic processes that take place; also certain processes depend critically on temperature and gas pressure. The choice of $BCl_3$ as the chemically active gas results from the fact that it is widely used for the etching o the materials covered by the native oxides due to the effective extraction of oxygen in the form of $BCl_xO_y$ compounds. In this study, the surface reactions and the etch rate of $Al_2O_3$ films in $BCl_3/Cl_2$/Ar plasma were investigated in an inductively coupled plasma(ICP) reactor in terms of the gas mixing ratio, RF power, DC bias and chamber pressure. The variations of relative volume densities for the particles were measured with optical emission spectroscopy (OES). The surface imagination was measured by AFM and SEM. The chemical states of film was investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), which confirmed the existence of nonvolatile etch byproducts.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.127-132
• /
• 2019

In this study, barium strontium titanate (BSTO) with high dielectric perovskite structure was synthesized by liquid-solid solution synthesis and the surface was modified using trimethylsilyl chloride (TMCS) as a silylation agent. Silylation surface modification is a method of reacting -OH ligand on the surface of BSTO nanoparticles with Cl in TMCS to generate HCl and replacing the ligand on the surface of nanoparticles with -Si, -CH₃. Silylation was optimized by varying the concentration of TMCS, and the structure of the silicon network was confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. In addition, the crystallinity of BSTO nanoparticles was confirmed by X-ray diffractometer and the size of the nanoparticles was calculated using Scherrer equation. The field emission scanning electron microscopic image observed the change of the surface-modified BSTO particle size, and the contact angle measurement confirmed the hydrophobic property of the contact angle of 120.9° in the optimized nanoparticles. Finally, the surface-modified BSTO dispersion experiment in de-ionized water confirmed the hydrophobic degree of the nanoparticles.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.372-376
• /
• 2015

6-MQCC (Cr(VI)-6-methylquinoline) complex was synthesized by the reaction of 6-methylquinoline with chromium(VI) trioxide in 6 M HCl. The structure was characterized using IR (Infrared Spectroscopy) and ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) analysis. The oxidation of benzyl alcohol using 6-MQCC in various solvents showed that the reactivity increased with the increase of the dielectric constant, in descending order of DMF > acetone > chloroform > cyclohexene. In the presence of DMF solvent with acidic catalyst such as sulfuric acid ($H_2SO_4$), 6-MQCC oxidized benzyl alcohol (H) and its derivatives ($p-OCH_3$, $m-CH_3$, $m-OCH_3$, m-Cl, $m-NO_2$) were effectively oxidized. Electron-donating substituents accelerated the reaction rate, whereas electron acceptor groups retarded the reaction rate. The Hammett reaction constant (${\rho}$) was -0.69 (308 K). The observed experimental data was used to rationalize the fact that the hydride ion transfer occurred at the rate-determining step.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.110-114
• /
• 2016

Cr(VI)-pyrazine complex (PZCC) was synthesized by the reaction of pyrazine with chromium (VI) trioxide in 6 M HCl. The structure was characterized using IR spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma (ICP). The oxidation of benzyl alcohol using PZCC in various solvents showed that the reactivity increased with the increase of the dielectric constant, in the order: N,N'-dimethylform-amide > acetone > chloroform > cyclohexene. In the presence of N,N'-dimethylformamide solvent with an acidic catalyst such as sulfuric acid ($H_2SO_4$ solution), PZCC oxidized benzyl alcohol (H) and its derivatives ($p-OCH_3$, $m-CH_3$, $m-OCH_3$, m-Cl, $m-NO_2$). Electron-donating substituents accelerated the reaction rate, whereas electron acceptor groups retarded the reaction rate. Hammett reaction constant (${\rho}$) was -0.70 (308 K). The observed experimental data were used to rationalize the hydride ion transfer in the rate-determining step.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.26 no.8
• /
• pp.430-437
• /
• 2016

Aluminum oxide ($Al_2O_3$) thin films were grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) using a new Al metalorganic precursor, dimethyl aluminum sec-butoxide ($C_{12}H_{30}Al_2O_2$), and water vapor ($H_2O$) as the reactant at deposition temperatures ranging from 150 to $300^{\circ}C$. The ALD process showed typical self-limited film growth with precursor and reactant pulsing time at $250^{\circ}C$; the growth rate was 0.095 nm/cycle, with no incubation cycle. This is relatively lower and more controllable than the growth rate in the typical $ALD-Al_2O_3$ process, which uses trimethyl aluminum (TMA) and shows a growth rate of 0.11 nm/cycle. The as-deposited $ALD-Al_2O_3$ film was amorphous; X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy confirmed that its amorphous state was maintained even after annealing at $1000^{\circ}C$. The refractive index of the $ALD-Al_2O_3$ films ranged from 1.45 to 1.67; these values were dependent on the deposition temperature. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that the $ALD-Al_2O_3$ films deposited at $250^{\circ}C$ were stoichiometric, with no carbon impurity. The step coverage of the $ALD-Al_2O_3$ film was perfect, at approximately 100%, at the dual trench structure, with an aspect ratio of approximately 6.3 (top opening size of 40 nm). With capacitance-voltage measurements of the $Al/ALD-Al_2O_3/p-Si$ structure, the dielectric constant of the $ALD-Al_2O_3$ films deposited at $250^{\circ}C$ was determined to be ~8.1, with a leakage current density on the order of $10^{-8}A/cm^2$ at 1 V.