• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.255-262
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• 2020

Grain boundaries play a major role in determining device performance, particularly of polysilicon-based photodetectors. Through the post-annealing of as-deposited polysilicon and then, the analysis of electric behavior for a metal-polysilicon-metal (MSM) photodetector, we were able to identify the influence of grain boundaries. A modified model of polysilicon grain boundaries in the MSM structure is presented, which uses a crystalline-interfacial layer-SiO_x layer- interfacial layer-crystalline system that is similar to the Si-SiO₂ system in MOS device. Hydrogen passivation was achieved through a hydrogen ion implantation process and was used to passivate the defects at both interfacial layers. The thin SiO_x layer at the grain boundary can enhance the photosensitivity of an MSM photodetector by decreasing the dark current and increasing the light absorption.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.54-60
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• 1985

This study is concerned with the mechanism of PTCR in $BaTiO_3$ ceramics doped by $Nb^{+5}$ Since the vacancy compensation layer at the grain boundary of n-type doped $BaTiO_3$ ceramics has been known as a major factor for surface state to give PTCR phenomena the dependence of PTCR on such vacancy compensation layer was attemped to be confirmed experimentally in this study. For the experiment quenching and annealing at various temperature after sintering were adopted to induce difference in the thickness of vacancycompensation layer so as to exihibit difference of PTCReffect eachother. The TEX>$Ba^{++}$ cocentration at the grain and grain boundary was measured by EDAX to confirm the formation of the vacancy compensation layer. It was found that i)either decrease in the temperature for quenching ii) or increase in the temperature for annealing improves the PTCR effect clearly iii)increase in TEX>$Ba^{++}$ concentration at the grain boundary results in the improvement of PTCR effect. It was concluded that all the experimental results gave the evidence for the dependence of PTCR effect on the vacancy compensation layer at the grain boundary which had been induced possibly by the $Ba^{++}$ diffusion by the heat treatment conducted.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.301-305
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• 2016

We investigate proton conduction in a nonstoichiometric ${\Sigma}3$ $BaZrO_3$ (210)[001] tilt grain boundary using density functional theory (DFT). We employ the space charge layer (SCL) and structural disorder (SD) models with the introduction of protons and oxygen vacancies into the system. The segregation energies of proton and oxygen vacancy are determined as -0.70 and -0.54 eV, respectively. Based on this data, we obtain a Schottky barrier height of 0.52 V and defect concentrations at 600K, in agreement with the reported experimental values. We calculate the energy barrier for proton migration across the grain boundary core as 0.61 eV, from which we derive proton mobility. We also obtain the proton conductivity from the knowledge of proton concentration and mobility. We find that the calculated conductivity of the nonstoichiometric grain boundary is similar to those of the stoichiometric ones in the literature.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.359-365
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• 1995

The grain boundary effect on the ionic conductivity was investigated using a.c. admittance analysis in (Bi2O3)0.715(CaO)0.285 oxygen-ion conducting solid electrolyte. As a separated arc representing grain boundary polarization was not observed in the admittance plane, bulk conductivity was measrued for samples with various grain sizes in the temperature range from 48$0^{\circ}C$ to 72$0^{\circ}C$ and the conductivity distribution between grain interior and grain boundary was determined by the reported analytical methods. In the above temperature range, grain boundary worked as a high conductive path instead of blocking layer and ionic conduction through grain boundary was significant. The activation energy for conduction through grain and grain boundary was 78 and 106 kJ/mol, respectively.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.141-150
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• 2012

Stress corrosion cracks in Alloy 600 compact tension specimens tested at $325^{\circ}C$ in a simulated primary water environment of pressurized water reactor were analyzed by analytical transmission electron microscopy and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). From a fine-probe chemical analysis, oxygen was found on the grain boundary just ahead of the crack tip, and chromium oxides were precipitated on the crack tip and the grain boundary attacked by the oxygen diffusion, leaving a Cr/Fe depletion (or Ni enrichment) zone. The oxide layer inside the crack was revealed to consist of a double (inner and outer) layer. Chromium oxides existed in the inner layer, with NiO and (Ni,Cr) spinels in the outer layer. From the nano-SIMS analysis, oxygen was detected at the locations of intergranular chromium carbides ahead of the crack tip, which means that oxygen diffused into the grain boundary and oxidized the surfaces of the chromium carbides. The intergranular chromium carbide blunted the crack tip, thereby suppressing the crack propagation.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.277-284
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• 1996

The water test results indicated that the impurities had detrimetal effect on the wear resistance of silicon nitride and the effects were getting severe as the temperature increased. Especially when Ca existed as an impurity the detrimental effects was the most severe. These results were resulted from the fact that impurities lowered the mechanical properties of the grain boundary phase of silicon nitride. The wear test results of glass/glass-ceramic specimens having a similar composition to the grain boundary phase of silicon nitride revea-led that the specimen containing CaO showed the lowest wear resistance. The existence of Fe and Ca at the grain boundary phase assisted forming a grain boundary phase with relatively low refractoriness. Therefore at a given wear condition the removal of deformed layer would be easier. The results showed that the glass phases could be modified by heat-treatment and this modification improved tribological characteristics of the silicon nitride.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.34-37
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• 2001

In this study, the capacitance-voltage properties of (Sr$_{1-x}$ .Ca$_{x}$)TiO$_3$(0.05$\leq$x$\leq$0.20)-based grain boundary layer ceramics were investigated. The ceramics were fabricated by the conventional mixed oxide method. The sintering temperature and time were 1480~150$0^{\circ}C$ and 4 hours, respectively. The 2nd phase formed by the thermal diffusion of CuO from the surface leads to very excellent dielectric properties, that is, $\varepsilon$$_{r}$>50000, tan$\delta$<0.05, $\Delta$C<$\pm$10%. The capacitance is almost unchanged below about 20[V] but it decreases slowly about 20[V]. The results of the capacitance-voltage properties indicated that the grain boundary was composed of the continuous insulating layers.ulating layers.s.

• The Korean Journal of Ceramics
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.122-127
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• 1998

Conductivities of polycrystalline ceria doped with several rare earth oxides were measured by AC admittance and DC four probe method. The conductions were separated into grain and grain boundary contributions using the complex admittance technique as well as grain size dependence of conductivity. The grain size dependence of polycrystalline conductivity, which can be adequately described by the so-called brick layer model, appears to give a more reliable measure of the grain conductivity compared to the complex admittance method. Polycrystalline resistivity(1/conductivity) increases linearly with the reciprocal of grain size. The intercept of resistivity vs. inverse grain size plot gives a measure of the grain resistivity and the slope gives a measure of the grain boundary resistivity. It was also noted that errors involved in the analysis of experimental data may be different between the complex admittance method and the impedance method. A greater resolution of the spectra was found in the complex admittance method, insofar as the present work is concerned, suggesting that the commonly used equivalent circuit may require re-evaluation.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.413-421
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• 2017

In this work, we studied a fluorite structure oxides: Yttria stabilized zirconia, (YSZ); Gd doped $CeO_2$ (GDC); erbia stabilized $Bi_2O_3$ (ESB); Zr doped erbia stabilized $Bi_2O_3$ (ZESB); Ca doped erbia stabilized $Bi_2O_3$ (CESB) in the temperature range of 250 to $600^{\circ}C$ using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). As is well known, grain boundary blocking effect was observed in YSZ and GDC. However, there is no grain boundary effect on ESB, ZESB, and CESB. The Nyquist plots of these materials exhibit a single arc at low temperature. This means that there is no space charge effect on ${\delta}-Bi_2O_3$. In addition, impedance data were analyzed by using the brick layer model. We indirectly demonstrate that grain boundary ionic conductivity is similar to or even higher than bulk ionic conductivity on cubic bismuth oxide.

• Electrical & Electronic Materials
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• v.10 no.10
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• pp.1034-1040
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• 1997

A solar cell conversion effiency was degraded by grain boundary effect in polycrystalline silicon. Grain boundaries acted as potential barriers as well as recombination centers for the photo-generated carriers. To reduce these effects of the grain boundaries we investigated various influencing factors such as emitter thickness thermal treatment preferential chemical etching of grain boundaries grid design contact metal and top metallization along boundaries. Pretreatment in $N_2$atmosphere and gettering by POCl$_3$and Al were performed to obtain multicrystalline silicon of the reduced defect density. Structural electrical and optical properties of slar cells were characterized before and after each fabrication process. Improved conversion efficiencies of solar cell were obtained by a combination of pretreatment above 90$0^{\circ}C$ emitter layer of 0.43${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ Al diffusion in to grain boundaries on rear side fine grid finger top Yb metal and buried contact metallization along grain boundaries.