• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.417-417
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• 2016

Global environmental deterioration has become more serious year by year and thus scientific interests in the renewable energy as environmental technology and replacement of fossil fuels have grown exponentially. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell consisting of semiconductor photoelectrodes that can harvest light and use this energy directly to split water, also known as photoelectrolysis or solar water splitting, is a promising renewable energy technology to produce hydrogen for uses in the future hydrogen economy. A major advantage of PEC systems is that they involve relatively simple processes steps as compared to many other H2 production systems. Until now, a number of materials including TiO2, WO3, Fe2O3, and BiVO4 were exploited as the photoelectrode. However, the PEC performance of these single absorber materials is limited due to their large charge recombinations in bulk, interface and surface, leading low charge separation/transport efficiencies. Recently, coupling of two materials, e.g., BiVO4/WO3, Fe2O3/WO3 and CuWO4/WO3, to form a type II heterojunction has been demonstrated to be a viable means to improve the PEC performance by enhancing the charge separation and transport efficiencies. In this study, we have prepared a triple-layer heterojunction BiVO4/WO3/SnO2 photoelectrode that shows a comparable PEC performance with previously reported best-performing nanostructured BiVO4/WO3 heterojunction photoelectrode via a facile solution method. Interestingly, we found that the incorporation of SnO2 nanoparticles layer in between WO3 and FTO largely promotes electron transport and thus minimizes interfacial recombination. The impact of the SnO2 interfacial layer was investigated in detail by TEM, hall measurement and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. In addition, our planar-structured triple-layer photoelectrode shows a relatively high transmittance due to its low thickness (~300 nm), which benefits to couple with a solar cell to form a tandem PEC device. The overall PEC performance, especially the photocurrent onset potential (Vonset), were further improved by a reactive-ion etching (RIE) surface etching and electrocatalyst (CoOx) deposition.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.377-382
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• 1998

This study was carried out to investigate the relation between surface acidity and interfacial electrical characteristics of surface-treated ${\gamma}-alumina$ whose surface activity was increased. The points of zero charge (P. Z. C.) of ${\gamma}-alumina$ whose surface is treated with the sulfuric, nitric and hydro-chloric acid of various concentration were measured from the site-binding theory and mass transport method. The surface active sites were measured by amine titration method and Hammett indicator method. The interfacial properties at alumina/KCl(aq) interface were measured by potentiometric titration. From the experimental results, the following results were obtained. Pure ${\gamma}-alumina$ surface acidity decreases with the increase of calcination temperature at strength $H_o{\leq}+9.3$ Surface-treated alumina acidic properties increase with the anion loading on alumina surface. The surface ionization constants decrease with anion loading on alumina surface, then P. Z. C. decreases with acid amount on alumina surface. Acid amount of surface treated alumina can be correlated with surface charge density at strength $H_o{\leq}+4.8$ as follows. $SO_4^2-/Al_2O_3:Q_A=-0.172ln(0.0418{\sigma}+1.448)$ $NO_3^-/Al_2O_3:Q_A=-0.024{\sigma}-0.0189$ $Cl^-/Al_2O_3:Q_A=-0.01{\sigma}-0.2006$.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.131-135
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• 2000

In order to investigate the origin of capacity fading with charge/discharge cycling in $LiMn_2O_4$ thin film battery, impedance studies have been performed with increasing cycling in $LiMn_2O_4/1M\;LiClO_4-PC/Li$ cells. The fitted values obtained from impedance data show good agreements with the experimental results. Especially, the element of charge transfer resistance of $LiMn_2O_4/liquid$ electrolyte interface initially increased, and then saturated with increasing the charge/discharge cycles, which could explain the cause of initial abrupt capacity fading of $LiMn_2O_4$ thin film with cycling due to interfacial reaction. The steady capacity fading is caused by the increasing of Warburg resistance. The chemical diffusion coefficient of Li ions decreased from $5.15\times10^{-11}cm^2/sec$ at 1st cycles to $6.3\times10^{-12}cm^2/sec$ at 800th cycles, which attributed to the Jahn-Teller distortion/Mn dissolution which diminishes tetra hedral sites necessary for Li diffusion in $LiMn_2O_4$.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2004.07c
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• pp.1712-1714
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• 2004

During the last 20 years organic semiconductors have attracted considerable attention due to their interesting physical properties followed by various technological applications in the area of electronics and opto-electronics. It has been a long time since organic solar cells were expected as a low-cost energy-conversion device. Although practical use of them has not been achieved, technological progress continues. Morphology of the materials, organic/inorganic interface, metal cathodes, molecular packing and structural properties of the donor and acceptor layers are essential for photovoltaic response. We have fabricated solar cell devices based on zinc-phthalocyanine(ZnPc) as donor(D) and fullerine($C_{60}$) as electron acceptor(A) with doped charge transport layers, $Alq_3$ as an electron transport or injection layer. We observed the photovoltaic characteristics of the solar cell devices using the Xe lamp as a light source.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.08a
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• pp.230-230
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• 2012

Graphene have showed promising performance as electrodes of organic devices such as organic transistors, light-emitting diodes, and photovoltaic solar cells. In particular, among various organic materials of graphene-based organic devices, pentacene has been regarded as one of the promising organic material because of its high mobility, chemical stability. In the bottom-contact device configuration generally used as graphene based pentacene devices, the morphology of the organic semiconductors at the interface between a channel and electrode is crucial to efficient charge transport from the electrode to the channel. For the high quality morphology, understanding of initial stages of pentacene growth is essential. In this study, we investigate self-assembly of pentacene molecules on graphene formed on a 6H-SiC (0001) substrate by scanning tunneling microscopy. At sub-monolayer coverage, adsorption of pentacene molecules on epitaxial graphene is affected by $6{\times}6$ pattern originates from the underlying buffer layer. And the orientation of pentacene in the ordered structure is aligned with the zigzag direction of the edge structure of single layer graphene. As coverage increased, intermolecular interactions become stronger than molecule-substrate interaction. As a result, herringbone structures the consequence of higher intermolecular interaction are observed.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.40-49
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• 2001

We have developed a repeatable process of forming uniform, small-size and high-density self-assembled Si nano-crystals. The Si nano-crystals were fabricated in a conventional LPCVD (low pressure chemical vapor deposition) reactor at $620^{\circ}c$ for 15 sec. The nano-crystals were spherical shaped with about 4.5 nm in diameter and density of $5{\times}l0^{11}/$\textrm{cm}^2$. More uniform dots were fabricated on nitride film than on oxide film. To take advantage of the above-mentioned characteristics of nitride film while keeping the high interface quality between the tunneling dielectrics and the Si substrate, nitride-oxide tunneling dielectrics is proposed in n-channel device. For the first time, the single electron effect at room temperature, which shows a saturation of threshold voltage in a range of gate voltages with a periodicity of ${\Delta}Ｖ_{GS}\;{\approx}\;1.7{\;}V$, corresponding to single and multiple electron storage is reported. The feasibility of p-channel nano-crystal memory with thin oxide in direct tunneling regime is demonstrated. The programming mechanisms of p-channel nano-crystal memory were investigated by charge separation technique. For small gate programming voltage, hole tunneling component from inversion layer is dominant. However, valence band electron tunneling component from the valence band in the nano-crystal becomes dominant for large gate voltage. Finally, the comparison of retention between programmed holes and electrons shows that holes have longer retention time.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.54-59
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• 2018

The effect of external DC electric field on atmospheric corrosion behavior of zinc under a thin electrolyte layer (TEL) was investigated by measuring open circuit potential (OCP), cathodic polarization curve, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Results of OCP vs. time curves indicated that the application of external DC electric field resulted in a negative shift of OCP of zinc. Results of cathodic polarization curves measurement and EIS measurement showed that the reduction current of oxygen increased while charge transfer resistance ($R_{ct}$) decreased under the external DC electric field. Variation of OCP negative shift, reduction current of oxygen, and $R_{ct}$ increase with increasing of external DC electric field strength as well as the effect of external DC electric field on double-layer structure in the electrode/electrolyte interface and ions distribution in thin electrolyte layer were analyzed. All results showed that the external DC electric field could accelerate the corrosion of zinc under a thin electrolyte layer.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.163-168
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• 1991

During Compression molding of polymeric composite materials, the flow characteristics should be obtained. Understanding the flow states may be useful for determination of optimum molding conditions, charge pattern etc. So far, for obtaining the flow analysis, no-slip boundary condition was applied on the mold surface. However, The study under consideration of the slip was conducted by Barone and Caulk. They have introduced the nondimensional parameter which is the ratio of viscous to friction resistance and governs the frictional condition. But the method for determining the parameter could not be proposed. In our work, the parameter which explains the interfacial friction is measured under a variety of molding conditions. Two-dimensional rectangular part and circular hollow disk are simulated with the measured parameter using the finite element method. Effects of the parameter on shapes of flow fronts are also presented.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.227-230
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• 2007

In the Li ion battery fabrication process, an aging step has treated as a miner step because there is not so much data to define the relationship between the phenomena generated in aging process and the battery performances. However, the OCV(open circuit voltage) change in the aging process is shown by the electrochemical absorption of the electrolyte component to the both electrodes(anode or cathode) and the absorbed layer to the electrode affects to form the solid electrolyte interface(SEI) layer during the first charge process. In this report, the adsorbed materials are designed deliberately and are cleared to affect to the SEI layer formation.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.200-200
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• 2003

Polycrystalline Si(polysilicon) TFTs have opened a way for the next generation of display devices, due to their higher mobility of charge carriers relative to a-Si TFTs. The polysilicon W applications extend from the current Liquid Crystal Displays to the next generation Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLED) displays. In particular, the OLED devices require a stricter control of properties of gate oxide layer, polysilicon layer, and their interface. The polysilicon layer is generally obtained by annealing thin film a-Si layer using techniques such as solid phase crystallization and excimer laser annealing. Typically laser-crystallized Si films have grain sizes of less than 1 micron, and their electrical/dielectric properties are strongly affected by the presence of grain boundaries. Impedance spectroscopy allows the frequency-dependent measurement of impedance and can be applied to inteface-controlled materials, resolving the respective contributions of grain boundaries, interfaces, and/or surface. Impedance spectroscopy was applied to laser-annealed Si thin films, using the electrodes which are designed specially for thin films. In order to understand the effect of grain size on physical properties, the amorphous Si was exposed to different laser energy densities, thereby varying the grain size of the resulting films. The microstructural characterization was carried out to accompany the electrical/dielectric properties obtained using the impedance spectroscopy, The correlation will be made between Si grain size and the corresponding electrical/dielectric properties. The ramifications will be discussed in conjunction with active-matrix thin film transistors for Active Matrix OLED.