• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.08a
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• pp.97-97
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• 2013

Recently, Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSS), which is one of the In- and Ga- free absorber materials, has been attracted considerable attention as a new candidate for use as an absorber material in thin film solar cells. The CZTSS-based absorber material has outstanding characteristics such as band gap energy of 1.0 eV to 1.5 eV, high absorption coefficient on the order of 104 cm-1, and high theoretical conversion efficiency of 32.2% in thin film solar cells. Despite these promising characteristics, research into CZTSS based thin film solar cells is still incomprehensive and related reports are quite few compared to those for CIGS thin film solar cells, which show high efficiency of over 20%. I will briefly overview the recent technological development of CZTSS thin film solar cells and then introduce our research results mainly related to sputter based process. CZTSS thin film solar cells are prepared by sulfurization of stacked both metallic and sulfide precursors. Sulfurization process was performed in both furnace annealing system and rapid thermal processing system using S powder as well as 5% diluted H2S gas source at various annealing temperatures ranging from $520^{\circ}C$ to $580^{\circ}C$. Structural, optical, microstructural, and electrical properties of absorber layers were characterized using XRD, SEM, TEM, UV-Vis spectroscopy, Hall-measurement, TRPL, etc. The effects of processing parameters, such as composition ratio, sulfurization pressure, and sulfurization temperature on the properties of CZTSS absorber layers will be discussed in detail. CZTSS thin film solar cell fabricated using metallic precursors shows maximum cell efficiency of 6.9% with Jsc of 25.2 mA/cm2, Voc of 469 mV, and fill factor of 59.1% and CZTS thin film solar cell using sulfide precursors shows that of 4.5% with Jsc of 19.8 mA/cm2, Voc of 492 mV, and fill factor of 46.2%. In addition, other research activities in our lab related to the formation of CZTS absorber layers using solution based processes such as electro-deposition, chemical solution deposition, nano-particle formation will be introduced briefly.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.49-55
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• 1997

ZnO thin film had been deposited on the glass by sputtering method, and investigated by optical and electrical properties. When the rf power was 180W and sputtering pressure was $1{\times}10^{-3}$Torr at room temperature, thin lam deposited had strongly oriented c-axis and the lowest resistivity($1{\times}10^{-4}{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$), and then carrier concentration and Hall mobility were $6.27{\times}10^{20}cm^{-3}$ and $22.04cm^{2}/V{\cdot}s$, respectively. Transmittance of ZnO thin film in visible range was above 90%, and this thin film cut of the ultraviolet range below 320nm and the infrared range above 850nm. And after annealing in hydrogen atmosphere, the resistivity of ZnO thin film was somewhat decreased, while obtained as stable state.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.16-20
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• 2016

$Cu_2ZnSnS_4$ (CZTS) thin films were fabricated by successive electrodeposition of layers of precursor elements followed by sulfurization of an electrodeposited Cu-Zn-Sn precursor. In order to improve quality of the CZTS films, we tried to optimize the deposition condition of absorber layers. In particular, I have conducted optimization experiments by changing the Cu-layer deposition time. The CZTS absorber layers were synthesized by different Cu-layer conditions ranging from 10 to 16 minutes. The sulfurization of Cu/Sn/Zn stacked metallic precursor thin films has been conducted in a graphite box using rapid thermal annealing (RTA). The structural, morphological, compositional, and optical properties of CZTS thin films were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray Flourescenece Spectrometry (XRF). Especially, the CZTS TFSCs exhibits the best power conversion efficiency of 4.62% with $V_{oc}$ of 570 mV, $J_{sc}$ of $18.15mA/cm^2$ and FF of 45%. As the time of deposition of the Cu-layer to increasing, the properties were confirmed to be systematically changed. And we have been discussed in detail below.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.294.1-294.1
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• 2016

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) with two-dimensional layered structure, such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and tungsten diselenide (WSe2), are considered attractive materials for future semiconductor devices due to its relatively superior electrical, optical, and mechanical properties. Their excellent scalability down to a monolayer based on the van der Waals layered structure without surface dangling bonds makes semiconductor devices based on TMD free from short channel effect. In comparison to the widely studied transistor based on MoS2, researchs focusing on WSe2 transistor are still limited. WSe2 is more resistant to oxidation in humid ambient condition and relatively air-stable than sulphides such as MoS2. These properties of WSe2 provide potential to fabricate high-performance filed-effect transistor if outstanding electronic characteristics can be achieved by suitable metal contacts and doping phenomenon. Here, we demonstrate the effect of two different metal contacts (titanium and platinum) in field-effect transistor based on WSe2, which regulate electronic characteristics of device by controlling the effective barreier height of the metal-semiconductor junction. Electronic properties of WSe2 transistor were systematically investigated through monitoring of threshold voltage shift, carrier concentration difference, on-current ratio, and field-effect mobility ratio with two different metal contacts. Additionally, performance of transistor based on WSe2 is further enhanced through reliable and controllable n-type doping method of WSe2 by triphenylphosphine (PPh3), which activates the doping phenomenon by thermal annealing process and adjust the doping level by controlling the doping concentration of PPh3. The doping level is controlled in the non-degenerate regime, where performance parameters of PPh3 doped WSe2 transistor can be optimized.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.109.2-109.2
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• 2015

Graphene, as a single layer of $sp^2$-bonded carbon atoms packed into a 2D honeycomb crystal lattice, has attracted much attention due to its outstanding properties such as high carrier mobility, chemical stability, and optical transparency. In order to synthesize high quality graphene, transition metals, such as nickel and copper, have been widely employed as catalysts, which need transfer to desired substrates for various applications. However, the transfer steps inevitably induce defects, impurities, wrinkles, and cracks of graphene. Here, we report a facile transfer-free graphene synthesis method through nickel and carbon co-deposited layer, which does not require separately deposited catalytic nickel and carbon source layers. The 100 nm NiC layer was deposited on the top of $SiO_2/Si$ substrates by nickel and carbon co-deposition. When the sample was annealed at $1000^{\circ}C$, the carbon atoms diffused through the NiC layer and deposited on both sides of the layer to form graphene upon cooling. The remained NiC layer was removed by using nickel etchant, and graphene was then directly obtained on $SiO_2/Si$ without any transfer process. Raman spectroscopy was carried out to confirm the quality of resulted graphene layer. Raman spectra revealed that the resulted graphene was at high quality with low degree of $sp^3$-type structural defects. Furthermore, the Raman analysis results also demonstrated that gas flow ratio (Ar : $CH_4$) during the NiC deposition and annealing temperature significantly influence not only the number of graphene layers but also structural defects. This facile non-transfer process would consequently facilitate the future graphene research and industrial applications.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.23 no.9
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• pp.477-482
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• 2013

We investigated the detection properties of nitrogen monoxide (NO) gas using transparent p-type $CuAlO_2$ thin film gas sensors. The $CuAlO_2$ film was fabricated on an indium tin oxide (ITO)/glass substrate by pulsed laser deposition (PLD), and then the transparent p-type $CuAlO_2$ active layer was formed by annealing. Structural and optical characterizations revealed that the transparent p-type $CuAlO_2$ layer with a thickness of around 200 nm had a non-crystalline structure, showing a quite flat surface and a high transparency above 65 % in the range of visible light. From the NO gas sensing measurements, it was found that the transparent p-type $CuAlO_2$ thin film gas sensors exhibited the maximum sensitivity to NO gas in dry air at an operating temperature of $180^{\circ}C$. We also found that these $CuAlO_2$ thin film gas sensors showed reversible and reliable electrical resistance-response to NO gas in the operating temperature range. These results indicate that the transparent p-type semiconductor $CuAlO_2$ thin films are very promising for application as sensing materials for gas sensors, in particular, various types of transparent p-n junction gas sensors. Also, these transparent p-type semiconductor $CuAlO_2$ thin films could be combined with an n-type oxide semiconductor to fabricate p-n heterojunction oxide semiconductor gas sensors.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.133-141
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• 2015

Influence of Ag nanoparticles on optical and photovoltaic properties of, silicon substrates, silicon solar cells and glass have been investigated. Silver nanoparticles have been fabricated by evaporation of thin Ag layers followed by the thermal annealing. The surface plasmon resonance peak was observed in the absorbance spectrum at 470 nm of glass with deposited silver nanoparticles. It is demonstrated that deposition of silver nanoparticles on silicon substrates was accompanied with a significant decrease in reflectance at the wavelength 360-1100 nm and increase of the absorption at wavelengths close to the band gap for Si substrates. We studied influence of Ag nanoparticles on photovoltaic characteristics of silicon solar cells without and with common use antireflection coating (ARC). It is shown that silver nanoparticles deposited onto the front surface of the solar cells without ARC led to increase in the photocurrent density by 39% comparing to cells without Ag nanoparticles. Contrary to this, solar cells with Ag nanoparticles deposited on front surface with ARC discovered decrease in photocurrent density. The improved performance of investigated cells was attributed to Ag-plasmonic excitations that reduce the reflectance from the silicon surface and ultimately leads to the enhanced light absorption in the cell. This study showed possibility of application of Ag nanoparticles for the improvement of the conversion efficiency of waferbased silicon solar cells instead of usual ARC.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.215-230
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• 2017

The development of hybrid systems comprising nanoparticles and polymers is an opening pathway for engineering nanocomposites exhibiting outstanding mechanical, optical, electrical, and magnetic properties. Among inorganic counterpart, iron oxide nanoparticles (IONP) exhibit high magnetization, controllable surface chemistry, spintronic properties, and biological compatibility. These characteristics enable them as a platform for biomedical applications and building blocks for bottom-up approaches, such as the layer-by-layer (LbL). In this regard, the present study is addressed to investigate IONP synthesised through co-precipitation route (average diameter around 7 nm), with either positive or negative surface charges, LbL assembled with sodium sulfonated polystyrene (PSS) or polyaniline (PANI). The surface and internal morphologies, and electrochemical properties of these nanocomposites were probed with atomic force microscopy, UV-vis and Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy, and electrochemical measurements. The nanocomposites display a globular morphology with IONP densely packed while surface dressed by polyelectrolytes. The investigation of the effect of thermal annealing (300 up to $600^{\circ}C$) on the oxidation process of IONP assembled with PSS was performed using Raman spectroscopy. Our findings showed that PSS protects IONP from oxidation/phase transformation to hematite up to $400^{\circ}C$. The electrochemical performance of nanocomposite comprising IONP and PANI were investigated in $0.5mol{\times}L^{-1}$ $Na_2SO_4$ electrolyte solution by cyclic voltammetry and chronopotentiometry. Our findings indicate this structure as promising candidate for potential application as electrodes for supercapacitors.

• Journal of Satellite, Information and Communications
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.90-94
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• 2015

We stuidied liauid crystal alignment treatment using solution process for making thin oxide layer in liquid crystal display. It is the one of very effient and popular process in making thin oxide layer in electronical industrial fields. Particularly, this process has highly potential value in liquid crystal display industrial fields because it cause automatically induced alignment process without tranditional alignment process in liquid crystal alignment process. We made several different kinds of mol density solutions using strontium oxide solution. And those solutions were treated for solidification layers using annealing process for 2 hours. And we stuided pretilt angle properties of these alignment layers of strontium oxide for clarifying the relationship of liquid crystal molecules and thin strontium oxide layer. And we also tested the existence of strontium oxide thin layer on substrate using XPS measurement. We expected the hig gain of electro-optical properties in liquid crystal display using strontium oxide thin layer because it has high K property material than the other metal-based oxide layers. In this results, we measured 1.447 to 1.613 thresholds volts as 0.1 mol to 0.4 mol density in 0.1 mol density steps. This is significant better characteristics than conventional liquid crystal display as higher than 1.85 thresholds volts. And it make possible to making next-generation liquid crystal display which present low-power consumption and wide gray scale in liquid crystal display.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.129-130
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• 2006

A stoichiometric mixture of evaporating materials for $CdIn_2S_4$ single crystal thin films was prepared from horizontal furnace. To obtain the single crystal thin films, $CdIn_2S_4$ mixed crystal was deposited on thoroughly etched semi-insulating GaAs(100) substrate by hot wall epitaxy(HWE) system. The source and substrate temperatures were $630^{\circ}C$ and $420^{\circ}C$, respectively. After the as-grown $CdIn_2S_4$ single crystal thin films was annealed in Cd-, S-, and In-atmospheres, the origin of point defects of $CdIn_2S_4$ single crystal thin films has been investigated by the photoluminescence(PL) at 10 K. The native defects of $V_{cd}$, $V_s$, $Cd_{int}$, and $S_{int}$, obtained by PL measurements were classified as a donors or acceptors type. And we concluded that the heat-treatment m the S-atmosphere converted $CdIn_2S_4$ single crystal thin films to an optical p-type. Also. we confirmed that In in $CdIn_2S_4$/GaAs did not form the native defects because In in $CdIn_2S_4$ single crystal thin films existed in the form of stable bonds.