• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.96-96
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• 2016

Nanotechnology mostly employs nano-materials and nano-structures with distinctive properties based on their size, structure, and composition. It is quite difficult to produce nano-materials and nano-structures with identical sizes, structures, and compositions in large quantities, because of spatiotemporal fluctuation of production processes. In other words, fluctuation is the bottleneck in nanotechnology. We propose three strategies to suppress such fluctuations: employing 1) difference between linear and nonlinear phenomena, 2) difference in time constants, and 3) nucleation as a bottleneck phenomenon. We are also developing nano- and micro-scale guided assembly using plasmas as a plasma nanofabrication.1-5) We manipulate nano- and micro-objects using electrostatic, electromagnetic, ion drag, neutral drag, and optical forces. The accuracy of positioning the objects depends on fluctuation of position and energy of an object in plasmas. Here we evaluate such fluctuations and discuss the mechanism behind them. We conducted in-situ evaluation of local plasma potential fluctuation using tracking analysis of fine particles (=objects) in plasmas. Experiments were carried out with a radio frequency low-pressure plasma reactor, where we set two quartz windows at the top and bottom of the reactor. Ar plasmas were generated at 200 Pa by applying 13.56MHz, 450V peak-to-peak voltage. The injected fine particles were monodisperse methyl methacrylate-polymer spheres of $10{\mu}m$ in diameter. Fine particles were injected into the reactor and were suspended around the plasma/sheath boundary near the powered electrode. We observed binary collision of fine particles with a high-speed camera. The frame rate was 1000-10000 fps. Time evolution of their distance from the center of mass was measured by tracking analysis of the two particles. Kinetic energy during the collision was obtained from the result. Potential energy formed between the two particles was deduced by assuming the potential energy plus the kinetic energy is constant. The interaction potential is fluctuated during the collision. Maximum amplitude of the fluctuation is 25eV, and the average is 8eV. The fluctuation can be caused by neutral molecule collisions, ion collisions, and fluctuation of electrostatic force. Among theses possible causes, fluctuation of electrostatic force may be main one, because the fine particle has a large negative charge of -17000e and the corresponding electrostatic force is large compared to other forces.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Illuminating and Electrical Installation Engineers
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.24-31
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• 2005

A plused laser ablation deposition(PLAD) technique has been used for producing fine particle as well as thin film at relatively low substrate temperatures. However, in order to manufacture and evaluate such materials in detail, motions of plume particles generated by laser ablation have to be understood and interactions between the particles by ablation and gas plasma have to be clarified. Therefore this paper was focused on the understanding of plume motion in laser ablation assisted by hi plasmas at 100[mTorr]. One-dimensional hybrid model consisting of fluid and particle models was developed and three kinds of plume particles which are carbon atom(C), $ion(C^+)$ and electron were considered in the calculation of particle method. It was obtained that ablated $C^+$ was electrically captured in Ar plasmas by strong electric field(E). The difference between motions of the ablated electrons and $C^+$ made E strong and the collisional processes active. The energies of plume particles were investigated on a substrate surface. In addition the plume motion in Ar gas was also calculated and discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.267-274
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• 1997

Silicon shallow trenches applied to the STI (Shallow Trench Isolation) of integrated circuits were etched using inductively coupled $Cl_2$ and HBr/$Cl_2$ plasmas and the effects of process parameters on the etch profiles of silicon trenches and the physical damages on the trench sidewall and bottom were investigated. The increase of inductive power and bias voltage in $Cl_2$ and HBr/$Cl_2$ plasmas increased polysilicon etch rates in general, but reduced the etch selectivities over nitride. In case of $Cl_2$ plasma, low inductive power and high bias voltage showed an anisotropic trench etch profile, and also the addition of oxygen or nitrogen to chlorine increased the etch anisotropy. The use of pure HBr showed a positively angled etch profile and the addition of $Cl_2$ to HBr improved the etch profile more anisotropically. HRTEM study showed physical defects formed on the silicon trench surfaces etched in $Cl_2/N_2$ or HBr/ $Cl_2$ plasmas.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.189-194
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• 2008

Measurements with a Langmuir probe, which are the most often used procedures of plasma diagnostics, can disturb plasma flows and change its characteristics quite a little because the probe should be inserted into thermal flowing plasmas. In this study, we calculated the characteristics of thermal plasmas with and without the probe into an atmospheric argon free-burning arc numerically, and investigated aerodynamic and thermal disturbances with temperature and axial velocity distributions. For the modelling of thermal plasmas, we have made two governing equations, which are on the thermal-flow and electromagnetic fields, coupled together with a commercial CFD package and user-coded subroutines. It was found that thermal disturbances happened to both sides of the probe, before and behind, seriously. Due to the aerodynamic disturbance, we could find that there were the stagnation point in front of the probe and the wake behind it. Therefore, aerodynamic and thermal disturbances caused by the probe insertion should be considered to increase the reliability of the probe diagnostics.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2006.12a
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• pp.96-100
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• 2006

A pulsed laser ablation deposition (PLAD) technique is an excellent method for the fabrication of amorphous carbon (a-C) films. This paper was focused on the understanding and analysis of the motion of carbon atom (C) and carbon ion ($C^+$) particles in laser ablation assisted by Ar plasmas. The simulation has carried out under the pressure P=10~100 mTorr of Ar plasmas. Two-dimensional hybrid model consisting of fluid and Monte-Carlo models was developed and three kinds of the ablated particles which are C, $C^+$ and electron were considered in the calculation of particle method. The motions of energetic $C^+$ and C deposited upon the substrate were investigated and compared.

• KIEE International Transactions on Electrophysics and Applications
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• v.4C no.5
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• pp.220-229
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• 2004

We have examined a technique of one-dimensional (1D) fluid modeling for radio-frequency Ar capacitively coupled plasmas (CCP) between unequal-sized powered and grounded electrodes. In order to simulate a practical CCP reactor configuration with a grounded side wall by the 1D model, it has been assumed that the discharge space has a conic frustum shape; the grounded electrode is larger than the powered one and the discharge space expands with the distance from the powered electrode. In this paper, we focus on how much a 1D model can approximate a 2D model and evaluate their comparisons. The plasma density calculated by the 1D model has been compared with that by a two-dimensional (2D) fluid model, and a qualitative agreement between them has been obtained. In addition, 1D and 2D calculation results for another reactor configuration with equal-sized electrodes have also been presented together for comparison. In the discussion, four CCP models, which are 1D and 2D models with symmetric and asymmetric geometries, are compared with each other and the DC self-bias voltage has been focused on as a characteristic property that reflects the unequal electrode surface areas. Reactor configuration and experimental parameters, which the self-bias depends on, have been investigated to develop the ID modeling for reactor geometry with unequal-sized electrodes.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.261-266
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• 1998

Since the particles are highly charged in process plasmas, the dynamics of the particles are concerned principally with the effect of the charging amount and polarity. In order to investigate the charging effect of the particles in the plasmas, the known sizes of the mono-dispersed particles with 0.05$\mu\textrm{m}$, 0.07$\mu\textrm{m}$, 0.1$\mu\textrm{m}$and 0.2$\mu\textrm{m}$ diameter are introduced into the DC air-plasmas. The characteristics of the charged particles are measured with a Faraday cup. Results show that the particle charging polarity depends on the concentrations and sizes of the particles and the condition of plasma generation, operating pressure, and power. It is also found that the number of charges per a particle is in the ranges of $10^3$~$ 10^5$.

• Journal of electromagnetic engineering and science
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.169-177
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• 2017

The role of electromagnetic (EM) waves in magnetic fusion plasma-ranging from radio frequency (RF) to microwaves-has been extremely important, and understanding of EM wave propagation and related technology in this field has significantly advanced magnetic fusion plasma research. Auxiliary heating and current drive systems, aided by various forms of high-power RF and microwave sources, have contributed to achieving the required steady-state operation of plasmas with high temperatures (i.e., up to approximately 10 keV; 1 eV=10000 K) that are suitable for future fusion reactors. Here, various resonance values and cut-off characteristics of wave propagation in plasmas with a nonuniform magnetic field are used to optimize the efficiency of heating and current drive systems. In diagnostic applications, passive emissions and active sources in this frequency range are used to measure plasma parameters and dynamics; in particular, measurements of electron cyclotron emissions (ECEs) provide profile information regarding electron temperature. Recent developments in state-of-the-art 2D microwave imaging systems that measure fluctuations in electron temperature and density are largely based on ECE. The scattering process, phase delays, reflection/diffraction, and the polarization of actively launched EM waves provide us with the physics of magnetohydrodynamic instabilities and transport physics.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.02a
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• pp.98-99
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• 2012

Deposition of thin films using magnetron sputtering plasmas is a well-developed, classical technology. However, detailed investigations using advanced diagnostics are insufficient in magnetron sputtering, in comparison with plasma-aided dry etching and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. In this talk, we will show examples of diagnostic works on magnetron sputtering employing metal targets. Diagnostic methods which have fine spatial resolutions are suitable for magnetron sputtering plasmas since they have significant spatial distributions. We are using two-dimensional laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy, in which the plasma space is illuminated by a tunable laser beam with a planer shape. A charge-coupled device camera with a gated image intensifier is used for taking the picture of the image of laser-induced fluorescence formed on the planer laser beam. The picture of laser-induced fluorescence directly represents the two-dimensional distribution of the atom density probed by the tunable laser beam, when an intense laser with a relatively wide line-width is used. When a weak laser beam with a relatively narrow linewidth is used, the laser-induced fluorescence represents the density distribution of atoms which feel the laser wavelength to be resonant via the Doppler shift corresponding to their velocities. In this case, we can obtain the velocity distribution function of atoms by scanning the wavelength of the laser beam around the line center.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.08a
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• pp.121-121
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• 2011

Graphene formed by chemical vapor deposition was exposed to the various plasmas of Ar, O2, N2, and H2 to examine its effects on the bonding properties of graphene to metal. Upon the Ar plasma exposure of patterned graphene, the subsequently deposited metal electrodes remained intact, enabling successful fabrication of field effect transistor (FET) arrays. The effects of enhancing adhesion between graphene and metals were more evident from O2 plasmas than Ar, N2, and H2 plasmas, suggesting that chemical reaction of O radicals induces hydrophilic property of graphene more effectively than chemical reaction of H and N radicals and physical bombardment of Ar ions. From the electrical measurements (drain current vs. gate voltage) of field effect transistors before and after Ar plasma exposure, it was confirmed that the plasma treatment is very effective in controlling bonding properties of graphene to metals accurately without requiring buffer layers.