• Journal of Surface Science and Engineering
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.116-125
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• 2018

Aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) is a commonly used material for the front contact layer of chalcopyrite $CuInGaSe_2$ (CIGS) based thin film solar cells since it satisfies the requisite optical and electrical properties with low cost and abundant elemental availability. Low-resistivity and high-transmission front contacts have been developed for high-performance CIGS solar cells, and nearly meet the required performance. However, the durability of the cell especially for the corrosion resistance of AZO films has not been studied intensively. In this work, AZO films were prepared on Corning glass 7059 substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering depending on the hydrogen content. The electrical and optical properties and electrochemical corrosion resistance of the AZO films were evaluated as a function of the hydrogen content. With increasing hydrogen content to 6 wt%, the crystallinity, crystal size, and surface roughness of the films increased, and the resistivity decreased with increased carrier concentration, Hall mobility, oxygen vacancies, and $Zn(OH)_2$ binding on the AZO surface. At a hydrogen content of 6 wt%, the corrosion resistance was also relatively high with less columnar morphology, shallow pore channels, and lower grain boundary angles.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.02a
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• pp.72-72
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• 2011

Recently, Zinc oxide (ZnO) nano-structures have been received attractive attention because of their outstanding optical and electrical properties. It might be a promising material considered for applications to photonic and electronic devices such as ultraviolet light emitting diode, thin film transistor, and gas sensors. ZnO nano-structures can be typically synthesized by the VLS growth mode and self-assembly. In the VLS growth mode using various growth techniques, the noble metal catalysts such as Au and Sn were used. However, the growth of ZnO nano-structures on nano-crystalline Au seeds using radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering might be explained by the profile coating, i.e. the ZnO nano-structures were a morphological replica of Au seeds. Ga doped ZnO (ZnO:Ga) nano-structures using this concept were synthesized and characterized by XRD, AFM, SEM, and TEM. We found that surface morphology is drastically changed from initial islands to later sun-flower typed nano-structures. We will present the structural evolution of ZnO:Ga nano-structures with increasing the film thickness.

• Journal of Surface Science and Engineering
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.322-328
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• 2015

We investigated the diffusion behaviors, electrical properties, microstructures, and composition of In-Ga-Zn-O (IGZO) oxide thin films deposited by radio frequency reactive magnetron sputtering with increasing annealing temperatures. The samples were deposited at room temperature and then annealed at 300, 400, 500, 600 and $700^{\circ}C$ in air ambient for 2 h. According to the results of time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, no diffusion of In, Ga, and Zn components were observed at 300, 400, 500, $600^{\circ}C$, but there was a diffusion at $700^{\circ}C$. However, for the sample annealed at $700^{\circ}C$, considerable diffusion occurred. Especially, the concentration of In and Ga components were similar at the IGZO thin film but were decreased near the interface between the IGZO and glass substrate, while the concentration of Zn was decreased at the IGZO thin film and some Zn were partially diffused into the glass substrate. The high-resolution transmission electron microscopy results showed that a phase change at the interface between IGZO film and glass substrate began to occur at $500^{\circ}C$ and an unidentified crystalline phase was observed at the interface between IGZO film and glass substrate due to a rapid change in composition of In, Ga and Zn at $700^{\circ}C$. The best values of electron mobility of $15.5cm^2/V{\cdot}s$ and resistivity of $0.21{\Omega}cm$ were obtained from the sample annealed at $600^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Surface Science and Engineering
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.201-207
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• 2023

Eu³⁺-doped SnO² (SnO²:Eu³⁺) phosphor thin films were grown on quartz substrates by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. The deposition temperature was varied from 100 to 400 ℃. The X-ray diffraction patterns showed that all the thin films had two mixed phases of SnO₂ and Eu₂Sn₂O₇. The 880 nmthick SnO²:Eu³⁺ thin film grown at 100 ℃ exhibited numerous pebble-shaped particles. The excitation spectra of SnO²:Eu³⁺ thin films consisted of a strong and broad peak at 312 nm in the vicinity from 250 to 350 nm owing to the O^2--Eu3+ charge transfer band, irrespective of deposition temperature. Upon 312 nm excitation, the SnO²:Eu³⁺ thin films showed a main emission peak at 592 nm arising from the ⁵D₀→⁷F₁ transition and a weak 615 nm red band originating from the ⁵D₀→⁷F₂ transition of Eu³⁺. As the deposition temperature increased, the emission intensities of two bands increased rapidly, approached a maximum at 100 ℃, and then decreased slowly at 400 ℃. The thin film deposited at 200 ℃ exhibited a band gap energy of 3.81 eV and an average transmittance of 73.7% in the wavelength range of 500-1100 nm. These results indicate that the luminescent intensity of SnO²:Eu³⁺ thin films can be controlled by changing the deposition temperature.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.155-164
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• 1994

A conventional Grimm-type glow discharge source was constructed and applied to radio-frequency(13.56MHz) discharge for metal and ceramic analysis. We investigated the emission spectrum for aluminium and aluminium oxide and the influence of discharge operating paramaters including argon pressure, rf-power and DC-bias voltages at the sample-side electrode. Scanning Electron Microscope(SEM) also was used to investigate the effect of rf-sputtering on the microstructure formation of the aluminium oxide. Linear analytical calibration curves were constructed for Manganese and zinc element in samples of low alloy steel(BAS 401-405) and brass(NIST 1108-1117).

• Journal of Surface Science and Engineering
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.9-14
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• 2020

CuS (copper sulfide) thin films having the same thickness of 100nm were deposited on the glass substrates using by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering method. RF powers were applied as a process variable for the growth of CuS thin films. The structural and optical properties of CuS thin films deposited under different power conditions (40-100W) were studied. XRD analysis revealed that all CuS thin films had hexagonal crystal structure with the preferential growth of (110) planes. As the sputtering power increased, the relative intensity of the peak with respect to the (110) planes decreased. The peaks of the two bands (264cm^-1 and 474cm^-1) indicated in the Raman spectrum exactly matched the typical spectral values of the covellite (CuS). The size and shape of the grains constituting the surface of the CuS thin films deposited under the power condition ranging from 40W to 80W hardly changed. However, the spacing between crystal grains tended to increase in proportion to the increase in sputtering power. The maximum transmittance of CuS thin films grown at 40W to 80W ranged from 50 % to 51 % based on 580nm wavelength, and showed a relatively small decrease of 48% at 100W. The band gap energy of the CuS thin films decreased from 2.62eV (at 40W) to 2.56eV (at 100W) as the sputtering power increased.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.242-245
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• 2013

Sn-doped $In_2O_3$ (ITO) thin films were prepared by radio frequency magnetron sputtering without intentional substrate heating on bare glass and $TiO_2$-deposited glass substrates to investigate the effect of a $TiO_2$ buffer layer on the electrical and optical properties of ITO films. The thicknesses of $TiO_2$ and ITO films were kept constant at 5 and 100 nm, respectively. As-deposited ITO single layer films show an optical transmittance of 75.9%, while $ITO/TiO_2$ bi-layered films show a lower transmittance of 76.1%. However, as-deposited $ITO/TiO_2$ films show a lower resistivity ($9.87{\times}10^{-4}{\Omega}cm$) than that of ITO single layer films. In addition, the work function of the ITO film is affected by the $TiO_2$ buffer layer, with the $ITO/TiO_2$ films having a higher work-function (5.0 eV) than that of the ITO single layer films. The experimental results indicate that a 5-nm-thick $TiO_2$ buffer layer on the $ITO/TiO_2$ films results in better performance than conventional ITO single layer films.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.9
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• pp.3395-3399
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• 2011

Copper oxide thin films were synthesized by reactive radio frequency magnetron sputtering at different oxygen gas ratios. The chemical and physical properties of the thin films were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). XPS results revealed that the dominant oxidation states of Cu were $Cu^0$ and $Cu^+$ at 0% oxygen ratio. When the oxygen ratios increased above 5%, Cu was oxidized as CuO as detected by X-ray induced Auger electron spectroscopy and the $Cu(OH)_2$ phase was confirmed independent of the oxygen ratio. The valence band maxima were $1.19{\pm}0.09$ eV and an increase in the density of states was confirmed after formation of CuO. The thickness and roughness of copper oxide thin films decreased with increasing oxygen ratio. The crystallinity of the copper oxide films changed from cubic Cu through cubic $Cu_2O$ to monoclinic CuO with mean crystallite sizes of 8.8 nm (Cu) and 16.9 nm (CuO) at the 10% oxygen ratio level.

• Electrical & Electronic Materials
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.77-82
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• 1995

PTCR(Positive Temperature Coefficient of Resistivity) thermistor in thin film BaTiO$_{3}$ system was prepared by using radio frequency(13.56 MHz) and DC magnetron sputter equipment. Polycrystalline, surface structure, and R-T(Resistivity-Temperature) characteristics of the specimens were measured by X-ray diffraction(D-Max3, Rigaku, Japan), SEM(Scanning Electron Microscopy: M.JSM84 01, Japan), and insulation resistance measuring system (Keithley 719), respectively. Thin films characteristics of the thermistor showed different properties depending on the substrate even with the same sputtering condition. The thin film formed on the A1$_{2}$O$_{3}$ substrate showed a good crystalline and a low resistivity at below curie point. However, the thin films prepared on slide glass and Si wafer were amorphous. The thicknesses of the three samples prepared under the same process conditions were 700[.angs.], 637.75[.angs.], and 715[.angs.], respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.303-310
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• 2010

We fabricated $La_{0.6}Sr_{0.4}MnO_3$ thin films using radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. They were grown on sapphire substrates with various deposition conditions. After the growth of the $La_{0.6}Sr_{0.4}MnO_3$ thin films, they were annealed at various temperatures to be crystallized. We successfully fabricated single phase $La_{0.6}Sr_{0.4}MnO_3$ thin films with high electrical conductivity. The room temperature resistivity was $1.5{\times}10^{-2}{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$. It can be considered that $La_{0.6}Sr_{0.4}MnO_3$ thin films are one of the feasible candidates for electrodes for integrated device applications.