• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.02a
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• pp.154-154
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• 2012

Flexible complementary inverters based on thin-film transistors (TFTs) are important because they have low power consumption and high voltage gain compared to single type circuits. We have manufactured flexible complementary inverters using pentacene and amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) for the p-channel and n-channel, respectively. The circuits were fabricated on polyimide (PI) substrate. Firstly, a thin poly-4-vinyl phenol (PVP) layer was spin coated on PI substrate to make a smooth surface with rms surface roughness of 0.3 nm, which was required to grow high quality IGZO layers. Then, Ni gate electrode was deposited on the PVP layer by e-beam evaporator. 400-nm-thick PVP and 20-nm-thick ALD Al2O3 dielectric was deposited in sequence as a double gate dielectric layer for high flexibility and low leakage current. Then, IGZO and pentacene semiconductor layers were deposited by rf sputter and thermal evaporator, respectively, using shadow masks. Finally, Al and Au source/drain electrodes of 70 nm were respectively deposited on each semiconductor layer using shadow masks by thermal evaporator. The characteristics of TFTs and inverters were evaluated at different bending radii. The applied strain led to change in voltage transfer characteristics of complementary inverters as well as source-drain saturation current, field effect mobility and threshold voltage of TFTs. The switching threshold voltage of fabricated inverters was decreased with increasing bending radius, which is related to change in parameters of TFTs. Throughout the bending experiments, relationship between circuit performance and TFT characteristics under mechanical deformation could be elucidated.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.02a
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• pp.479-479
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• 2011

Flexible inverters based on complementary thin-film transistor (CTFTs) are important because they have low power consumption and other advantages over single type TFT inverters. In addition, integrated CTFTs in flexible electronic circuits on low-cost, large area and mechanically flexible substrates have potentials in various applications such as radio-frequency identification tags (RFIDs), sensors, and backplanes for flexible displays. In this work, we introduce flexible complementary inverters using pentacene and amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) for the p-channel and n-channel, respectively. The CTFTs were fabricated on polyimide (PI) substrate. Firstly, a thin poly-4-vinyl phenol (PVP) layer was spin coated on PI substrate to make a smooth surface with rms surface roughness of 0.3 nm, which was required to grow high quality IGZO layers. Then, Ni gate electrode was deposited on the PVP layer by e-beam evaporator. 400-nm-thick PVP and 20-nm-thick ALD Al2O3 dielectric was deposited in sequence as a double gate dielectric layer for high flexibility and low leakage current. Then, IGZO and pentacene semiconductor layers were deposited by rf sputter and thermal evaporator, respectively, using shadow masks. Finally, Al and Au source/drain electrodes of 70 nm were respectively deposited on each semiconductor layer using shadow masks by thermal evaporator. Basic electrical characteristics of individual transistors and the whole CTFTs were measured by a semiconductor parameter analyzer (HP4145B, Agilent Technologies) at room temperature in the dark. Performance of those devices then was measured under static and dynamic mechanical deformation. Effects of cyclic bending were also examined. The voltage transfer characteristics (Vout- Vin) and voltage gain (-dVout/dVin) of flexible inverter circuit were analyzed and the effects of mechanical bending will be discussed in detail.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.88-94
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• 2003

Electromyogram (EMG) is the bioelectric signal induced by motor nerves. Analyzing EMG with the movement produced by muscle contraction, we can provide input commands to a computer as a man-machine interface as well as can evaluate the patient's motional abnormality. In this paper, we developed an integrated miniaturized device which acquires and transmits the surface EMG of an interested muscle. Developed system measures $60{\times}40{\times}25mm$, weighs 100g. Using an amplifier circuitry on the electrodes and the radio frequency transmission, the developed system dispenses with the use of cables among the electrodes, amplifier, and the post processing system (personal computer). The wiring used in conventional systems can be obstacle for natural motion and source of motion artifacts. In results, the developed system improves not only the signal-to-noise ration in dynamic EMG measurement, but also the user convenience. We propose a new human-computer interface as well as a dynamic EMG measurement system as a possible application of the developed system.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.28-33
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• 2003

Ginsenosides, major active ingredients of Panax ginseng, are known to regulate excitatory ligand-gated ion channel activity such as nicotinic acetylcholine and NMDA receptor channel activity. However, it is not known whether ginsenosides affect inhibitory ligand-gated ion channel activity. We investigated the effect of ginsenosides on human recombinant $GABA_A$ receptor (${\alpha}_1{\beta}_1{\gamma}_{2s}$) channel activity expressed in Xenopus oocytes using a two-electrode voltage-clamp technique. Among the eight individual ginsenosides examined, namely, $Rb_1$, $Rb_2$, Rc, Rd, Re, Rf, $Rg_1$ and $Rg_2$, we found that Rc most potently enhanced the GABA-induced inward peak current ($I_{GABA}$). Ginsenoside Rc alone induced an inward membrane current in certain batches of oocytes expressing the $GABA_A$ receptor. The effect of ginsenoside Rc on $I_{GABA}$ was both dose-dependent and reversible. The half-stimulatory concentration ($EC_{50}$) of ginsenoside Rc was 53.2$\pm$12.3 $\mu$M. Both bicuculline, a $GABA_A$ receptor antagonist, and picrotoxin, a $GABA_A$ channel blocker, blocked the stimulatory effect of ginsenoside Rc on $I_{GABA}$. Niflumic acid (NFA) and 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS), both $CI^{-1}$ channel blockers, attenuated the effect of ginsenoside Rc on I$I_{GABA}$. This study suggests that ginsenosides regulated $GABA_A$ receptor expressed in Xenopus oocytes and implies that this regulation might be one of the pharmacological actions of Panax ginseng.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2008.06a
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• pp.411-412
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• 2008

We have studied a property change of organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) due to an indium tin oxide (ITO) surface reformation. The characteristics of OLED were improved by oxygen plasma processing of an ITO in this work. ITO is widely used as a transparent electrode in light-emitting devices, and the OLED device performance is sensitive to the surface properties of the ITO. The OLED devices with the structure of ITO/TPD(50nm)/$Alq_3$(70nm)/LiF(0.5nm)/Al(100nm) were fabricated, and the surface properties of ITO were investigated by using various characterization techniques. The oxygen plasma process of an ITO was processed by using RF power of 125W and oxygen partial pressure of $2\times10^{-2}$ Torr. The oxygen plasma processing of an ITO processed for 0/1/2/3/4min. Current-voltage-luminance characteristics of the devices show that turn-on voltage is 4V for 2min device and the luminance reaches about 27,000cd/$m^2$ for 4min device. The current efficiency shows that 3min device becomes saturated to be about 8cd/ A. They show that emission was from the $Alq_3$ layer, because the peak wavelength is about 525nm. View angle-dependent emission spectra show that the emission intensity decreases as the angle increases.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.303-308
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• 2011

The Gallium-doped ZnO(GZO) film deposited at a temperature of $200^{\circ}C$ and a pressure of 10 mtorr has an optical transmittance of 89.0% and a resistivity of $2.0\;m{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$ because of its high crystallinity. Effect of $Al_2O_3$ oxide buffer layers on the optical and electrical properties of sputtered ZnO films were intensively investigated for developing the electrodes of opto-electronic devices which demanded high optical transmittance and low resistivity. The use of $Al_2O_3$ buffer layer could increase optical transmittance of GZO film to 90.7% at a wavelength of 550 nm by controlling optical spectrum. Resistivity of deposited GZO films were much dependent on the deposition condition of $O_2/(Ar+O_2)$ flow rate ratio during the buffer layer deposition. It is considered that the $Al_2O_3$ buffer layer could increase the carrier concentration of the GZO films by doping effect of diffused Al atoms through the rough interface.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.32-35
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• 2008

Thermally stable diffusion barrier of tungsten carbon nitride(W-C-N) and of tungsten boron carbon nitride(W-B-C-N) thin films have studied to investigate the impurity behaviors of boron and nitrogen. In this paper we newly deposited tungsten boron carbon nitride(W-B-C-N) thin film for various $W_2B$ target power on silicon substrate. The impurities of the 100nm-thick W-C-N and W-B-C-N thin films provide stuffing effect for preventing the inter-diffusion between W-C-N or W-B-C-N thin films and silicon during the high temperature($700^{\circ}C{\sim}1000^{\circ}C$) annealing process.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.291-295
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• 1999

$NiFe/Co/Al_2O_3/Co/IrMn$ tunneling junctions were grown on (100)Si wafer and their spin-valve tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) was studied. The tunneling junctions were grown by using a 5-gun RF/DC magnetron sputter. $Al_2O_3$ barrier layer was formed by exposing Al layer to oxygen atmosphere at 6$0^{\circ}C$ for 72 hours. Strong exchange coupling interaction is observed between the ferromagnetic Co and the antiferromagnetic IrMn of Co/IrMn bilayer when IrMn is 100$\AA$ thick. $NiFe(183\;{\AA})/Co(17\;{\AA})/Al_2O_3(16\;{\AA})/Co(100\;{\AA})/IrMn(100\;{\AA})$ tunneling junction shows best TMR ratio of about 10% in the applied magnetic field range of $\pm$20 Oe. The TMR ratio is improved about 23% and electrical resistance is decreased about 34% when annealed at 200 $^{\circ}C$ for 1 hour in magnetic field of 330 Oe, parallel to the bottom electrode. With increasing the active area of junction the TMR ratio increases while electrical resistance decreases.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers C
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.319-325
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• 1999

Direct current(d.c.)leakage current voltage characteristics of radio-frequencymagnetron sputtered BaTa\sub 2\O\sub 6\ film capacitors with aluminum(A1) top and indium tin oxide (ITO) bottom electrodes have been investigatedas a function of applied field and temperature. In order to study surfacetreatment effect on the electrical characteristics of as-deposited film weperformed exposure of oxygen plasma on $BaTa_2O_6$ surface. d. c.current-voltage (I-V), bipolar pulse charge-voltage (Q-V), d. c. current-time (I-t) andcapacitance-frequency (C-f) analysis were performed on films. All ofthe films exhibita low leakage current, a high breakdown field strength (3MV/cm-4.5MV/cm), and high dielectric constant (20-30). From the temperature dependence of leakage current,we can conclude that the dominant conduction mechanism is ascribed toSchottky emission at high electric field (>1MV/cm) and hopping conduction at lowelectric field (<1MV/cm). According to our results, the oxide plasma surfacetreatmenton as-deposited $BaTa_2O_6$ resulted in lowering interfacebarrier height and thus, leakage current when a negative voltage applied to the A1 electrode. This can be explained by reduction of surface contamination via etching surface and filling defects such as oxygen vacancies.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.276-279
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• 2004

Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) of silicon nitride (SiN) is a proven technique for obtaining layers that meet the needs of surface passivation and anti-reflection coating. In addition, the deposition process appears to provoke bulk passivation as well due to diffusion of atomic hydrogen. This bulk passivation is an important advantage of PECVD deposition when compared to the conventional CVD techniques. A further advantage of PECVD is that the process takes place at a relatively low temperature of 300t, keeping the total thermal budget of the cell processing to a minimum. In this work SiN deposition was performed using a horizontal PECVD reactor system consisting of a long horizontal quartz tube that was radiantly heated. Special and long rectangular graphite plates served as both the electrodes to establish the plasma and holders of the wafers. The electrode configuration was designed to provide a uniform plasma environment for each wafer and to ensure the film uniformity. These horizontally oriented graphite electrodes were stacked parallel to one another, side by side, with alternating plates serving as power and ground electrodes for the RF power supply. The plasma was formed in the space between each pair of plates. Also this paper deals with the fabrication of multicrystalline silicon solar cells with PECVD SiN layers combined with high-throughput screen printing and RTP firing. Using this sequence we were able to obtain solar cells with an efficiency of 14% for polished multi crystalline Si wafers of size 125 m square.