• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.226-237
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• 2011

W-ZrC and W-HfC composite powders were fabricated by the Plasma Alloying & Spheroidization (PAS) method and the powders were sprayed into hybrid coating layers by using Low Vacuum Plasma Spray (LVPS) process, respectively. Microstructure, mechanical properties, and ablation characteristics of the fabricated coating layers were investigated. The LVPS process led to successful production of W-Carbide hybrid coatings, approximately 400 ${\mu}M$ or above in thickness. As the substrate preheating temperature increased from $870^{\circ}C$ to $917^{\circ}C$, the hardness of the W-ZrC coating layer increased due to decreased porosity. Vickers hardness showed higher value (about 108.4 HV) in W-ZrC hybrid coating material compared to that of W-HfC while adhesive strength was found to be similar in both coating layers. The plasma torch test revealed good ablation resistance of the W-Carbide hybrid coating layers. The relatively high performance W-ZrC coating layer at the elevated temperature is thought to be attributed to both the strengthening effect of ZrC particle remained in the layer and the formation of ZrO2 phase with high temperature stability.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.54-59
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• 2018

Sb-doped $SnO_2$ (ATO) transparent conducting films are fabricated using horizontal ultrasonic spray pyrolysis deposition (HUSPD) to form uniform and compact film structures with homogeneously supplied precursor solution. To optimize the molar concentration and transparent conducting performance of the ATO films using HUSPD, we use precursor solutions of 0.15, 0.20, 0.25, and 0.30 M. As the molar concentration increases, the resultant ATO films exhibit more compact surface structures because of the larger crystallite sizes and higher ATO crystallinity because of the greater thickness from the accelerated growth of ATO. Thus, the ATO films prepared at 0.25 M have the best transparent conducting performance ($12.60{\pm}0.21{\Omega}/{\square}$ sheet resistance and 80.83% optical transmittance) and the highest figure-of-merit value ($9.44{\pm}0.17{\times}10^{-3}{\Omega}^{-1}$). The improvement in transparent conducting performance is attributed to the enhanced carrier concentration by the improved ATO crystallinity and Hall mobility with the compact surface structure and preferred (211) orientation, ascribed to the accelerated growth of ATO at the optimized molar concentration. Therefore, ATO films fabricated using HUSPD are transparent conducting film candidates for optoelectronic devices.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.652-658
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• 2016

Gadolinium zirconate, $Gd_2Zr_2O_7$, is one of the most versatile oxides among the new thermal-barrier-coating (TBC) materials for replacing conventional yttira-stabilized zirconia (YSZ). $Gd_2Zr_2O_7$ exhibits excellent properties, such as low thermal conductivity, high thermal expansion coefficient comparable with that of YSZ, and chemical stability at high temperature. In this study, bulk and coating specimens with $Gd_{2-x}Zr_{2+x}O_{7+0.5x}$ (x = 0.0, 0.5, 1.0) compositions were fabricated in order to examine the characteristics of this gadolinium zirconate system with different Gd content for TBC applications. Especially, coatings with $Gd_{2-x}Zr_{2+x}O_{7+0.5x}$ (x = 0.0, 0.5, 1.0) compositions were produced by suspension plasma spray (SPS) with suspension of raw powder mixtures prepared by planetary milling followed by ball milling. Phase formation, microstructure, and thermal diffusivity were characterized for both sintered and coated specimens. Single phase materials with pyrochlore or fluorite were fabricated by normal sintering as well as SPS coating. In particular, coated specimens showed vertically-separated columnar microstructures with thickness of $400{\sim}600{\mu}m$.

• Journal of Surface Science and Engineering
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.365-370
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• 2021

In this research, we proceeded with research on plasma resistance of the cleaning process of APS(Atmospheric Plasma Spray)-Y₂O₃ coated parts used for semiconductor and display plasma process equipment. CF₄, O₂, and Ar mixed gas were used for the plasma environment, and respective alconox, surfactant, and piranha solution was used for the cleaning process. After APS-Y₂O₃ was exposed to CF₄ plasma, the surface changed from Y₂O₃ to YF₃ and a large amount of carbon was deposited. For this reason, the plasma corrosion resistance was lowered and contamination particles were generated. We performed a cleaning process to remove the defect-inducing surface YF₃ layer and carbon layer. Among three cleaning solutions, the piranha cleaning process had the highest detergency and the alconox cleaning process had the lowest detergency. Such results could be confirmed through the etching amount, morphology, composition, and accumulated contamination particle analysis results. Piranha cleaning process showed the highest detergency, but due to the very large thickness reduction, the base metal was exposed and a large number of contaminated particles were generated. In contrast, the surfactant cleaning process exhibit excellent properties in terms of surface detergency, etching amount, and accumulated contamination particle analysis.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.226-232
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• 2022

In this study, a new manufacturing process for a multilayer-clad electrical contact material is suggested. A thin and dense BCuP-5 (Cu-15Ag-5P filler metal) coating layer is fabricated on a Ag plate using a high-velocity oxygen-fuel (HVOF) process. Subsequently, the microstructure and bonding properties of the HVOF BCuP-5 coating layer are evaluated. The thickness of the HVOF BCuP-5 coating layer is determined as 34.8 ㎛, and the surface fluctuation is measured as approximately 3.2 ㎛. The microstructure of the coating layer is composed of Cu, Ag, and Cu-Ag-Cu3P ternary eutectic phases, similar to the initial BCuP-5 powder feedstock. The average hardness of the coating layer is 154.6 HV, which is confirmed to be higher than that of the conventional BCuP-5 alloy. The pull-off strength of the Ag/BCup-5 layer is determined as 21.6 MPa. Thus, the possibility of manufacturing a multilayer-clad electrical contact material using the HVOF process is also discussed.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.55-62
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• 2024

Fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) has been used as a representative transparent conductive oxide (TCO) in various optoelectronic applications, including light emitting diodes, solar cells, photo-detectors, and electrochromic devices. The FTO plays an important role in providing electron transfer between active layers and external circuits while maintaining high transmittance in the devices. Herein, we report the effects of substrate rotation speed on the electrical and optical properties of FTO films during ultrasonic spray pyrolysis deposition (USPD). The substrate rotation speeds were adjusted to 2, 6, 10, and 14 rpm. As the substrate rotation speed increased from 2 to 14 rpm, the FTO films exhibited different film morphologies, including crystallite size, surface roughness, crystal texture, and film thickness. This FTO film engineering can be attributed to the variable nucleation and growth behaviors of FTO crystallites according to substrate rotation speeds during USPD. Among the FTO films with different substrate rotation speeds, the FTO film fabricated at 6 rpm showed the best optimized TCO characteristics when considering both electrical (sheet resistance of 13.73 Ω/□) and optical (average transmittance of 86.76 % at 400~700 nm) properties with a figure of merit (0.018 Ω^-1).

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.114-122
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• 2007

In high strength bolted joints, the corrosion of base material causes the reduction of slip resistance of the joints. In this study, tensile tests on slip-critical joints utilizing Zn/Al metal spraying corrosion resistance method were carried out in order to prevent the corrosion and meet the required mechanical characteristics of joints. In addition, slip coefficient and surface roughness were calculated. The key parameters were surface finishing condition and thickness of coating with the identical geometry in all specimens. From the results, it is found that the slip coefficient of the joints with coated finish after sand blast treatment as well as those of non-coated joints with only sand blast treatment were similar or superior to 0.45, which is a specification criteria of slip coefficient in friction-typed joints.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.353-358
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• 2013

The hot corrosion behavior of plasma sprayed 4 mol% $Y_2O_3-ZrO_2$ (YSZ) thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) with volcanic ash is investigated. Volcanic ash that deposited on the TBCs in gas-turbine engines can attack the surface of TBCs itself as a form of corrosive melt. YSZ coating specimens with a thickness of 430-440 ${\mu}m$ are prepared using a plasma spray method. These specimens are subjected to hot corrosion environment at $1200^{\circ}C$ with five different duration time, from 10 mins to 100 h in the presence of corrosive melt from volcanic ash. The microstructure, composition, and phase analysis are performed using Field emission scanning electron microscopy, including Energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. After the heat treatment, hematite ($Fe_2O_3-TiO_2$) and monoclinic YSZ phases are found in TBCs. Furthermore the interface area between the molten volcanic ash layers and YSZ coatings becomes porous with increases in the heat treatment time as the YSZ coatings dissolved into molten volcanic ash. The maximum thickness of this a porous reaction zone is 25 ${\mu}m$ after 100 h of heat treatment.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.56-65
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• 2017

This study is an experimental study on the corrosion protection performance according to the configuration ratio of the Zn and Al. A metal spraying was used as the arc metal spraying method, a specimen was produced by varying the proportion ratio and coating thickness of the Zn and Al. Experimental methods visually observed to corrosion of the specimen for 1, 3, 7, 15 days was conducted in accordance with the CASS salt spray test. This study has confirmed that the performance of the corrosion protection improved against the increase in the Al content. Further, it was confirmed that excellent perfomance is exhibited when the coating thickness is secured over $80{\mu}m$. In addition, the SEM analysis was performed to observe the cross-sectional shape of the metal spraying specimen after CASS testing. The analysis result showed that the deterioration of the metal spraying coating layer was reduced as the Al content increases.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.375-375
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• 2010

CdTe as an absorber material is widely used in thin film solar cells with the heterostructure due to its almost ideal band gap energy of 1.45 eV, high photovoltaic conversion efficiency, low cost and stable performance. The deposition methods and preparation conditions for the fabrication of CdTe are very important for the achievement of high solar cell conversion efficiency. There are some rearranged reports about the deposition methods available for the preparation of CdTe thin films such as close spaced sublimation (CSS), physical vapor deposition (PVD), vacuum evaporation, vapor transport deposition (VTD), closed space vapor transport, electrodeposition, screen printing, spray pyrolysis, metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), and RF sputtering. The RF sputtering method for the preparation of CdTe thin films has important advantages in that the thin films can be prepared at low growth temperatures with large-area deposition suitable for mass-production. The authors reported that the optical and electrical properties of CdTe thin film were closely connected by the thickness-uniformity of the film in the previous study [1], which means that the better optical absorbance and the higher carrier concentration could be obtained in the better condition of thickness-uniformity for CdTe thin film. The thickness-uniformity could be controlled and improved by the some process parameters such as vacuum level and RF power in the sputtering process of CdTe thin films. However, there is a limitation to improve the thickness-uniformity only in the preparation process [1]. So it is necessary to introduce the external or additional method for improving the thickness-uniformity of CdTe thin film because the cell size of thin film solar cell will be enlarged. Therefore, the authors firstly applied the chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process to improving the thickness-uniformity of CdTe thin films with a G&P POLI-450 CMP polisher [2]. CMP process is the most important process in semiconductor manufacturing processes in order to planarize the surface of the wafer even over 300 mm and to form the copper interconnects with damascene process. Some important CMP characteristics for CdTe were obtained including removal rate (RR), WIWNU%, RMS roughness, and peak-to-valley roughness [2]. With these important results, the CMP process for CdTe thin films was performed to improve the thickness-uniformity of the sputtering-deposited CdTe thin film which had the worst two thickness-uniformities of them. Some optical properties including optical transmittance and absorbance of the CdTe thin films were measured by using a UV-Visible spectrophotometer (Varian Techtron, Cary500scan) in the range of 400 - 800 nm. After CMP process, the thickness-uniformities became better than that of the best condition in the previous sputtering process of CdTe thin films. Consequently, the optical properties were directly affected by the thickness-uniformity of CdTe thin film. The absorbance of CdTe thin films was improved although the thickness of CdTe thin film was not changed.