• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.974-978
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• 2012

The effect of Cu coating on the sensing properties of nano $SnO_2:Cu$ based sensors for the $CH_4$, $CH_3CH_2CH_3$ gas was studied. This work was focussed on investigating the change of sensitivity of nano $SnO_2:Cu$ based sensors for $CH_4$, $CH_3CH_2CH_3$ gas by Cu coating. Nano sized $SnO_2$ powders were prepared by solution reduction method using stannous chloride($SnCl_2{\cdot}2H_2O$), hydrazine($N_2H_2$) and NaOH and subsequent heat treatment. XRD patterns showed that nano $SnO_2$ powders with rutile structure were grown with (110), (101), (211) dominant peak. The particle size of nano $SnO_2:Cu$ powders at 8 wt% Cu was about 50 nm. $SnO_2$ particles were found to contain many pores, according to SEM analysis. The sensitivity of nano $SnO_2:Cu$ based sensors was measured for 5 ppm $CH_4$ gas and $CH_3CH_2CH_3$ gas at room temperature by comparing the resistance in air with that in target gases. The sensitivity for both $CH_4$ and $CH_3CH_2CH_3$ gases was improved by Cu coating on the nano $SnO_2$ surface. The response time and recovery time of the $SnO_2:Cu$ gas sensors for the $CH_4$ and $CH_3CH_2CH_3$ gases were 18~20 seconds, and 13~15 seconds, respectively.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.08a
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• pp.119-119
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• 2011

This study examined the synthesis of large area graphene and the change of its characteristics depending on the ratio of CH4/H2 by using the thermal CVD methods and performed the experiments to control the electron-hole conduction and Dirac-point of graphene by using chemical doping methods. Firstly, with regard to the characteristics of the large area graphene depending on the ratio of CH4/H2, hydrophobic characteristics of the graphene changed to hydrophilic characteristics as the ratio of CH4/H2 reduces. The angle of contact also increased to 78$^{\circ}$ from 58$^{\circ}$. According to the results of Raman spectroscopy showing the degree of defect, the ratio of I(D)/I(G) increases to 0.42% from 0.25% and the surface resistance also increased to 950 ${\Omega}$ from 750 ${\Omega}$/sq. As for the graphene synthesis at the high temperature of 1,000$^{\circ}$ by using CH4/H2 in a Cu-Foil, the possibility of graphene formation was determined as a function of the ratio of H2 included in the fixed quantity of CH4 as per specifications of every equipment. It was observed that the excessive amount of H2 prevented graphene from forming, as extra H-atoms and molecules activated the reaction to C-bond of graphene. Secondly, in the experiment for the electron-hole conduction and the Dirac-point of graphene using the chemical doping method, the shift of Dirac-point and the change in the electron-hole conduction were observed for both the N-type (PEI) and the P-type (Diazonium) dopings. The ID-VG results show that, for the N-type (PEI) doped graphene, Dirac-point shifted to the left (-voltage direction) by 90V at an hour and by 130 V at 2 hours respectively, compared to the pristine graphene. Carrier mobility was also reduced by 1,600 cm2/Vs (1 hour) and 1,100 cm2/Vs (2 hours), compared to the maximum hole mobility of the pristine graphene.

• Journal of the Institute of Convergence Signal Processing
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.61-67
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• 2018

Welding preheating means that the surface of the base material to which the metal is welded before the main welding is heated to a constant temperature. It prevents the cracks of the adjacent influences such as reduction of material hardening degree by controlling the cooling rate, suppression of segregation of impurities, prevention of thermal deformation, and moisture removal. For this reason, it is a necessary operation for high quality welding. Induction heating is an efficient heating method that converts electric energy into heat energy by applying electromagnetic induction phenomenon. Compared with combustion heat generated by gas and liquid, it is clean, stable, and economical as well as rapid heating. It can be heated regardless of the shape, depth and material of the heating body by modifying the shape of the frequency and the coil with a simple structure. In this paper, we implemented a low frequency welding preheating system using induction heating technique and observed the temperature changes of coil resistance, inductance and automotive transmission parts according to the height of each transmission in winding coil for three kinds of automotive transmission parts. We confirmed that the change of current is a very important factor in the low frequency heating.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2008.06a
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• pp.239-240
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• 2008

As semiconductor devices are scaled down for better performance and more functionality, the Cu-based interconnects suffer from the increase of the resistivity of the Cu wires. The resistivity increase, which is attributed to the electron scattering from grain boundaries and interfaces, needs to be addressed in order to further scale down semiconductor devices [1]. The increase in the resistivity of the interconnect can be alleviated by increasing the grain size of electroplating (EP)-Cu or by modifying the Cu surface [1]. Another possible solution is to maximize the portion of the EP-Cu volume in the vias or damascene structures with the conformal diffusion barrier and seed layer by optimizing their deposition processes during Cu interconnect fabrication, which are currently ionized physical vapor deposition (IPVD)-based Ta/TaN bilayer and IPVD-Cu, respectively. The use of in-situ etching, during IPVD of the barrier or the seed layer, has been effective in enlarging the trench volume where the Cu is filled, resulting in improved reliability and performance of the Cu-based interconnect. However, the application of IPVD technology is expected to be limited eventually because of poor sidewall step coverage and the narrow top part of the damascene structures. Recently, Ru has been suggested as a diffusion barrier that is compatible with the direct plating of Cu [2-3]. A single-layer diffusion barrier for the direct plating of Cu is desirable to optimize the resistance of the Cu interconnects because it eliminates the Cu-seed layer. However, previous studies have shown that the Ru by itself is not a suitable diffusion barrier for Cu metallization [4-6]. Thus, the diffusion barrier performance of the Ru film should be improved in order for it to be successfully incorporated as a seed layer/barrier layer for the direct plating of Cu. The improvement of its barrier performance, by modifying the Ru microstructure from columnar to amorphous (by incorporating the N into Ru during PVD), has been previously reported [7]. Another approach for improving the barrier performance of the Ru film is to use Ru as a just seed layer and combine it with superior materials to function as a diffusion barrier against the Cu. A RulTaN bilayer prepared by PVD has recently been suggested as a seed layer/diffusion barrier for Cu. This bilayer was stable between the Cu and Si after annealing at $700^{\circ}C$ for I min [8]. Although these reports dealt with the possible applications of Ru for Cu metallization, cases where the Ru film was prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD) have not been identified. These are important because of ALD's excellent conformality. In this study, a bilayer diffusion barrier of Ru/TaCN prepared by ALD was investigated. As the addition of the third element into the transition metal nitride disrupts the crystal lattice and leads to the formation of a stable ternary amorphous material, as indicated by Nicolet [9], ALD-TaCN is expected to improve the diffusion barrier performance of the ALD-Ru against Cu. Ru was deposited by a sequential supply of bis(ethylcyclopentadienyl)ruthenium [Ru$(EtCp)_2$] and $NH_3$plasma and TaCN by a sequential supply of $(NEt_2)_3Ta=Nbu^t$ (tert-butylimido-trisdiethylamido-tantalum, TBTDET) and $H_2$ plasma. Sheet resistance measurements, X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) analysis showed that the bilayer diffusion barriers of ALD-Ru (12 nm)/ALD-TaCN (2 nm) and ALD-Ru (4nm)/ALD-TaCN (2 nm) prevented the Cu diffusion up to annealing temperatures of 600 and $550^{\circ}C$ for 30 min, respectively. This is found to be due to the excellent diffusion barrier performance of the ALD-TaCN film against the Cu, due to it having an amorphous structure. A 5-nm-thick ALD-TaCN film was even stable up to annealing at $650^{\circ}C$ between Cu and Si. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigation combined with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis revealed that the ALD-Ru/ALD-TaCN diffusion barrier failed by the Cu diffusion through the bilayer into the Si substrate. This is due to the ALD-TaCN interlayer preventing the interfacial reaction between the Ru and Si.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.69-80
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• 1998

This research was designed to investigate how the exercise program affects paraplegic standing and walking employing functional electrical stimulation(FES). Emphasis was also given to fatigue of major lower extremity muscles induced by different types of electrical stimulation. We applied continuous and intermittent rectangular pulse trains to quadriceps of 10 normal subjects and 4 complete paraplegic patients. The frequencies were 20Hz and 80Hz, and the knee angle was fixed at 90$^{\circ}$and 150$^{\circ}$to investigate how muscle fatigue is related to muscle length. The knee extensor torque was measured and monitored. We have been training quadriceps and gastrocnemius of a male paraplegic patient by means of electrical stimulation for the past two year. FES standing was initiated when the knee extensors became strong enough to support the body weight, and then the patient started FES walking utilizing parallel bars and a walker. We used an 8-channel constant-voltage stimulator and surface electrodes. The experimental results indicated that paralyzed muscles fatigued rapidly around the optimal length contrary to normal muscles and confirmed that low frequency and intermittent stimulation delayed fatigue. Our exercise program increased muscle force by approximately 10 folds and decreased the fatigue index to half of the initial value. In addition, the exercise enabled the patient to voluntarily lift each leg up to 10cm, which was of great help to the swing phase of FES walking. Both muscle force and resistance to fatigue were significantly enhanced right after the exercise was applied every day instead of 6 days a week. Up to date, the patient can walk for more than two and half minutes at 10m/min while controlling the on/off time of the stimulator by pushing the toggle switch attached to the walker handle.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.585-592
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• 2011

The enhancement of the cold-start capability of polymer electrolyte fuel cells is of great importance in terms of the durability and reliability of fuel-cell vehicles. In this study, vanadium oxide films deposited onto the flat surface of metallic bipolar plates were synthesized to investigate the feasibility of their use as an efficient self-heating source to expedite the temperature rise during startup at subzero temperatures. Samples were prepared through the dip-coating technique using the hydrolytic sol-gel route, and the chemical compositions and microstructures of the films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and field-emission scanning electron microscopy. In addition, the electrical resistance hysteresis loop of the films was measured over a temperature range from -20 to $80^{\circ}C$ using a four-terminal technique. Experimentally, it was found that the thermal energy (Joule heating) resulting from self-heating of the films was sufficient to provide the substantial amount of energy required for thawing at subzero temperatures.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.67-72
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• 2008

We have studied the effect of heat treatment of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) as a counter electrode on the electro-chemical properties of dye-snsitized solar cells. MWNTs on the p-type Si substrate were synthesized by thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using Fe catalysts. We prepared the two types of MWNTs samples with the different diameters. The rapid thermal annealing (RTA) treatment for the MWNTs was carried out at the growth temperature ($900^{\circ}C$) for 1 minute with $N_2$ gas atmosphere. The structural, electrical and electrochemical properties of MWNTs were investigated by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Raman spectroscopy, 2-point probe station and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The I(D)/I(G) ratio of heat-treated MWNTs in Raman spectra was considerably decreased. It was also found that the heat-treated MWNTs showed better redox reaction of iodide at the interface between MWNTs surface and electrolyte than that of as-grown MWNTs. The redox resistance value of heat-treated electrodes was measured to be much lower than that of as-grown electrode at the interface. As a result, the counter electrode using the heat-treated MWNTs showed better electrochemical properties.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.261-266
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• 2003

The growth patterns of primary culture of bovine brain microvessel endothelial cells (BBMECs) were studied using electron microscopy when grown on $3.0{\mu}m$ and $0.4{\mu}m$ pore Transwell. The capillary fragments and isolated endothelial cells grew on collagen coated culture plate and Transwell membrane. The BBMECs grew only on the upper surface of membrane of $0.4{\mu}m$. But BBMECs on $3.0{\mu}m$ pore membrane migrated through the pore and grew on the opposite side of the membrane. In summary, BBMECs isolated by enzyme digestion could migrate through $3.0{\mu}m$ pore membrane but not through $0.4{\mu}m$ pore membrane. So $0.4{\mu}m$ pore membrane instead of $3{\mu}m$ pore membrane should be used for drug transport experiment or transendothelial electrical resistance measurement.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.239-246
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• 1999

A highly sensitive photovoltaic infrared photodiode was fabricated for detecting infrared light in $3{\sim}5\;{\mu}m$ wavelength range on InSb wafer with p-i-n structure grown by MOCVD. Silicon dioxide($SiO_2$) insulating films for the junction interface and surface of photodiode were prepared using RPCVD because InSb has low melting point and evaporation temperature. After formation of In ohmic contacts by thermal evaporation, the electrical properties of the photodiode were characterized in dark state at 77K. A product of zero-bias resistance and area($R_0A$) showed $1.56{\times}10^6\;{\Omega}{\cdot}cm^2$ that satisfied BLIP(background limited infrared photodetector) condition. When the photodiode was tested under infrared light, the normalized detectivity of about $10^{11}\;cm{\cdot}Hz^{1/2}{\cdot}W^{-1}$ was obtained. we successfully fabricated a unit cell with InSb IR array with good quantum efficiency and high detectivity.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.57 no.6
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• pp.861-867
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• 2019

$Li_4Ti_5O_{12}$ is a promising next-generation anode material for lithium-ion batteries due to excellent cycle life, low irreversible capacity, and little volume expansion during charge-discharge process. However, it has poor charge capacity at high current density due to its low electrical conductivity. To improve this weakness, porous $Li_4Ti_5O_{12}$ was synthesized by sol-gel method with P123 as chelating agent. The physical characteristics of as-prepared sample was investigated by XRD, SEM, and BET analysis, and electrochemical properties were characterized by cycle performance test, cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). $Li_4Ti_5O_{12}$ synthesized by 0.01mol ratio of P123/Ti showed most unified particle size, high specific surface area, and relatively high porosity. EIS analysis showed that depressed semicircle size was remarkably reduced, which suggested resistance value in electrode was decreased. Capacity in rate performance showed 178 mAh/g at 0.2C, 170 mAh/g at 0.5C, 110 mA/h at 5C, and 90 mAh/g at 10C. Capacity retention also showed 99% after rate performance.