• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.125-129
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• 2016

In this study, we have investigated a high-temperature AlN nucleation layer and AlGaN epilayers on c-plane sapphire substrate by low-pressure metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (LP-MOCVD). High resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Raman scattering measurements have been exploited to study the crystal quality, surface morphology, and residual strain of the HT-AlN nucleation layer. These analyses reveal that the insertion of an LT-AlN nucleation layer can improve the crystal quality, smooth the surface morphology of the HT-AlN nucleation layer and further reduce the threading dislocation density of AlGaN epifilms. The mechanism of inserting an LT-AlN nucleation layer to enhance the optical properties of HT-AlN nucleation layer and AlGaN epifilm are discussed from the viewpoint of driving force of reaction in this paper.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.389-395
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• 2000

In this paper, we propose the formation of an $Al_2O_3$ pre-layer using a protective Si-oxide layer and Al layer. Deposition of a thin film layer of aluminum onto a Si surface covered with a thin Si-oxide layer and annealing at $800^{\circ}C$ led to the growth of epitaxial $Al_2O_3$ layer on Si(111). And ${\gamma}-Al_2O_3$ layer was grown on the $Al_2O_3$ per-layer. Etching of the Si substrate by $N_2O$ gas could be avoided in the initial growth stage by the $Al_2O_3$ pre-layer. It was confirmed that the $Al_2O_3$ pre-layer was effective in improving the surface morphology of the very thin ${\gamma}-Al_2O_3$ films.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.18 no.10
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• pp.558-563
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• 2008

TiAlN films were deposited on WC-5Co substrates with different buffer layers by D.C. magnetron sputtering. The films were evaluated by microstructural observations and measuring of preferred orientation, hardness value, and adhesion force. As a process variable, various buffer layers were used such as TiAlN single layer, TiAlN/TiAl, TiAlN/TiN and TiAlN/CrN. TiAlN coating layer showed columnar structures which grew up at a right angle to the substrates. The thickness of the TiAlN coating layer was about $1.8{\mu}m$, which was formed for 200 minutes at $300^{\circ}$. XRD analysis showed that the preferred orientation of TiAlN layer with TiN buffer layer was (111) and (200), and the specimens of TiAlN/TiAl, TiAlN/CrN, TiAlN single layer have preferred orientation of (111), respectively. TiAlN single layer and TiAlN/TiAl showed good adhesion properties, showing an over 80N adhesion force, while TiAlN/TiN film showed approximately 13N and the TiAlN/CrN was the worst case, in which the layer was destroyed because of high internal residual stress. The value of micro vickers hardness of the TiAlN single layer, TiAlN/TiAl and TiAlN/TiN layers were 2711, 2548 and 2461 Hv, respectively.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.260-260
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• 2016

최근 고화질 및 대용량 영상의 등장으로 메모리 디바이스에 대한 연구가 활발하다. 메모리 디바이스의 oxide 층은 tunnel layer, trap layer와 blocking layer로 나누어지며, tunnel layer와 trap layer 사이 계면의 상태는 메모리 특성에 큰 영향을 준다. 한편, AlOx는 메모리 디바이스의 tunnel layer에 주로 적용되는 물질로서, AlOx를 형성하는 방법에는 진공공정을 이용하여 증착하는 방법과 알루미늄을 산화시켜 형성하는 방법이 있다. 그 중, 진공공정 방법인 RF 스퍼터를 이용하는 방법은 증착시 sputtering으로 인하여 표면에 손상을 주게 되어, 산화시켜 형성한 AlOx에 비해 막질이 좋지 않다는 단점이 있다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 우수한 막질의 메모리 디바이스를 제작하기 위하여 산화시켜 형성한 AlOx를 tunnel layer로 적용시킨 MOSCAP을 제작하여 메모리 특성을 평가하였다. 제작된 소자는 n-Si (1-20 ohm-cm) 기판을 사용하였다. Tunnel layer는 e-beam evaporator를 이용하여 Al을 5 nm 두께로 증착하고 퍼니스를 이용하여 O2 분위기에서 $300^{\circ}C$의 온도로 1시간 동안 산화시켜 AlOx을 형성하였으며, 비교군으로 RF 스퍼터를 이용하여 AlOx를 10 nm 두께로 증착한 소자를 같이 제작하였다. 순차적으로, trap layer와 blocking layer는 RF 스퍼터를 이용하여 각각 HfOx 30 nm와 SiOx 30 nm를 증착하였다. 마지막으로 전극 물질로는 Al을 e-beam evaporator를 이용하여 150 nm 두께로 증착하였다. 제작된 소자에서 메모리 측정을 한 결과, 같은 크기의 윈도우를 비교하였을 때 산화시킨 AlOx를 tunnel layer로 적용한 MOSCAP에서 더 적은 전압으로도 program 동작이 나타나는 것을 확인하였다. 또한 내구성을 확인하기 위해 program/erase를 103회 반복하여 endurance를 측정한 결과, 스퍼터로 증착한 AlOx를 적용한 MOSCAP에서는 24 %의 메모리 윈도우 감소가 일어난 반면에, 산화시킨 AlOx를 적용한 MOSCAP에서는 메모리 윈도우 감소가 5 % 미만으로 일어났다. 결과적으로 산화시킨 AlOx를 메모리소자의 tunnel layer로 적용한 MOSCAP에서 더 뛰어난 내구성을 나타냈으며, 추후 최적의 oxide 두께와 열처리 조건을 통해 더 뛰어난 메모리 특성을 가지는 메모리 디바이스 제작이 가능할 것으로 기대된다.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2020

In this research, 50 nm thick AlN thin films were deposited on the patterned sapphire (0001) substrate by using HVPE (Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy) system and then epitaxial layer structure was grown by MOCVD (metal organic chemical vapor deposition). The surface morphology of the AlN buffer layer film was observed by SEM (scanning electron microscopy) and AFM (atomic force microscope), and then the crystal structure of GaN films of the epitaxial layer structure was investigated by HR-XRC (high resolution X-ray rocking curve). The XRD peak intensity of GaN thin film of epitaxial layer structure deposited on AlN buffer layer film and sapphire substrate was rather higher in case of that on PSS than normal sapphire substrate. In AFM surface image, the epitaxial layer structure formed on AlN buffer layer showed rather low pit density and less defect density. In the optical output power, the epitaxial layer structure formed on AlN buffer layer showed very high intensity compared to that of the epitaxial layer structure without AlN thin film.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.128-135
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• 1997

Reaction diffusion and formation of $Ni_3Al$phase with $L1_2$ structure have been studied in temperature range of 1432K to 1573K using the diffusion couple of (Ni-40, 5at%Al)/(Ni-14, 1at%Al) and (Ni-49, 2at%Al)/ (Nickel). The layer growth of Ni$_{3}$Al pyhase in the annealed diffusion couple was measured by optical microscope and electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA). The layer growth of $Ni_3Al$phase in diffusion zone obeyed the parabolic law without any indication of grain boundary effects. The layer growth of $Ni_3Al$phase in temperature range of 1423K to 1573K was mainly controlled by the volume diffusion mechanism. The rate of layer growth of $Ni_3Al$phase was found to be colsely related to the composition of intermetallic compound NiAl phase. The activation energy for layer growth of $Ni_3Al$phase was calculated to be 127kJ/mol.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.12 no.9
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• pp.718-723
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• 2002

$Ti_{1-x}$ $Al_{ x}$N thin films as barrier layer for memory devices application were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering. The crystallinity, micro-structure, oxidation resistance and oxidation mechanism of films were investigated as a function of Al content. Lattice parameter and grain size of thin films were decreased with increasing the Al content Oxidation of the film with higher Al content is slow and then, total oxide thickness is thinner than that of lower Al content film. Oxide layer formed on the surface is AlTiNO layer. Oxidation of $Ti_{1-x}$ /$Al_{x}$ N barrier layer is diffusion limited process and thickness of oxide layer with oxidation time increased with a parabolic law. The activation energy of oxygen diffusion, Ea and diffusion coefficient, D of $Ti_{0.74}$ /X$0.74_{0.26}$N film is 2.1eV and $10^{-16}$ ~$10^{-15}$ $\textrm{cm}^2$/s, respectively. $_Ti{1-x}$ /$Al_{x}$ XN barrier layer showed good oxidation resistance.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.08a
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• pp.132-132
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• 2011

The sheet resistance (Rs) of undoped GaN films on AlN/c-plane sapphire substrate was investigated in which the AlN films were grown by R. F. magetron sputtering method. The Rs was strongly dependent on the AlN layer thickness and semi-insulating behavior was observed. To clarify the effect of crystalline property on Rs, the crystal structure of the GaN films has been studied using x-ray scattering and transmission electron microscopy. A compressive strain was introduced by the presence of AlN nucleation layer (NL) and was gradually relaxed as increasing AlN NL thickness. This relaxation produced more threading dislocations (TD) of edge-type. Moreover, the surface morphology of the GaN film was changed at thicker AlN layer condition, which was originated by the crossover from planar to island grains of AlN. Thus, rough surface might produce more dislocations. The edge and mixed dislocations propagating from the interface between the GaN film and the AlN buffer layer affected the electric resistance of GaN film.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.339-344
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• 2017

Highly corrosion resistance performance of CrAlSiN coatings were obtained by applying ultrathin $Al_2O_3$ thin films using atomic layer deposition (ALD) method. CrAlSiN coatings were prepared on Cr adhesion layer/SUS304 substrates by a hybrid coating system of arc ion plating and high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) method. And, ultrathin $Al_2O_3$ passivation layer was deposited on the CrAlSiN/Cr adhesion layer/SUS304 sample to protect CrAlSiN coatings by encapsulating the whole surface defects of coating using ALD. Here, the high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX) analysis revealed that the ALD $Al_2O_3$ thin films uniformly covered the inner and outer surface of CrAlSiN coatings. Also, the potentiodynamic and potentiostatic polarization test revealed that the corrosion protection properties of CrAlSiN coatings/Cr/SUS304 sample was greatly improved by ALD encapsulation with 50 nm-thick $Al_2O_3$ thin films, which implies that ALD-$Al_2O_3$ passivation layer can be used as an effect barrier layer of corrosion.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.282-288
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• 2017

In this paper, GaAs/AlGaAs multi-layer structure was grown by liquid phase epitaxy with graphite sliding boat, which can be used as a device structure of a photocathode image sensor. The multi-layer structure was grown on an n-type GaAs substrate in the sequence as follows: GaAs buffer layer, Zn-doped p-type AlGaAs layer as etching stop layer, Zn-doped p-type GaAs layer, and Zn-doped p-type AlGaAs layer. The Characteristics of GaAs/AlGaAs structures were analyzed by using scanning electron microscope (SEM), secondary ion mass spectrometer (SIMS) and hall measurement. The SEM images shows that the p-AlGaAs/p-GaAs/p-AlGaAs multi-layer structure was grown with a mirror-like surface on a whole ($1.25mm{\times}25mm$) substrate. The Al composition in the AlGaAs layer was approximately 80 %. Also, it was confirmed that the free carrier concentration in the p-GaAs layer can be adjusted to the range of $8{\times}10^{18}/cm^2$ by hall measurement. In the result, it is expected that the p-AlGaAs/p-GaAs/p-AlGaAs multi-layer structure grown by the LPE can be used as a device structure of a photoelectric cathode image sensor.