• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.51-54
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• 1999

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) films are fabricated by Argon radical annealing (ArRA). The deposition rate of continuously deposited a-Si:H film is 1.9 $\AA$/s. As ArRA time are increased to 0.5 and 1 minute, the deposition rate are increased to 2.8 $\AA$/s and 3.3 $\\AA$/s. The deposition rate of a-si:H films with 2 and 3 minutes ArRA time are 3.3 $\AA$/s. As the ArRA time is increased, the optical band gap and the hydrogen contents in the a-Si:H films are increased and slightly decreased. The light-induced degradation of ArRA treated a-Si:H films are less than that of continuously deposited a-Si:H film. The dark conductivity and the conductivity activation energy ($E_a$) of continuously deposited a-Si:H film are decreased to 1/25 in room temperature and increased to 0.09eV By 1 hour light soaking, respectively. The dark conductivity and $E_a$ of ArRA treated a-Si:H film decreased to 1/3 in room temperature and increased to 0.03eV by 1 hour light soaking, respectively. We could improve the stability of a-Si:H films under the light soaking by ArRA technique and discussed the microscopic process of ArRA technique.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 1994.07b
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• pp.1277-1279
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• 1994

In the structure of ZnO/nip-SiC: H/metal substrate amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) solar cells, the effects of inserting a rear textured ZnO in the p-SiC:H/metal interface and a graded bandgap buffer layer in the i/p-SiC:H have been analysed by computer simulation. The incident light was taken to have an intensity of $100mW/cm^2$(AM-1). The thickness of the a-Si:H n, ${\delta}$-doped a-SiC:H p, and buffer layers was assumed to be $200{\AA},\;66{\AA}$, and $80{\AA}$, respectively. The scattering coefficients of the front and back ZnO were taken to be 0.2 and 0.7, respectively. Inserting the rear buffer layer significantly increases the open circuit voltage($V_{oc}$) due to reduction of the i/p interface recombination rate. The use of textured ZnO markedly improves collection efficiency in the long wavelengths( above ${\sim}550nm$ ) by back scattering and light confinement effects, resulting in dramatic enhancement of the short circuit current density($J_{sc}$). By using the rear buffer and textured ZnO, the i-layer thickness of the ceil for obtaining the maximum efficiency becomes thinner(${\sim}2500{\AA}$). From these results, it is concluded that the use of textured ZnO and buffer layer at the backside of the ceil is very effective for enhancing the conversion efficiency and reducing the degradation of a-Si:H pin-type solar cells.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2006.07c
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• pp.1295-1296
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• 2006

수소화된 비정질 실리콘 박막 트랜지스터(a-Si:H TFT)의 이력 현상이 능동형 유기 발광 다이오드(Active-Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode) 디스플레이 패널을 구동할 경우에, 발생할 수 있는 잔상(Residual Image) 문제를 단위 소자 및 회로에서 실험을 통하여 규명하였다. 게이트 시작 전압을 바꾸어 VGS-ID 특성을 측정할 경우, 게이트 시작 전압이 5V에서 시작한 VGS-ID 곡선이 10V에서 시작한 VGS-ID 곡선에 비해 왼쪽으로 0.15V 이동하였다. 이러한 결과는 게이트 시작 전압의 차이에 의해 발생한 트랩된 전하량(Trapped Charge) 변화로 설명할 수 있다. 또한, 인가하는 게이트 전압 간격을 0.5V에서 0.05V로 감소시켰을 때 전하 디트래핑 비율의 변화(Charge De-trapping Rate)로 인하여, 이력 현상(Hysteresis Phenomenon)으로 인한 단위 소자에서의 문턱전압의 변화가 0.78V에서 0.39V로 감소함을 관찰하였다. 제작된 2-TFT 1-Capacitor의 ANGLED 화소에서 (n-1)번째 프레임에서의 OLED 전류가 (n)번째 프레임에서의 OLED 전류에 35%의 전류오차를 발생시키는 것을 측정 및 분석하였다.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.230-237
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• 2021

In this study, the influence of silicon contents on the microstructure, mechanical and tribological properties of Ti-Al-Si-N coatings were systematically investigated for application of cutting tools. The composition of the Ti-Al-Si-N coatings were controlled by different combinations of TiAl₂ and Ti₄Si composite target powers using an arc ion plating technique in a reactive gas mixture of high purity Ar and N₂ during depositions. Ti-Al-Si-N films were nanocomposite consisting of nanosized (Ti,Al,Si)N crystallites embedded in an amorphous Si₃N₄/SiO₂ matrix. The instrumental analyses revealed that the synthesized Ti-Al-Si-N film with Si content of 5.63 at.% was a nanocomposites consisting of nano-sized crystallites (5-7 nm in dia.) and a three dimensional thin layer of amorphous Si₃N₄ phase. The hardness of the Ti-Al-Si-N coatings also exhibited the maximum hardness value of about 47 GPa at a silicon content of ~5.63 at.% due to the microstructural change to a nanocomposite as well as the solid-solution hardening. The coating has a low friction coefficient of 0.55 at room temperature against an Inconel alloy ball. These excellent mechanical and tribological properties of the Ti-Al-Si-N coatings could help to improve the performance of machining and cutting tool applications.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2011.10a
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• pp.27.1-27.1
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• 2011

The recent extensive research of one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures such as nanowires (NWs) and nanotubes (NTs) has been the driving force to fabricate new kinds of nanoscale devices in electronics, optics and bioengineering. We attempt to produce silicon oxide nanowires (SiOxNWs) in a simple way without complicate deposition process, gaseous Si containing precursors, or starting material of $SiO_2$. Nickel (Ni) nanoparticles (NPs) were applied on Si wafer and thermally treated in a furnace. The temperature in the furnace was kept in the ranges between 900 and $1,100^{\circ}C$ and a mixture of nitrogen ($N_2$) and hydrogen ($H_2$) flowed through the furnace. The SiOxNWs had widths ranging from 100 to 200 nm with length extending up to ~10 ${\mu}m$ and their structure was amorphous. Ni NPs were acted as catalysts. Since there were no other Si materials introduced into the furnace, the Si wafer was the only Si sources for the growth of SiOxNWs. When the Si wafer with deposition of Ni NPs was heated, the liquid Ni-Si alloy droplets were formed. The droplets as the nucleation sites induce an initiation of the growth of SiOxNWs and absorb oxygen easily. As the droplets became supersaturated, the SiOxNWs were grown, by the reaction between Si and O and continuously dissolving Si and O onto NPs. Photoluminescence (PL) showed that blue emission spectrum was centered at the wavelength of 450 nm (2.76 eV). The details of growth mechanism of SiOxNWs and the effect of Ni NPs on the formation of SiOxNWs will be presented.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.173-176
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• 2004

In this study we investigated post ELA(Excimer Laser Annealing) effect on SMC (Silicide Mediated Crystalization) poly-Si (Polycrystalline Silicon) to improve the characteristics of poly-Si. Combining SMC and XeCl ELA were used to crystallize the a-Si (amorphous Silicon) at various ELA energy density for LTPS (Low Temperature Polycrystalline Silicon). We fabricated the conventional SMC poly-Si with no SPC (Solid Phase Crystallization) phase using UV heating method[1] and irradiated excimer laser on SMC poly-Si, so called SMC-ELA poly-Si. After using post ELA we can get better surface morphology than conventional ELA poly-Si and enhance characteristics of SMC poly-Si. We also observed the threshold energy density regime in SMC-ELA poly-Si like conventional ELA poly-Si.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.191-197
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• 1991

The surface roughnesses of titanium silicide films and the diffusion behaviours of dopants in single crystal and polycrystalline silicon substrates durng titanium silicide formation by rapid thermal annealing(RTA) of sputter deposited Ti-filicide film from the composite $TiSi_{2.6}$ target were investigated by the secondary ion mass spectrometry(SIMS), a four-point probe, X-ray diffraction, and surface roughness measurements. The as-deposited films were amorphous but film prepared on single silicon substrate crystallized to the orthorhombic $TiSi_2$(C54 structure) upon rapid thermal annealing(RTA) at $800^{\circ}C$ for 20sec. There was no significant out-diffusion of dopants from both single crystal and polycrystalline silicon substrate into titanum silicide layers during annealing. Most of the implanted dopants piled up near the titanium silicide/silicon interface. The surface roughnesses of titanium silicide films were in the range between 16 and 22nm.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.02a
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• pp.109-109
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• 2010

$Er^{3+}$ ion shows a stable and efficient luminescence at 1.54mm due to its $^4I_{13/2}\;{\rightarrow}\;^4I_{15/2}$ intra-4f transition. As this corresponds to the low-loss window of silica-based optical fibers, Er-based light sources have become a mainstay of the long-distance telecom. In most telecom applications, $Er^{3+}$ ions are excited via resonant optical pumping. However, if nanocluster-Si (nc-Si) are co-doped with $Er^{3+}$, $Er^{3+}$ can be excited via energy transfer from excited electrical carriers in the nc-Si as well. This combines the broad, strong absorption band of nc-Si with narrow, stable emission spectra of $Er^{3+}$ to allow top-pumping with off-resonant, low-cost broadband light sources as well as electrical pumping. A widely used method to achieve nc-Si sensitization of $Er^{3+}$ is high-temperature annealing of Er-doped, non-stoichiometric amorphous thin film with excess Si (e.g.,silicon-rich silicon oxide(SRSO)) to precipitate nc-Si and optically activate $Er^{3+}$ at the same time. Unfortunately, such precipitation and growth of nc-Si into Er-doped oxide matrix can lead to $Er^{3+}$ clustering away from nc-Si at anneal temperatures much lower than ${\sim}1000^{\circ}C$ that is necessary for full optical activation of $Er^{3+}$ in $SiO_2$. Recently, silicon-rich silicon nitride (SRSN) was reported to be a promising alternative to SRSO that can overcome this problem of Er clustering. But as nc-Si formation and optical activation $Er^{3+}$ remain linked in Er-doped SRSN, it is not clear which mechanism is responsible for the observed improvement. In this paper, we report on investigating the effect of separating the nc-Si formation and $Er^{3+}$ activation by using hetero-multilayers that consist of nm-thin SRSO or SRSN sensitizing layers with Er-doped $SiO_2$ or $Si_3N_4$ luminescing layers.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.18 no.10
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• pp.521-528
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• 2008

We present the structural, optical, and electrical properties of amorphous silicon suboxide (a-$SiO_x$) films grown on indium tin oxide glass substrates with a radio frequency magnetron technique from a polycrystalline silicon oxide target using ambient Ar. For different substrate-target distances (d = 8 cm and 10 cm), the deposition temperature effects were systematically studied. For d = 8cm, oxygen content in a-$SiO_x$ decreased with dissociation of oxygen onto the silicon oxide matrix; temperature increased due to enlargement of kinetic energy. For d = 10 cm, however, the oxygen content had a minimum between $150^{\circ}\;and\;200^{\circ}$. Using simple optical measurements, we can predict a preferred orientation of liquid crystal molecules on a-$SiO_x$ thin film. At higher oxygen content (x > 1.6), liquid crystal molecules on an inorganic liquid crystal alignment layer of a-$SiO_x$ showed homogeneous alignment; however, in the lower case (x < 1.6), liquid crystals showed homeotropic alignment.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.68-68
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• 2001

Thin films of polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) is a promising material for use in large-area electronic devices. Especially, the poly-Si can be used in high resolution and integrated active-matrix liquid-crystal displays (AMLCDs) and active matrix organic light-emitting diodes (AMOLEDs) because of its high mobility compared to hydrogenated _amorphous silicon (a-Si:H). A number of techniques have been proposed during the past several years to achieve poly-Si on large-area glass substrate. However, the conventional method for fabrication of poly-Si could not apply for glass instead of wafer or quartz substrate. Because the conventional method, low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) has a high deposition temperature ($600^{\circ}C-1000^{\circ}C$) and solid phase crystallization (SPC) has a high annealing temperature ($600^{\circ}C-700^{\circ}C$). And also these are required time-consuming processes, which are too long to prevent the thermal damage of corning glass such as bending and fracture. The deposition of silicon thin films on low-cost foreign substrates has recently become a major objective in the search for processes having energy consumption and reaching a better cost evaluation. Hence, combining inexpensive deposition techniques with the growth of crystalline silicon seems to be a straightforward way of ensuring reduced production costs of large-area electronic devices. We have deposited crystalline poly-Si thin films on soda -lime glass and SiOz glass substrate as deposited by PVD at low substrate temperature using high power, magnetron sputtering method. The epitaxial orientation, microstructual characteristics and surface properties of the films were analyzed by TEM, XRD, and AFM. For the electrical characterization of these films, its properties were obtained from the Hall effect measurement by the Van der Pauw measurement.