• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.72-76
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• 2015

150-nm-thick In-Zn-Tin-Oxide (IZTO) films were deposited by RF magnetron sputtering after a 10 to 50-nm-thick $SiO_2$ buffer layer was deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates. The electrical, structural, and optical properties of the IZTO/$SiO_2$/PET films were analyzed with respect to the thickness of the $SiO_2$ buffer layer. The mechanical properties were outstanding at a $SiO_2$ thickness of 50 nm, with a resistivity of $1.45{\times}10^{-3}{\Omega}-cm$, carrier concentration of $8.84{\times}10^{20}/cm^3$, hall mobility of $4.88cm^2/Vs$, and average IZTO surface roughness of 12.64 nm. Also, the transmittances were higher than 80%, and the structure of the IZTO films were amorphous, regardless of the $SiO_2$ thickness. These results indicate that these films are suitable for use as a transparent conductive oxide for transparency display devices.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.08a
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• pp.203.1-203.1
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• 2013

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocrystalline thin films on various growth temperatures for active layer and different buffer layer thickness were grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PA-MBE) on Si substrates. The ZnO active layer were grown with various growth temperature from 500 to $800^{\circ}C$ and the ZnO buffer layer were grown for different time from 5 to 40 minutes. To investigate the structural and optical properties of the ZnO thin films, scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy were used, respectively. In the SEM images, the ZnO thin films have high densification of grains and good roughness and uniformity at $800^{\circ}C$ for active layer growth temperature and 20 minutes for buffer layer growth time, respectively. The PL spectra of ZnO buffer layers and active layers display sharp near band edge (NBE) emissions in UV range and broad deep level emissions (DLE) in visible range. The intensity of NBE peaks for the ZnO thin films significantly increase with increase in the active layer growth temperature. In addition, the NBE peak at 20 minutes for buffer layer growth time has the largest emission intensity and the intensity of DLE peaks decrease with increase in the growth time.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.32-37
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• 2002

This paper gives the basic mechanical properties of indium-tin-oxide (ITO) films on polymer substrates which are exposed to externally and thermally induced bending force. By using modified Storney formula including triple layer structure and bulge test measuring the conductive changes of patterned ITO islands as a function of bending curvature, the mechanical stability of ITO films on polymer substrates was intensively investigated. The numerical analyses and experimental results show thermally and externally induced mechanical stresses in the films are responsible for the difference of thermal expansion between the ITO film and the substrate, and leer substrate material and its thickness, respectively. Therefore, a gradually ramped heating process and an organic buffer layer were employed to improve the mechanical stability, and then, the effects of the buffer layer were also quantified in terms of conductivity-strain variations. As a result, it is uncovered that a buffer layer is also a critical factor determining the magnitude of mechanical stress and the layer with the Young's modulus lower than a specific value can contribute to relieving the mechanical stress of the films.

• Proceedings of the Korea Institute of Applied Superconductivity and Cryogenics Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.153-156
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• 2003

The multi-layer oxide buffer layer for the coated conductor was deposited on biaxially textured Ni substrates using pulsed laser deposition. Oxygen partial pressure, 4％$H_2$/Ar partial pressure, and deposition temperature were deposition variables investigated to find the optimum deposition conditions. $Y_2$O$_3$seed layer was deposited epitaxially on metal substrate. The full buffer architecture of $Y_2$O$_3$/YSZ/CeO$_2$was successfully prepared on metal substrate.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.27 no.8
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• pp.403-408
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• 2017

We investigated the effect of ZnO buffer layer on the formation of ZnO thin film by ultrasonic assisted spray pyrolysis deposition. ZnO buffer layer was formed by wet solution method, which was repeated several times. Structural and optical properties of the ZnO thin films deposited on the ZnO buffer layers with various cycles and at various temperatures were investigated by field-emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and photoluminescence spectrum analysis. The structural investigations showed that three-dimensional island shaped ZnO was formed on the bare Si substrate without buffer layers, while two-dimensional ZnO thin film was deposited on the ZnO buffer layers. In addition, structural and optical investigations showed that the crystalline quality of ZnO thin film was improved by introducing the buffer layers. This improvement was attributed to the modulation of the surface energy of the Si surface by the ZnO buffer layer, which finally resulted in a modification of the growth mode from three to two-dimensional.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2002.04b
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• pp.53-56
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• 2002

The effect of $\alpha$-septithiophene (${\alpha}-7T$) layers on the organic light emitting diode(OLED) was studied. The ${\alpha}-7T$ was used for a buffer layer in OLED. Hole injection was investigated and improved emission efficiency. The OLEDs structure can be described as indium tin oxide(ITO)/ buffer layer / hole transporting layer / emitting layer / electron transporting layer / LiF / Al. The hole transporting layer were composed of N,N-diphenyl-N,N-di(3-methylphenyl)-1,1-biphenyl-4,4-diamine(TPD), and N,N-di(naphthalene-1-ly)-N,N-diphenyl-benzidine( ${\alpha}$-NPD). The emitting layer, and electron transporting layer consist of tris(8-hydroxyquinolinato) aluminum($Alq_3$). All organic layer were deposited at a background pressure of less than $10^{-6}$ torr using ultra high vacuum (UHV) system. The ${\alpha}-7T$ layer can substitute the hole blocking layer, and improve hole injection properties.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.289-292
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• 2019

Transparent and conducting titanium doped indium oxide (TIO) thin films were deposited by RF magnetron sputtering on zinc oxide (ZnO)-coated glass substrates to investigate the effect of the ZnO buffer layer on optical and electrical properties of TIO/ZnO bi-layered films. TIO 90 nm / ZnO 10 nm films having a lower resistivity (3.09×10^-3 Ωcm) and a higher visible transmittance (80.3%) than other TIO/ZnO films were prepared in this study. Figure of merit results indicate that a 10 nm thick ZnO thin film is an effective buffer layer that enhances optical transmittance and electrical conductivity of TIO films without intentional substrate heating or post-deposition annealing.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2012.05a
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• pp.93.2-93.2
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• 2012

연료전지는 전기화학반응을 이용한 발전 장치로서 기존 장치에 비하여 발전 효율이 높아 화석연료를 사용하면서 현재 당면 과제인 $CO_2$ 배출량 절감이 가능하고, 환경 보전성이 우수하여 미래의 전원으로 많은 연구개발이 진행되고 있다. 특히 제3세대 연료전지라 불리는 고체산화물 연료전지(Solid Oxide Fuel Cell이하 SOFC)는 고가의 외부 개질 장치 없이도 연료가 갖는 화학에너지를 연소과정 없이, 공기와 $H_2$, CO, $CH_4$와 같은 환원성 가스를 공급받아 $600{\sim}1000^{\circ}C$에서 전기화학적 반응을 통하여 직접 전기를 얻는 방식이며, 낮은 소음과 진동으로 인하여 온 사이트(On-site) 발전이 가능한 장점이 있는 연료전지이다. Decalcomanie는 전사용지에 Screen printing하여 건조 후 coating하는 방법으로 기존의 여러 coating 방법보다 다전지셀 제작이나 Buffer layer의 적용이 용이하고, 소재의 크기나 두께조절이 간편하며, 구성층의 표면조도나 굴곡에 대응이 용이한 방법이다. 새로운 Decalcomanie를 사용하여 평관형 다전지식 SOFC Cell 제작 및 각 Buffer layer에 적용, Screen printing법과 동일한 Cell 제조 후 MPD와 Impedance 분석을 통하여 Support 위에 전사지를 이용, 적층한 Cell의 전기화학적 특성에 관하여 분석하였다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2015.11a
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• pp.306-307
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• 2015

유기태양전지의 대표적 Hole Transporting Layer(HTL)로는 전도성 고분자인 PEDOT:PSS이다. PEDOT:PSS는 약산성의 물질로 전극을 부식시켜 디바이스의 효율을 감소시키기 때문에 PEDOT:PSS를 대체하기 위한 Buffer층에 대한 연구가 활발히 진행되어지고 있다. PEDOT:PSS를 대체할 수 있는 Nickel Oxide(NiO) Buffer 층은 wide band-gab으로 Hole Transporting Layer와 Electron Blocking Layer 역할을 동시에 하여 디바이스의 효율을 향상시킬 수 있으며, 디바이스의 수명을 향상시킬 수 있다는 장점이 있다. NiO는 용액공정과 Sputter 증착 방법으로 형성할 수 있는데, 용액공정은 고온공정이 요구되어지고 Sputter 증착방법은 산화되기 쉬운 전극위에서는 전극의 손상을 발생한다. 본 연구에서는 이러한 단점을 해결하기 위해서 Ni을 Magnetron Sputter로 증착한 후 Ion Beam 처리를 통해 산화시켜 NiO 층을 형성하는 방법을 연구하였다. 본 연구에서 제안한 NiO형성 방법으로 유기태양전지를 제작하여 PEDOT:PSS를 Buffer층으로 사용한 태양전지와 Voc가 0.72 V로 유사하게 나와 NiO가 Buffer층으로 잘 형성된 것을 확인하였다.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.341-346
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• 2011

In this study, we inserted a Zn buffer layer into a AZO/p-type a-si:H layer interface in order to lower the contact resistance of the interface. For the Zn layer, the deposition was conducted at 5 nm, 7 nm and 10 nm using the rf-magnetron sputtering method. The results were compared to that of the AZO film to discuss the possibility of the Zn layer being used as a transparent conductive oxide thin film for application in the silicon heterojunction solar cell. We used the rf-magnetron sputtering method to fabricate Al 2 wt.% of Al-doped ZnO (AZO) film as a transparent conductive oxide (TCO). We analyzed the electro-optical properties of the ZnO as well as the interface properties of the AZO/p-type a-Si:H layer. After inserting a buffer layer into the AZO/p-type a-Si:H layers to enhance the interface properties, we measured the contact resistance of the layers using a CTLM (circular transmission line model) pattern, the depth profile of the layers using AES (auger electron spectroscopy), and the changes in the properties of the AZO thin film through heat treatment. We investigated the effects of the interface properties of the AZO/p-type a-Si:H layer on the characteristics of silicon heterojunction solar cells and the way to improve the interface properties. When depositing AZO thin film on a-Si layer, oxygen atoms are diffused from the AZO thin film towards the a-Si layer. Thus, the characteristics of the solar cells deteriorate due to the created oxide film. While a diffusion of Zn occurs toward the a-Si in the case of AZO used as TCO, the diffusion of In occurs toward a-Si in the case of ITO used as TCO.