• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.08a
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• pp.53-53
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• 2011

This paper describes results for surface and bulk characterization of the most promising thin film solar cell material for high performance devices, (Ag,Cu) (In,Ga) Se2 (ACIGS). This material in particular exhibits a range of exotic behaviors. The surface and general materials science of the material also has direct implications for the operation of solar cells based upon it. Some of the techniques and results described will include scanning probe (AFM, STM, KPFM) measurements of epitaxial films of different surface orientations, photoelectron spectroscopy and inverse photoemission, Auger electron spectroscopy, and more. Bulk measurements are included as support for the surface measurements such as cathodoluminescence imaging around grain boundaries and showing surface recombination effects, and transmission electron microscopy to verify the surface growth behaviors to be equilibrium rather than kinetic phenomena. The results show that the polar close packed surface of CIGS is the lowest energy surface by far. This surface is expected to be reconstructed to eliminate the surface charge. However, the AgInSe2 compound has yielded excellent atomic-resolution images of the surface with no evidence of surface reconstruction. Similar imaging of CuInSe2 has proven more difficult and no atomic resolution images have been obtained, although current imaging tunneling spectroscopy images show electronic structure variations on the atomic scale. A discussion of the reasons why this may be the case is given. The surface composition and grain boundary compositions match the bulk chemistry exactly in as-grow films. However, the deposition of the heterojunction forming the device alters this chemistry, leading to a strongly n-type surface. This also directly explains unpinning of the Fermi level and the operation of the resulting devices when heterojunctions are formed with the CIGS. These results are linked to device performance through simulation of the characteristic operating behaviors of the cells using models developed in my laboratory.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.162-166
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• 2012

V-I characteristics of Fe(100)/MgO(100)/Cu-phthalocyanine (CuPc)/Co hybrid magnetic tunnel junctions were investigated at different temperatures. Fe(100) and Co ferromagnetic layers were separated by an organic-inorganic hybrid barrier consisting of different thickness of CuPc thin film grown on a 2 nm thick epitaxial MgO(100) layer. As the CuPc thickness increases from 0 to 10 nm, a bistable switching behavior due to strong charging effects was observed, while a very large magenetoresistance was shown at 77 K for the junctions without the CuPc barrier. This switching behavior decreases with the increase in temperature, and finally disappears beyond 240 K. In this work, high-potential future applications of the MgO(100)/CuPc bilayer were discussed for hybrid spintronic devices as well as polymer random access memories (PoRAMs).

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.801-804
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• 2006

[ $GdAlO_3(GAO)$ ] buffer layer for $YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-{\delta}}(YBCO)$ coated superconductor wire was fabricated by sol-gel processing. Precursor solution was prepared by dissolving 1:1 stoichiometric quantaties of gadolinium nitrate hexahydrate and aluminum nitrate nonahydrate in methanol. The solution was spin-coated on $SrTiO_3(STO)$(100) single crystal substrates and heated at $1000^{\circ}C$ for 2h in wet $N_2-5%\; H_2$, atmosphere. A SEM(scanning electron microscopy) observation of the surface morphology of the GAO layer has shown that it has a faceted morphology indicating epitaxy. It was shown from x-ray diffraction(XRB) that GAO buffer layer was highly c-axis oriented epitaxial thin film with both good out-of-plane($FWHM=0.29^{\circ}$ for the (002) reflection) and in-plane ($FWHM=1.10^{\circ}$ for the {112} reflection) alignment.

• Proceedings of the Korea Association of Crystal Growth Conference
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• 1996.06a
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• pp.258-292
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• 1996

In the last year great interest appears to YBCO thin films preparation on different substrate materials. Preparation of epitaxial film is a very difficult problem. There are many requirements to substrate materials that must be fullfilled. Main problems are lattice mismatch (misfit) and similarity of structure. From paper [1] or follows that difference in interatomic distances and angles of substrate and film is mire important problem than similarity of structure. In this work we present interatomic distances and angle relations between substrate materials belonging to ABCO4 group (where A-Sr or Ca, B-rare earth element, C-Al or Ga) of different orientations and YBCO thin films. There are many materials used as substrates for HTsC thin films. ABCO4 group of compounds is characterized by small dielectric constants (it is necessary for microwave applications of HTsC films), absence of twins and small misfit [2]. There most interesting compounds CaNdAlO4, SrLaAlO4 and SrLaGaO4 were investigated. All these compounds are of pseudo-perovskite structure with space group 14/mmm. This structure is very similar to structure of YBCO. SLG substrate has the lowest misfit (0.3%) and dielectric constant. For preparation of then films of substrates of this group of compound plane of <100> orientation are mainly used. Good quality films of <001> orientations are obtained [3]. In this case not only a-a misfit play role, but c-3b misfit is very important too. Sometimes, for preparation of thin films substrates of <001> and <110> orientations were manufactured [3]. Different misfits for different YBCO faces have been analyzed. It has been found that the mismatching factor for (100) face is very similar to that for (001) face so there is possibility of preparation of thin films on both orientations. SrLaAlO4(SLA) and SrLaGaO4(SLG) crystals of general formula ABCO4 have been grown by the Czochralski method. The quality of SLA and SLG crystals strongly depends on axial gradient of temperature and growth and rotation rates. High quality crystals were obtained at axial gradient of temperature near crystal-melt interface lower than 50℃/cm, growth rate 1-3 mm/h and the rotation rate changing from 10-20pm[4]. Strong anisotropy in morphology of SLA and SLG single crystals grown by the Czochralski method is clearly visible. On the basics of our considerations for ABCO4 type of the tetragonal crystals there can appear {001}, {101}, and {110} faces for ionic type model [5]. Morphology of these crystals depend on ionic-covalent character of bonding and crystal growth parameters. Point defects are observed in crystals and they are reflected in color changes (colorless, yellow, green). Point defects are detected in directions perpendicular to oxide planes and are connected with instability of oxygen position in lattice. To investigate facets formations crystals were doped with Cr3+, Er3+, Pr3+, Ba2+. Chromium greater size ion which is substituted for Al3+ clearly induces faceting. There appear easy {110} faces and SLA crystals crack even then the amount of Cr is below 0.3at.% SLG single crystals are not so sensitive to the content of chromium ions. It was also found that if {110} face appears at the beginning of growth process the crystal changes its color on the plane {110} but it happens only on the shoulder part. The projection of {110} face has a great amount of oxygen positions which can be easy defected. Pure and doped SLA and SLG crystals measured by EPR in the<110> direction show more intensive lines than in other directions which allows to suggest that the amount of oxygen defects on the {110} plane is higher. In order to find the origin of colors and their relation with the crystal stability, a set of SLA and SLG crystals were investigated using optical spectroscopy. The colored samples exhibit an absorption band stretching from the UV absorption edge of the crystal, from about 240 nm to about 550 m. In the case of colorless sample, the absorption spectrum consists of a relatively weak band in the UV region. The spectral position and intensities of absorption bands of SLA are typical for imperfection similar to color centers which may be created in most of oxide crystals by UV and X-radiation. It is pointed out that crystal growth process of polycomponent oxide crystals by Czochralski method depends on the preparation of melt and its stoichiometry, orientation of seed, gradient of temperature at crystal-melt interface, parameters of growth (rotation and pulling rate) and control of red-ox atmosphere during seeding and growth (rotation and pulling rate) and control of red-ox atmosphere during seeding and growth. Growth parameters have an influence on the morphology of crystal-melt interface, type and concentration of defects.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.126-131
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• 1999

$Cd_{1-x}Mn_xTe$ thin films were grown on GaTs (100) substrates by hot-wall epitaxy method. From the XRD measurements, it was found that CdTe/GaAs (100)film was grown as a single crystal with the same growth plane of (100) and $Cd_{1-x}Mn_xTe$film as a poly crystal as Mn content was increased, and the lattice constant was decressed with the similar gradient of bulk crystal as x was increased. From the PL measurements, $L_1$line due to the exciton trapped on an acceptor and $L_2$line due to an exciton trapped on a shallow potential fluctuation were observed, and $L_1$line was observed only in $Cd_{0.91}Mn_{0.09}$te but it was disappeared probably due to a stronger lacalization of excitons with increasing alloy fluctuation.$L_2$line was dominant in case of $x{\ge}0.2$and for higher Mn contents the broad transition about 2.0eV associated to the 3d levels of the $Mn^{2+}$ ion dominated the PL spectrum, and the $L_2$ transition become weaker and weaker. For$x{\ge}0.4$, the transition line about 2.0eV due to $Mn^{2+}$ion showed no shift.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.11 no.7
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• pp.575-579
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• 2001

GaN buffer layer and epilayer have been grown on sapphire (0001) by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). GaN buffer layer ranging from 26 nm to 130 nm in thickness was grown at 55$0^{\circ}C$ prior to the 4 $\mu\textrm{m}$ thick GaN epitaxial deposition at 110$0^{\circ}C$. After GaN buffer layer growth, buffer layer surface was examined by atomic force microscopy (AFM). As the thickness of GaN buffer layer was increased, surface morphology of GaN epilayer was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Double crystal X-ray diffraction (DCXRD) and Raman spectroscopy were employed to study crystallinity of GaN epilayers. Optical properties of GaN epilayers were measured by photoluminescence (PL). The epilayer grown with a thin buffer layer had rough surface, and the epilayer grown with a thick buffer layer had mirror-like surface of epilayer. Although the stress on the latter was larger than on the former, its crystallinity was much better. These results imply that the internal free energy is decreased in case of the thick buffer layer. Decrease in internal free energy promotes the lateral growth of the GaN film, which results in the smoother surface and better crystallinity.