• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2014.02a
• /
• pp.335-335
• /
• 2014

Over the past several years, transparent conducting oxides have been extensively studied in order to replace indium tin oxide (ITO). Here we report on fluorine doped zinc tin oxide (FZTO) films deposited on glass substrates by radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering using a 30 wt% ZnO with 70 wt% SnO2 ceramic targets. The F-doping was carried out by introducing a mixed gas of pure Ar, CF4, and O2 forming gas into the sputtering chamber while sputtering ZTO target. Annealing temperature affects the structural, electrical and optical properties of FZTO thin films. All the as-deposited FZTO films grown at room temperature are found to be amorphous because of the immiscibility of SnO2 and ZnO. Even after the as-deposited FZTO films were annealed from $300{\sim}500^{\circ}C$, there were no significant changes. However, when the sample is annealed temperature up to $600^{\circ}C$, two distinct diffraction peaks appear in XRD spectra at $2{\Theta}=34.0^{\circ}$ and $52.02^{\circ}$, respectively, which correspond to the (101) and (211) planes of rutile phase SnO2. FZTO thin film annealed at $600^{\circ}C$ resulted in decrease of resistivity $5.47{\times}10^{-3}{\Omega}cm$, carrier concentration ~1019 cm-3, mobility~20 cm2 V-1s-1 and increase of optical band gap from 3.41 to 3.60 eV with increasing the annealing temperatures and well explained by Burstein-Moss effect. Change of work function with the annealing temperature was obtained by ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy. The increase of annealing temperature leads to increase of work function from ${\phi}=3.80eV$ (as-deposited FZTO) to ${\phi}=4.10eV$ ($600^{\circ}C$ annealed FZTO) which are quite smaller than 4.62 eV for Al-ZnO and 4.74 eV for SnO2. Through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, incorporation of F atoms was found at around the binding energy of 684.28 eV in the as-deposited and annealed FZTO up to 400oC, but can't be observed in the annealed FZTO at 500oC. This result indicates that F atoms in FZTO films are loosely bound or probably located in the interstitial sites instead of substitutional sites and thus easily diffused into the vacuum from the films by thermal annealing. The optical transmittance of FZTO films was higher than 80% in all specimens and 2-3% higher than ZTO films. FZTO is a possible potential transparent conducting oxide (TCO) alternative for application in optoelectronics.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.30 no.5
• /
• pp.239-245
• /
• 2020

Synthesizing one-dimensional nanostructures of oxide semiconductors is a promising approach to fabricate highefficiency photoelectrodes for hydrogen production from photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. In this work, vertically aligned zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorod arrays are successfully synthesized on fluorine-doped-tin-oxide (FTO) coated glass substrate via seed-mediated hydrothermal synthesis method with the use of a ZnO nanoparticle seed layer, which is formed by thermally oxidizing a sputtered Zn metal thin film. The structural, optical and PEC properties of the ZnO nanorod arrays synthesized at varying levels of Zn sputtering power are examined to reveal that the optimum ZnO nanorod array can be obtained at a sputtering power of 20 W. The photocurrent density and the optimal photocurrent conversion efficiency obtained for the optimum ZnO nanorod array photoanode are 0.13 mA/㎠ and 0.49 %, respectively, at a potential of 0.85 V vs. RHE. These results provide a promising avenue to fabricating earth-abundant ZnO-based photoanodes for PEC water oxidation using facile hydrothermal synthesis.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
• /
• 2008.06a
• /
• pp.93-94
• /
• 2008

양이온 금속원소(Al)와 음이온 할로겐 원소(F) 및 수소를 다중 도핑한 ZnO 박막을 rf 마그네트론 스퍼터를 이용하여 코닝 글라스에 증착하여 도핑량과 진공중에서의 열처리에 따른 전기적 및 광학적 특성에 대하여 고찰하였다. 양이온이 할로겐 및 수소와 동시에 도핑될 시, 금속이온의 농도가 낮은 것이 TCO 박막의 전기적 특성 향상에 유리하게 작용하는 것으로 나타났으며, 동일한 F 함량에 대하여는 수소가 증가할수록 박막의 전기적 특성이 향상되는 것으로 나타났다. 그러나 열처리에 따른 F와 H의 거동은 반대로 나타나서, 최적의 상대적인 도핑 조성이 있음을 시사하였고, 36.2 $cm^2$/Vs의 높은 흘 이동도와 $2.9\times10^{-4}{\Omega}cm$의 낮은 비저항을 가지는 ZnO계 박막의 제조가 가능하였다.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.30 no.9
• /
• pp.441-446
• /
• 2020

Synthesizing nanostructured thin films of oxide semiconductors is a promising approach to fabricate highly efficient photoelectrodes for hydrogen production via photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. In this work, we investigate the feasibility as an efficient photoanode for PEC water oxidation of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructured thin films synthesized via a simple method combined with sputtering Zn metallic films on a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrate and subsequent thermal oxidation of the sputtered Zn metallic films in dry air. Characterization of the structural, optical, and PEC properties of the ZnO nanostructured thin film synthesized at varying Zn sputtering powers reveals that we can obtain an optimum ZnO nanostructured thin film as PEC photoanode at a sputtering power of 40 W. The photocurrent density and optimal photocurrent conversion efficiency for the optimum ZnO nanostructured thin film photoanode are found to be 0.1 mA/㎠ and 0.51 %, respectively, at a potential of 0.72 V vs. RHE. Our results illustrate that the ZnO nanostructured thin film has promising potential as an efficient photoanode for PEC water splitting.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2011.08a
• /
• pp.259-259
• /
• 2011

염료감응형 태양전지(Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells:DSSC)는 환경 친화적이며, 저가의 공정에 대한 가능성으로 기존의 고가의 결정질 실리콘 태양전지의 경제적인 대안으로 각광을 받고 있다. 최근 염료감응형 태양전지는 투명 전도성 산화막(Transparent Conducting Oxide : TCO)으로 사용되는 Fluorine Tin Oxide (FTO)가 증착된 유리기판 위에 주로 제작된다. FTO는 낮은 비저항과 가시광선 영역에서 높은 투과도를 가지는 우수한 전기-광학적 특성을 갖지만, 비교적 공정이 까다로운 Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD)법으로 제조하며, 전체 공정비용의 60%를 차지하는 높은 생산단가로 인해 현재 FTO를 대체할 재료개발 연구가 활발히 진행되고 있다. 그 중 ZnO (Zinc Oxide)는 우수한 전기-광학적 특성과 비교적 저렴한 가격으로 새로운 TCO로써 주목받고 있다. ZnO는 넓은 energy band gap (3.4 [eV])의 육방정계 울자이트(hexagonal wurtzite) 결정 구조를 가지는II-VI족 n형 반도체 물질이며, III족 금속원소인 Al, Ga 및 In 등의 불순물을 첨가하면 TCO로서 우수한 전기-광학적 특성과 안정성을 나타낸다. 이들 물질중 $Zn^{2+}$ (0.060 nm)의 이온반경과 유사한 $Ga^{2+}$0.062 nm) 이온이 ZnO의 격자반경을 최소화 시킬 수 있다는 장점으로 최근 주목 받고 있다. 하지만 Ga-doped ZnO (GZO)의 경우 DSC에 사용되는 루테늄 계열의 산성 염료 하에 장시간 두면 표면이 파괴되는 문제가 발생하며, $TiO_2$ paste를 Printing 후 열처리하는 과정에서도 박막의 파괴가 발생할 수 있다. 이를 방지하기 위해 $TiO_2$ Blocking Layer를 GZO 투명전극 위에 증착하였다. 또한, $TiO_2$ Blocking Layer를 적용한 GZO 박막을 전면전극으로 이용하여 DSC를 제작하여 효율을 확인하였다. 2wt%의 $Ga_2O_3$가 도핑된 ZnO 박막은 20mTorr 400$^{\circ}C$에서 Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD)에 의해 성장되었고, $TiO_2$박막은 Ti 금속을 타겟으로 이용하여 30mTorr 400$^{\circ}C$에서 증착되었다. Scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM)을 이용한 박막 분석 결과 $TiO_2$가 증착된 GZO 박막의 경우 표면 파괴가 일어나지 않았다. Solar Simulator을 이용하여 I-V특성 측정결과 상용 FTO를 사용한 DSC 수준의 효율을 나타내었다. 이에 따라 Pulsed Laser Deposition을 이용해 제작된 GZO 기판은 $TiO_2$ Blocking Layer를 이용하여 표면 파괴를 방지할 수 있었으며, 이는 향후 염료감응형 태양전지의 투명전극에 적용 가능 할 것으로 판단된다.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.59-62
• /
• 2019

In this study, we have developed solution-processed, F-doped In-Ga-Zn-O semiconductors and investigated their applications to thin-film transistors. In order for forming the appropriate channel layer, precursor solutions were formulated by dissolving the metal salts in the designated solvent and an additive, ammonium fluoride, was incorporated additionally as a chemical modifier. We have studied thermal and chemical contributions by a thermal annealing and an incorporation of chemical modifier, from which it was revealed that electrical performances of the thin-film transistors comprising the channel layer annealed at a low temperature can be improved significantly along with an addition of ammonium fluoride. As a result, when the 20 mol% fluorine was incorporated into the semiconductor layer, electrical characteristics were accomplished with a field-effect mobility of $1.2cm^2/V{\cdot}sec$ and an $I_{on}/_{off}$ of $7{\times}10^6$.

• KEPCO Journal on Electric Power and Energy
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.97-101
• /
• 2016

ZnO has nanostructured material because of unique properties suitable for various applications. Amongst all chemical and physics methods of synthesis of ZnO nanostructure, the hydrothermal method is attractive for its simplicity and environment friendly condition. Nanostructure ZnO thin films have been successfully synthesized on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate using hydrothermal method. A possible growth mechanism of the various nanostructures ZnO is discussed in schematics. The prepared materials were characterized by standard analytical techniques, i.e., X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The XRD study showed that the obtained ZnO nanostructure thin films are in crystalline nature with hexagonal wurtzite phase. The SEM image shows substrate surface covered with nanostructure ZnO nanrod. The UV-vis absorption spectrum of the synthesized nanostructure ZnO shows a strong excitonic absorption band at 365 nm which indicate formation nanostructure ZnO thin film. Photoluminescence spectra illustrated two emission peaks, with the first one at 424 nm due to the band edge emission of ZnO and the second broad peak centered around 500 nm possibly due to oxygen vacancies in nanostructure ZnO. The Raman measurements peaks observed at $325cm^{-1}$, $418cm^{-1}$, $518cm^{-1}$ and $584cm^{-1}$ indicated that nanostrusture ZnO thin film is high crystalline quality. We trust that nanostructure ZnO material can be effectively will be used as a highly active and stable phtocatalysis application.