• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.56-63
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• 2023

In this paper, we studied the effect of electron beam irradiation on sol-gel indium-gallium-zinc oxide (IGZO) thin films under air and nitrogen atmosphere and carried out the electrical characterization of the s ol-gel IGZO thin film transistors (TFTs). To investigate the optical properties, crystalline structure and chemical state of the sol-gel IGZO thin films after electron beam irradiation, UV-Visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were carried out. The sol-gel IGZO thin films exhibited over 80% transmittance in the visible range. The XRD analysis confirmed the amorphous nature of the sol-gel IGZO films regardless of electron beam irradiation. When electron beam irradiation was conducted in a nitrogen (N₂) atmosphere, we observed an increased proportion of peaks related to M-O bonding contributed to the improved quality of the thin films. Sol-gel IGZO TFTs subjected to electron beam exposure in a nitrogen atmosphere exhibited enhanced electrical characteristics in terms of on/off ratio and electron mobility. In addition, the electrical parameters of the transistor (on/off ratio, threshold voltage, electron mobility, subthreshold swing) remained relatively stable over time, indicating that the electron beam exposure process in a nitrogen atmosphere could enhance the reliability of IGZO-based thin-film transistors in the fabrication of sol-gel processed TFTs.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.208-214
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• 2024

This reports the electrical properties of single-crystal β-gallium oxide (β-Ga₂O₃) vertical Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) with a different guard ring structure. The vertical Schottky barrier diodes (V-SBDs) were fabricated with two types guard ring structures, one is with metal deposited on the Al₂O₃ passivation layer (film guard ring: FGR) and the other is with vias formed in the Al₂O₃ passivation layer to allow the metal to contact the Ga₂O₃ surface (metal guard ring: MGR). The forward current values of FGR and MGR V-SBD are 955 mA and 666 mA at 9 V, respectively, and the specific on-resistance (R_on,sp) is 5.9 mΩ·cm² and 29 mΩ·cm². The series resistance (R_s) in the nonlinear section extracted using Cheung's formula was 6 Ω, 4.8 Ω for FGR V-SBD, 10.7 Ω, 6.7 Ω for MGR V-SBD, respectively, and the breakdown voltage was 528 V for FGR V-SBD and 358 V for MGR V-SBD. Degradation of electrical characteristics of the MGR V-SBD can be attributed to the increased reverse leakage current caused by the guard ring structure, and it is expected that the electrical performance can be improved by preventing premature leakage current when an appropriate reverse voltage is applied to the guard ring area. On the other hand, FGR V-SBD shows overall better electrical properties than MGR V-SBD because Al₂O₃ was widely deposited on the Ga₂O₃ surface, which prevent leakage current on the Ga₂O₃ surface.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.301.2-301.2
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• 2016

Metal-oxide thin-film transistors (TFTs) have gained a considerable interest in transparent electronics owing to their high optical transparency and outstanding electrical performance even in an amorphous state. Also, these metal-oxide materials can be solution-processed at a low temperature by using deep ultraviolet (DUV) induced photochemical activation allowing facile integration on flexible substrates [1]. In addition, high-dielectric constant (k) inorganic gate dielectrics are also of a great interest as a key element to lower the operating voltage and as well as the formation of coherent interface with the oxide semiconductors, which may lead to a considerable improvement in the TFT performance. In this study, we investigated the electrical properties of solution-processed high-k strontium-doped AlOx (Sr-AlOx) gate dielectrics. Using the Sr-AlOx as a gate dielectric, indium-gallium-zinc oxide (IGZO) TFTs were fabricated and their electrical properties are analyzed. We demonstrate IGZO TFTs with a 10-nm-thick Sr-AlOx gate dielectric which can be operated at a low voltage (~5 V).

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.209.1-209.1
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• 2015

Indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO), indium zinc oxide (IZO) 그리고 zinc tin oxide (ZTO) 같은 zinc oxide 기반의 산화물 반도체는 높은 이동도, 투과도 그리고 유연성 같은 장점을 갖고 있어, display application의 backplane 소자로 적용되고 있다. 또한 최근에는 산화물 반도체를 이용한 thin-film transistor (TFT) 뿐만아니라 resistive random access memory (RRAM), flash memory 그리고 pH 센서 등 다양한 반도체 소자에 적용을 위한 연구가 활발히 진행 중이다. 그러나 zinc oxide 기반의 산화물 반도체의 전기 화학적 불안정성은 위와 같은 소자에 적용하는데 제약이 있다. 산화물 반도체의 안정성에 영향을 미치는 다양한 요인들 중 한 가지는, sputter 같은 plasma를 이용한 공정 진행 시 active layer가 plasma에 노출되면서 threshold voltage (Vth)가 급격하게 변화하는 plasma damage effect 이다. 급격한 Vth의 변화는 동작 전압의 불안정성을 가져옴과 동시에 누설전류를 증가시키는 결과를 초래 한다. 따라서 본 연구에서는, IGZO 기반의 TFT를 제작 후 plasma 분위기에 노출시켜, power와 노출 시간에 따른 전기적 특성 변화를 확인 하였다. 또한, thermal annealing을 적용하여 열처리 온도와 시간에 따른 Vth의 회복특성을 조사 하였다. 이러한 결과는 추후 산화물 반도체를 이용한 다양한 소자 설계 시 유용할 것으로 기대된다.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2009.07a
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• pp.1332_1333
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• 2009

The electrical properties of an inorganic/organic heterojunction has been investigated by spin coating the p-type polymer poly(3,4 ethylenedioxythiophene) : poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) on an n-type gallium doping zinc oxide (GZO) film. Current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of the fabricated heterojunction diodes have a good rectifying characteristics. The barrier height is calculated 0.8 eV.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.273.2-273.2
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• 2014

Sputtering process has been widely used in Si-based semiconductor industry and it is also an ideal method to deposit transparent oxide materials for thin-film transistors (TFTs). The oxide films grown at low temperature by conventional RF sputtering process are typically amorphous state with low density including a large number of defects such as dangling bonds and oxygen vacancies. Those play a crucial role in the electron conduction in transparent electrode, while those are the origin of instability of semiconducting channel in oxide TFTs due to electron trapping. Therefore, post treatments such as high temperature annealing process have been commonly progressed to obtain high reliability and good stability. In this work, the scheme of electron-assisted RF sputtering process for high quality transparent oxide films was suggested. Through the additional electron supply into the plasma during sputtering process, the working pressure could be kept below $5{\times}10-4Torr$. Therefore, both the mean free path and the mobility of sputtered atoms were increased and the well ordered and the highly dense microstructure could be obtained compared to those of conventional sputtering condition. In this work, the physical properties of transparent oxide films such as conducting indium tin oxide and semiconducting indium gallium zinc oxide films grown by electron-assisted sputtering process will be discussed in detail. Those films showed the high conductivity and the high mobility without additional post annealing process. In addition, oxide TFT characteristics based on IGZO channel and ITO electrode will be shown.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.02a
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• pp.557-557
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• 2012

Silicatein-${\alpha}$, the enzyme extracted from silica spicules in glass sponges, has been studied extensively in the way of chemistry from 1999, in which the pioneering work by Morse, D. E. - the discovery of the enzymatic hydrolysis in Silicatein-${\alpha}$ - was published. Since its reaction conditions are physiologically favored, synthesis of various materials, such as gallium oxide, zirconium oxide, and silicon oxide, was achieved without any hazardous wastes. Although some groups synthesized oxide films and particles, they have not achieved yet controlled morphogenesis in the reaction conditions mentioned above. With the knowledge of catalytic triad involved in hydrolysis of silicone alkoxide and oligomerization of silicic acid, we designed the novel peptide amphiphiles to not only form self-assembled structure, but also display similar activities to silicatein-${\alpha}$. Designed templates were able to self-assemble into left-handed helices for the peptide amphiphiles with L-form amino acid, catalyzing polycondensation of silicic acids onto the surface of them. It led to the formation of silica helices with 30-50 nm diameters. These results were characterized by various techniques, including SEM, TEM, and STEM. Given the situation that nano-bio-technology, the bio-applicable technology in nanometer scale, has been attracting considerable attention; this result could be applied to the latest applications in biotechnology, such as biosensors, lab-on-a-chip, biocompatible nanodevices.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.639-643
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• 2011

Zinc oxide as an optoelectronic device material was studied to utilize its wide band gap of 3.37 eV and high exciton biding energy of 60 meV. Using anti-site nitrogen to generate p-type zinc oxide has shown a deep acceptor level and low solubility. To increase the nitrogen solubility in zinc oxide, group 13 elements (aluminum, gallium, and indium) was co-added to nitrogen. The effect of aluminum on nitrogen solubility in a $3{\times}3{\times}2$ zinc oxide super cell containing 72 atoms was investigated using density functional theory with hybrid functionals of Heyd, Scuseria, and Ernzerhof (HSE). Aluminum and nitrogen were substituted for zinc and oxygen sites in the super cell, respectively. The band gap of the undoped super cell was calculated to be 3.36 eV from the density of states, and was in good agreement with the experimentally obtained value. Formation energies of a nitrogen molecule and nitric oxide in the zinc oxide super cell in zinc-rich conditions were lower than those in oxygen-rich conditions. When the number of nitrogen molecules near the aluminum increased from one to four in the super cell, their formation energies decreased to approach the valence band maximum to some degree. However, the acceptor level of nitrogen in zinc oxide with the co-incorporation of aluminum was still deep.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.225-228
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• 2002

Amorphous $Ga_2O_3$ films have been grown on Si(100) substrates by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) using gallium isopropoxide, $Ga(O^iPr)_3$, as single precursor. Deposition was carried out in the substrate temperature range 400-800 $^{\circ}C$. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis revealed deposition of stoichiometric $Ga_2O_3$ thin films at 500-600 $^{\circ}C$. XPS depth profiling by $Ar^+$ ion sputtering indicated that carbon contamination exists mostly in the surface region with less than 3.5% content in the film. Microscopic images of the films by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) showed formation of grains of approximately 20-40 nm in size on the film surfaces. The root-mean-square surface roughness from an AFM image was ${\sim}10{\AA}$. The interfacial layer of the $Ga_2O_3$/Si was measured to be ${\sim}35{\AA}$ thick by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM). From the analysis of gaseous products of the CVD reaction by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), an effort was made to explain the CVD mechanism.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.60.2-60.2
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• 2011

본 연구에서는 Indium-free 및 gallium-free 기반의 산화물 TFT를 제작하기 위해 n-type $TiO_2$ 반도체 기반의 thin film transistor ($Mo/TiO_{2-x}/SiO_2/p+\;+Si$)를 oxygen deficient black $TiO_{2-x}$ 타겟을 이용하여 DC magnetron sputtering 공법으로 제작하고 그 특성을 분석하였다. DC magnetron sputtering 공법으로 성막된 $TiO_{2-x}$ semiconductor의 전기적, 광학적, 화학적 결합 에너지 및 구조적 특성 분석을 위해 semiconductor parameter analyzer (Aglient 4156-C), UV/Vis spectrometer, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy를 각각 이용하여 분석하였으며 이를 RTA 전/후 특성 비교를 통하여 관찰하였다. $TiO_{2-x}$ TFT의 소자 특성은 RTA 열처리 전/후 전형적인 insulator 특성에서 semiconductor 특성으로 변화되는 것을 관찰할 수 있었으며, 최적화된 열처리 공정에서 filed effect mobility 0.69 $cm^2$/Vs, on to off current ratio $2.04{\times}10^7$, sub-threshold swing 2.45 V/decade와 Vth 10.45 V를 확보할 수 있었다. 또한 RTA 열처리 후 밴드갭이 3.25에서 3.41로 확장되는 특성을 나타내었다. 특히 RTA 열처리 후 stoichiometric $TiO_2$ 상태와는 다른 $Ti^{2+}$, $Ti^{3+}$, $Ti^{4+}$ 등의 다양한 oxidation states가 관찰되었으며 이러한 oxidation states를 $TiO_{2-x}$ 박막에서의 oxygen deficient 상태와 연관시킴으로써 oxygen vacancy의 n-type dopant로의 거동을 확인하였다. $TiO_2$ 채널 기반의 TFT 특성을 통하여서 indium free 또는 gallium free 산화물 채널로써의 가능성을 확인하였다.