• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.116-124
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• 2024

In this study, we investigated the microstructure and piezoelectric properties of 0.96(K_0.456Na_0.536)Nb_0.95Sb_0.05-0.04Bi_0.5(Na_0.82K_0.18)_0.5ZrO₃ (KNNS-BNKZ) ceramics based on one-step and two-step sintering processes. One-step sintering led to significant abnormal grain (AG) growth at temperatures above 1,085 ℃. With increasing sintering temperature, piezoelectric and dielectric properties were enhanced, resulting in a high d₃₃ = 506 pC/N for one-step specimen sintered at 1,100 ℃ (one-step 1,100 ℃ specimen). However, for one-step 1,115 ℃ specimen, a slight decrease in d₃₃ was observed, emphasizing the importance of a high tetragonal (T) phase fraction for superior piezoelectric properties. Achieving a relative density above 84 % for samples sintered by the one-step sintering process was challenging. Conversely, two-step sintering significantly improved the relative density of KNNS-BNKZ ceramics up to 96 %, attributed to the control of AG nucleation in the first step and grain growth rate control in the second step. The quantity of AG nucleation was affected by the duration of the first step, determining the final microstructure. Despite having a lower T phase fraction than that of the one-step 1,100 ℃ specimen, the two-step specimen exhibited higher piezoelectric coefficients (d₃₃ = 574 pC/N and k_p = 0.5) than those of the one-step 1,100 ℃ specimen due to its higher relative density. Performance evaluation of magnetoelectric composite devices composed of one-step and two-step specimens showed that despite having a higher g₃₃, the magnetoelectric composite with the one-step 1,100 ℃ specimen exhibited the lowest magnetoelectric voltage coefficient, due to its lowest k_p. This study highlights the essential role of phase fraction and relative density in enhancing the performance of piezoelectric materials and devices, showcasing the effectiveness of the two-step sintering process for controlling the microstructure of ceramic materials containing volatile elements.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.08a
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• pp.222-222
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• 2011

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) has a number of applications in optics and electronics due to its superior properties, such as physical and chemical stability, high refractive index, good transmission in vis and NIR regions, and high dielectric constant. Atomic layer deposition (ALD), also called atomic layer epitaxy, can be regarded as a special modification of the chemical vapor deposition method. ALD is a pulsed method in which the reactant vapors are alternately supplied onto the substrate. During each pulse, the precursors chemisorb or react with the surface groups. When the process conditions are suitably chosen, the film growth proceeds by alternate saturative surface reactions and is thus self-limiting. This makes it possible to cover even complex shaped objects with a uniform film. It is also possible to control the film thickness accurately simply by controlling the number of pulsing cycles repeated. We have investigated the ALD of TiO2 at 100$^{\circ}C$ using precursors titanium tetra-isopropoxide (TTIP) and H2O on -O, -OH terminated Si surface by in situ X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. ALD reactions with TTIP were performed on the H2O-dosed Si substrate at 100$^{\circ}C$, where one cycle was completed. The number of ALD cycles was increased by repeated deposition of H2O and TTIP at 100$^{\circ}C$. After precursor exposure, the samples were transferred under vacuum from the reaction chamber to the UHV chamber at room temperature for in situ XPS analysis. The XPS instrument included a hemispherical analyzer (ALPHA 110) and a monochromatic X-ray source generated by exciting Al K${\alpha}$ radiation (h${\nu}$=1486.6 eV).

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.285-289
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• 2003

This paper proposes a 10 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ thick oxide air-bridge structure which can be used as a substrate for RF circuits. The structure was fabricated by anodic reaction, complex oxidation and rnicrornachining technology using TMAH etching. High quality films were obtained by combining low temperature thermal oxidation (50$0^{\circ}C$, 1 hr at $H_2O$/O$_2$) and rapid thermal oxidation (RTO) process (105$0^{\circ}C$, 2 min). This structure is mechanically stable because of thick oxide layer up to 10 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ and is expected to solve the problem of high dielectric loss of silicon substrate in RF region. The properties of the transmission line formed on the oxidized porous silicon (OPS) air-bridge were investigated and compared with those of the transmission line formed on the OPS layers. The insertion loss of coplanar waveguide (CPW) on OPS air-bridge was (about 1 dB) lower than that of CPW on OPS layers. Also, the return loss of CPW on OPS air-bridge was less than about - 20 dB at measured frequency region for 2.2 mm. Therefore, this technology is very promising for extending the use of CMOS circuitry to higher RF frequencies.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.263-272
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• 2011

Highly luminescent and monodisperse InP quantum dots (QDs) were prepared by a non-organometallic approach in a non-coordinating solvent. Fatty acids with well-defined chain lengths as the ligand, a non coordinating solvent, and a thorough degassing process are all important factors for the formation of high quality InP QDs. By varying the molar concentration of indium to ligand, QDs of different size were prepared and their absorption and emission behaviors studied. By spin-coating a colloidal solution of InP QD onto a silicon wafer, InP QD thin films were obtained. The thickness of the thin films cured at 60 and $200^{\circ}C$ were nearly identical (approximately 860 nm), whereas at $300^{\circ}C$, the thickness of the thin film was found to be 760 nm. Different contrast regions (A, B, C) were observed in the TEM images, which were found to be unreacted precursors, InP QDs, and indium-rich phases, respectively, through EDX analysis. The optical properties of the thin films were measured at three different curing temperatures (60, 200, $300^{\circ}C$), which showed a blue shift with an increase in temperature. It was proposed that this blue shift may be due to a decrease in the core diameter of the InP QD by oxidation, as confirmed by the XPS studies. Oxidation also passivates the QD surface by reducing the amount of P dangling bonds, thereby increasing luminescence intensity. The dielectric properties of the thin films were also investigated by capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements in a metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) device. At 60 and $300^{\circ}C$, negative flat band shifts (${\Delta}V_{fb}$) were observed, which were explained by the presence of P dangling bonds on the InP QD surface. At $300^{\circ}C$, clockwise hysteresis was observed due to trapping and detrapping of positive charges on the thin film, which was explained by proposing the existence of deep energy levels due to the indium-rich phases.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.457-463
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• 2024

(Bi_1/2Na_1/2)TiO₃(BNT) piezoelectric ceramics are one of the promising materials that can replace Pb(Zr, Ti)O₃(PZT) piezoelectric ceramics due to the high electromechanical strain properties. However, it is still difficult to use practical applications because the required electric field for inducing electromechanical strain is relatively higher than that of PZT ceramics. To overcome this problem, it has been intensively studied on doping impurity or modifying other ABO₃ for BNT-based piezoelectric ceramics. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of La₂O₃ doping on the phase transition behavior and electromechanical strain properties in BNT-SrTiO₃ (BNT-ST) lead-free piezoelectric ceramics. In the case of the temperature-dependent dielectric properties, it was confirmed that a phase transition from ferroelectrics to relaxors is induced with increasing La₂O₃ content. As a result, the electromechanical strain properties of BNT-ST ceramics were improved. The highest S_max/E_max value corresponding to 300 pm/V was obtained at 2 mol% La₂O₃-dopped BNT-ST ceramics. Accordingly, this study successfully demonstrated that La₂O₃ doping is effective on the inducing phase transition from ferroelectrics to relaxors and the improving electromechanical strain properties of BNT-ST lead-free piezoelectric ceramics.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.169-174
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• 2008

The structural and electrical properties of amorphous $BaSm_2Ti_4O_{12}$ (BSmT) films on a $TiN/SiO_2/Si$ substrate deposited using a RF magnetron sputtering method were investigated. The deposition of BSmT films was carried out at $300^{\circ}C$ in a mixed oxygen and argon ($O_2$ : Ar = 1 : 4) atmosphere with a total pressure of 8.0 mTorr. In particular, a 45 nm-thick amorphous BSmT film exhibited a high capacitance density and low dissipation factor of $7.60\;fF/{\mu}m2$ and 1.3%, respectively, with a dielectric constant of 38 at 100 kHz. Its capacitance showed very little change, even in GHz ranges from 1.0 GHz to 6.0 GHz. The quality factor of the BSmT film was as high as 67 at 6 GHz. The leakage current density of the BSmT film was also very low, at approximately $5.11\;nA/cm^2$ at 2 V; its conduction mechanism was explained by the the Poole-Frenkel emission. The quadratic voltage coefficient of capacitance of the BSmT film was approximately $698\;ppm/V^2$, which is higher than the required value (<$100\;ppm/V^2$) for RF application. This could be reduced by improving the process condition. The temperature coefficient of capacitance of the film was low at nearly $296\;ppm/^{\circ}C$ at 100 kHz. Therefore, amorphous BSmT grown on a TiN substrate is a viable candidate material for a metal-insulator-metal capacitor.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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• pp.342-343
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• 2013

AlSb is a promising material for optical devices, particularly for high-frequency and nonlinear-optical applications. And AlSb offers significant potential for devices such as quantum-well lasers, laser diodes, and heterojunction bipolar transistors. In this work we study molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth of an unstrained AISb film on a GaAs substrate and identify the real-time monitoring capabilities of in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). The samples were fabricated on semi-insulating (0 0 1) GaAs substrates using MBE system. A rotating sample stage ensured uniform film growth. The substrate was first heated to $620^{\circ}C$ under As2 to remove surface oxides. A GaAs buffer layer approximately 200 nm- thick was then grown at $580^{\circ}C$. During the temperature changing process from $580^{\circ}C$ to $530^{\circ}C$, As2 flux is maintained with the shutter for Ga being closed and the reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) pattern remaining at ($2{\times}4$). Upon reaching the preset temperature of $530^{\circ}C$, As shutter was promptly closed with Sb shutter open, resulting in the change of RHEED pattern from ($2{\times}4$) to ($1{\times}3$). This was followed by the growth of AlSb while using a rotating-compensator SE with a charge-coupled-device (CCD) detector to obtain real-time SE spectra from 0.74 to 6.48 eV. Fig. 1 shows the real time measured SE spectra of AlSb on GaAs in growth process. In the Fig. 1 (a), a change of ellipsometric parameter ${\Delta}$ is observed. The ${\Delta}$ is the parameter which contains thickness information of the sample, and it changes in a periodic from 0 to 180o with growth. The significant change of ${\Delta}$ at~0.4 min means that the growth of AlSb on GaAs has been started. Fig. 1b shows the changes of dielectric function with time over the range 0.74~6.48 eV. These changes mean phase transition from pseudodielectric function of GaAs to AlSb at~0.44 min. Fig. 2 shows the observed RHEED patterns in the growth process. The observed RHEED pattern of GaAs is ($2{\times}4$), and the pattern changes into ($1{\times}3$) with starting the growth of AlSb. This means that the RHEED pattern is in agreement with the result of SE measurements. These data show the importance and sensitivity of SE for real-time monitoring for materials growth by MBE. We performed the real-time monitoring of AlSb growth by using SE measurements, and it is good agreement with the results of RHEED pattern. This fact proves the importance and the sensitivity of SE technique for the real-time monitoring of film growth by using ellipsometry. We believe that these results will be useful in a number of contexts including more accurate optical properties for high speed device engineering.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.205-210
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• 2019

$Pb(Zr,Ti)O_3$ (PZT) is used for the various piezoelectric devices owing to its high piezoelectric properties. However, lead (Pb), which is contained in PZT, causes various environment contaminations. $(K,Na)NbO_3$ (NKN) is the most well-known candidate for a lead-free composition to replace PZT. A single crystal has excellent piezoelectric-properties and its properties can be changed by changing the orientation direction. It is hard to fabricate a NKN single crystal due to the sodium and potassium. Thus, $(Na,K)NbO_3-Ba(Cu,Nb)O_3$ (NKN-BCuN) is chosen to fabricate the single crystal with relative ease. NKN-BCuN pellets consist of two parts, yellow single crystals and gray poly-crystals that contain copper. The area that has a large amount of copper particles may melt at low temperature but not the other areas. The liquid phase may be responsible for the abnormal grain growth in NKN-BCuN ceramics. The dielectric constant and tan ${\delta}$ are measured to be 684 and 0.036 at 1 kHz in NKN-BCuN, respectively. The coercive field and remnant polarization are 14 kV/cm and $20{\mu}C/cm^2$.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.35-36
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• 2008

PTC thermistor are characterized by an increase in the electrical resistance with temperature. The PTC materials of middle Curie point were produced or that of high Curie point (above $200^{\circ}C$), it was determined that compositional modifications of $Pb^{2+}$ for $Ba^{2+}$ produce change sin the Curie point to higher temperature. PTC ceramic materials with the Curie point above $120^{\circ}C$ were prepared by adding $PbTiO_3$, PbO or $Pb_3O_4$ into $BaTiO_3$. Thereby, adding $Pb^{2+}$ into $BaTiO_3$-based PTC material to improve Tc was studied broadly, however, weal know that PbO was poisonous and prone to volatilize, then to pollute the circumstance and hurt to people, so we should dope other innocuous additives instead of lead to increase Tc of composite PTC material. In order to prepare lead-free $BaTiO_3$-based PTC with middle Curie point, the incorporation on $Bi_{1/2}K_{1/2}TiO_3$ into $BaTiO_3$-based ceramics was investigated on samples containing 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 50mol% of $Bi_{1/2}K_{1/2}TiO_3$. $Bi_{1/2}K_{1/2}TiO_3$ was compounded as standby material by conventional solid-state reaction technique. The starting materials were $Bi_2O_3$, $K_2CO_3$, $BaCO_3$ and $TiO_2$ powder, and using solid-state reaction method, too. The microstructures of samples were investigated by SEM, DSC, XRD and dielectric properties. Phase composition and lattice parameters were investigated by X-ray diffraction.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.484-490
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• 1999

$(Pb,La)TiO_3$(PLT) thin films were prepared on Pt/SiO$_2$/Si substrates by the sol-gel method and investigated the crystalline and electrical properties according to La concentration and post-annealing temperatures. The PLT films annealed at above $600^{\circ}C$ were exhibited the typical perovskite structures regardless of La contents. When the $(Pb,La)TiO_3$(PT) films were doped with La concentration up to 10mol%(PLT-10), the degree of z-axis orientation was greatly decreased from 63% to 26%. From AES depth profiles for the PLT-10 samples, no remarkable inter-reaction between PLT film and lower Pt electrode was found. The remanent polarization$(2Pr,Pr_+-Pr_-)$ were increased from $4\muC\textrm{cm}^2 to 16\muC\textrm{cm}^2$ as the annealing temperature increased from $600^{\circ}C to 700^{\circ}C$. This result may be ascribed to the improvement of crystallinity by the high temperature post-annealing. The dielectric constant$({\varepsilon}r)$ and tangent loss(tan$\delta$) of the PLT-10 films annealed at $650^{\circ}C$ were about 193 and 0.02, respectively with the pyroelectric coefficient($\gamma$) of around $4.0nC/\textrm{cm}^2{\cdot}^{\circ}C at 30^{\circ}C$.