• 한국진공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국진공학회 2016년도 제50회 동계 정기학술대회 초록집
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• pp.307.1-307.1
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• 2016

Amorphous zinc tin oxide (ZTO) thin films are being widely studied for a variety electronic applications such as the transparent conducting oxide (TCO) in the field of photoelectric elements and thin film transistors (TFTs). Thin film transistors (TFTs) with transparent amorphous oxide semiconductors (TAOS) represent a major advance in the field of thin film electronics. Examples of TAOS materials include zinc tin oxide (ZTO), indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO), indium zinc oxide, and indium zinc tin oxide. Among them, ZTO has good optical and electrical properties (high transmittance and larger than 3eV band gap energy). Furthermore ZTO does not contain indium or gallium and is relatively inexpensive and non-toxic. In this study, ZTO thin films were formed by UHV RF magnetron co-sputter deposition on silicon substrates and sapphires. The films were deposited from ZnO and SnO2 target in an RF argon and oxygen plasma. The deposition condition of ZTO thin films were controlled by RF power and post anneal temperature using rapid thermal annealing (RTA). The deposited and annealed films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscope (AFM), ultraviolet and visible light (UV-VIS) spectrophotometer.

• 한국재료학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국재료학회 2012년도 춘계학술발표대회
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• pp.110.1-110.1
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• 2012

Recently, advances in ZnO based oxide semiconductor materials have accelerated the development of thin-film transistors (TFTs), which are the building blocks for active matrix flat-panel displays including liquid crystal displays (LCD) and organic light-emitting diodes (OLED). However, the electrical performances of oxide semiconductors are significantly affected by interactions with the ambient atmosphere. Jeong et al. reported that the channel of the IGZO-TFT is very sensitive to water vapor adsorption. Thus, water vapor passivation layers are necessary for long-term current stability in the operation of the oxide-based TFTs. In the present work, $Al_2O_3$ and $TiO_2$ thin films were deposited on poly ether sulfon (PES) and $SnO_x$-based TFTs by electron cyclotron resonance atomic layer deposition (ECR-ALD). And enhancing the WVTR (water vapor transmission rate) characteristics, barrier layer structure was modified to $Al_2O_3/TiO_2$ layered structure. For example, $Al_2O_3$, $TiO_2$ single layer, $Al_2O_3/TiO_2$ double layer and $Al_2O_3/TiO_2/Al_2O_3/TiO_2$ multilayer were studied for enhancement of water vapor barrier properties. After thin film water vapor barrier deposited on PES substrate and $SnO_x$-based TFT, thin film permeation characteristics were three orders of magnitude smaller than that without water vapor barrier layer of PES substrate, stability of $SnO_x$-based TFT devices were significantly improved. Therefore, the results indicate that $Al_2O_3/TiO_2$ water vapor barrier layers are highly proper for use as a passivation layer in $SnO_x$-based TFT devices.

• 한국진공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국진공학회 2016년도 제50회 동계 정기학술대회 초록집
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• pp.231-232
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• 2016

We have fabricated the nc-Si, IGZO based nonvolatile memory TFTs using mobile protons, which can be generated by simple hydrogen insertion process via H-NB treatment at room temperature. The TFT devices above exhibited reproducible hysteresis behavior, stable ON/OFF switching, and non-volatile memory characteristics. Also executed hydrogen treatment in order to figure out the difference of mobile proton generation between PECVD and our modified H-NB CVD. The room temperature proton-insertion process can reveal flexible inorganic based all-in-one display panel including driving circuit and memory circuit.

• 한국진공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국진공학회 2015년도 제49회 하계 정기학술대회 초록집
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• pp.192.1-192.1
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• 2015

We demonstrated the nonvolatile memory functionality of nano-crystalline silicon (nc-Si) and InGaZnOxide (IGZO) thin film transistors (TFTs) using mobile protons that are generated by very short time hydrogen neutral beam (H-NB) treatment in gate insulator (SiO2). The whole memory fabrication process kept under $50^{\circ}C$ (except SiO2 deposition process; $300^{\circ}C$). These devices exhibited reproducible hysteresis, reversible switching, and nonvolatile memory behaviors in comparison with those of the conventional FET devices. We also executed hydrogen treatment in order to figure out the difference of mobile proton generation between PECVD and H-NB CVD that we modified. Our study will further provide a vision of creating memory functionality and incorporating proton-based storage elements onto a probability of next generation flexible memorable electronics such as low power consumption flexible display panel.

• 한국전기전자재료학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국전기전자재료학회 2009년도 춘계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.63-64
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• 2009

The TFTs have been fabricated with 3 different geometry SID electrodes which have the same channel W/L ratio (W/L = 5) due to constant channel resistance, The 3 samples have different channel widths (350, 150, and $25\;{\mu}m$) and channel lengths (70, 30, and $5\;{\mu}m$) by fixed channel W/L ratio simultaneously on one chip for reliable comparisons. Resultant on-current and field effect mobility are proportional to the channel width, while the subthreshold swing is inversely proportional to the channel width mainly due to the change of contact resistance. These results show that the contact resistance strongly affects the device performances and should be considered in the applications.

• 한국전기전자재료학회논문지
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• 제22권9호
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• pp.747-750
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• 2009

The TFTs have been fabricated with 3 different geometry SID electrodes which have the same channel W/L ratio (W/L = 5) due to constant channel resistance, The 3 samples have different channel widths (350, 150, and 25 ${\mu}m$) and channel lengths (70, 30, and 5 ${\mu}m$) by fixed channel W/L ratio simultaneously on one chip for reliable comparisons. Resultant on-current and field effect mobility are proportional to the channel width, while the subthreshold swing is inversely proportional to the channel width mainly due to the change of contact resistance. These results show that the contact resistance strongly affects the device performances and should be considered in the applications.

• 한국표면공학회지
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• 제48권1호
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• pp.7-10
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• 2015

Recently, oxide TFTs has attracted a lot of interests due to their outstanding properties such as excellent environmental stability, high mobility, wide-band gap energy and high transparency, and investigated through the method using vacuum system and wet solution. In the case of the method using wet solution, process is very simple, however, annealing process should be included. In this study, to overcome the problem of annealing process, atmospheric pressure plasma was used for annealing, and the electrical characteristics such as on/off ration and mobility of device were investigated.

• 한국재료학회지
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• 제27권6호
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• pp.345-349
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• 2017

The effects of electron beam(EB) irradiation on the electrical and optical properties of InGaZnO(IGZO) thin films fabricated using a sol-gel process were investigated. As the EB dose increased, the electrical characteristic of the IGZO TFTs changed from semiconductor to conductor, and the threshold voltage values shifted to the negative direction. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of the O 1s core level showed that the relative area of oxygen vacancies increased from 14.68 to 19.08 % as the EB dose increased from 0 to $1.5{\times}10^{16}electrons/cm^2$. In addition, spectroscopic ellipsometer analysis showed that the optical band gap varied from 3.39 to 3.46 eV with increasing EB dose. From the result of band alignment, it was confirmed that the Fermi level($E_F$) of the sample irradiated with $1.5{\times}10^{16}electrons/cm^2$ was located at the closest position to the conduction band minimum(CBM) due to the increase of electron carrier concentration.

• 한국표면공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국표면공학회 2018년도 춘계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.55-55
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• 2018

Recently, amorphous oxides such as InGaZnO (IGZO) and InZnO (IZO) as a channel layer of an oxide TFT have been attracted by advantages such as high mobility, good uniformity, and high transparency. In order to apply such an amorphous oxide TFTs to a display, the stability in various environments must be ensured. In the InGaZnO which has been studied in the past, Ga elements act as a suppressor of oxygen vacancy and result in a decreased mobility at the same time. Previous studies have been showed that the InZnO, which does not contain Ga, can achieve high mobility, but has relatively poor stability under various instability environments. In this study, the TFTs using $IZO/Al_2O_3$ double layer structure were studied. The introduction of an $Al_2O_3$ interlayer between source/drain and channel causes superior electrical characteristics and electrical stability as well as reduced contact resistance with optimally perfect ohmic contact. For the IZO and $Al_2O_3$ bilayer structures, the IZO 30nm IZO channels were prepared at $Ar:O_2=30:1$ by sputtering and the $Al_2O_3$ interlayer were depostied with various thickness by ALD at $150^{\circ}C$. The optimal sample exhibits considerably good TFT performance with $V_{th}$ of -3.3V and field effect mobility of $19.25cm^2/Vs$, and reduced $V_{th}$ shift under positive bias stress stability, compared to conventional IZO TFT. The enhanced TFT performances are closely related to the nice ohmic contact properties coming from the defect passivation of the IZO surface inducing charge traps, and we will provide the detail mechanism and model via electrical analysis and transmission line method.

• 한국진공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국진공학회 2012년도 제42회 동계 정기 학술대회 초록집
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• pp.100-101
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• 2012

The plasma damage free and room temperature processedthin film deposition technology is essential for realization of various next generation organic microelectronic devices such as flexible AMOLED display, flexible OLED lighting, and organic photovoltaic cells because characteristics of fragile organic materials in the plasma process and low glass transition temperatures (Tg) of polymer substrate. In case of directly deposition of metal oxide thin films (including transparent conductive oxide (TCO) and amorphous oxide semiconductor (AOS)) on the organic layers, plasma damages against to the organic materials is fatal. This damage is believed to be originated mainly from high energy energetic particles during the sputtering process such as negative oxygen ions, reflected neutrals by reflection of plasma background gas at the target surface, sputtered atoms, bulk plasma ions, and secondary electrons. To solve this problem, we developed the NBAS (Neutral Beam Assisted Sputtering) process as a plasma damage free and room temperature processed sputtering technology. As a result, electro-optical properties of NBAS processed ITO thin film showed resistivity of $4.0{\times}10^{-4}{\Omega}{\cdot}m$ and high transmittance (>90% at 550 nm) with nano- crystalline structure at room temperature process. Furthermore, in the experiment result of directly deposition of TCO top anode on the inverted structure OLED cell, it is verified that NBAS TCO deposition process does not damages to the underlying organic layers. In case of deposition of transparent conductive oxide (TCO) thin film on the plastic polymer substrate, the room temperature processed sputtering coating of high quality TCO thin film is required. During the sputtering process with higher density plasma, the energetic particles contribute self supplying of activation & crystallization energy without any additional heating and post-annealing and forminga high quality TCO thin film. However, negative oxygen ions which generated from sputteringtarget surface by electron attachment are accelerated to high energy by induced cathode self-bias. Thus the high energy negative oxygen ions can lead to critical physical bombardment damages to forming oxide thin film and this effect does not recover in room temperature process without post thermal annealing. To salve the inherent limitation of plasma sputtering, we have been developed the Magnetic Field Shielded Sputtering (MFSS) process as the high quality oxide thin film deposition process at room temperature. The MFSS process is effectively eliminate or suppress the negative oxygen ions bombardment damage by the plasma limiter which composed permanent magnet array. As a result, electro-optical properties of MFSS processed ITO thin film (resistivity $3.9{\times}10^{-4}{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$, transmittance 95% at 550 nm) have approachedthose of a high temperature DC magnetron sputtering (DMS) ITO thin film were. Also, AOS (a-IGZO) TFTs fabricated by MFSS process without higher temperature post annealing showed very comparable electrical performance with those by DMS process with $400^{\circ}C$ post annealing. They are important to note that the bombardment of a negative oxygen ion which is accelerated by dc self-bias during rf sputtering could degrade the electrical performance of ITO electrodes and a-IGZO TFTs. Finally, we found that reduction of damage from the high energy negative oxygen ions bombardment drives improvement of crystalline structure in the ITO thin film and suppression of the sub-gab states in a-IGZO semiconductor thin film. For realization of organic flexible electronic devices based on plastic substrates, gas barrier coatings are required to prevent the permeation of water and oxygen because organic materials are highly susceptible to water and oxygen. In particular, high efficiency flexible AMOLEDs needs an extremely low water vapor transition rate (WVTR) of $1{\times}10^{-6}gm^{-2}day^{-1}$. The key factor in high quality inorganic gas barrier formation for achieving the very low WVTR required (under ${\sim}10^{-6}gm^{-2}day^{-1}$) is the suppression of nano-sized defect sites and gas diffusion pathways among the grain boundaries. For formation of high quality single inorganic gas barrier layer, we developed high density nano-structured Al2O3 single gas barrier layer usinga NBAS process. The NBAS process can continuously change crystalline structures from an amorphous phase to a nano- crystalline phase with various grain sizes in a single inorganic thin film. As a result, the water vapor transmission rates (WVTR) of the NBAS processed $Al_2O_3$ gas barrier film have improved order of magnitude compared with that of conventional $Al_2O_3$ layers made by the RF magnetron sputteringprocess under the same sputtering conditions; the WVTR of the NBAS processed $Al_2O_3$ gas barrier film was about $5{\times}10^{-6}g/m^2/day$ by just single layer.