• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.430-436
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• 1997

A piezoresistive acceleration sensor for 30 G has been fabricated by silicon micromachining method using SDB(silicon direct bonding) wafer. The structure of the piezoresistive acceleration sensor consists of a seismic square pillar type mass and four beams. This structure was fabricated by reactive ion etching and chemical etching using KOH-etchant. The rectangular square structure is used in order to compensate the deformation of the edges due to underetching. The fabricated sensor showed a linear output voltage-acceleration characteristics and its sensitivity was about $88{\mu}V/V{\cdot}g$ from 0 to 10 G.

• New & Renewable Energy
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.26-31
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• 2009

The surface etching characteristics of single crystalline silicon wafer were investigated using potassium hydroxide (KOH) and tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH). The saw damage layer was removed after 10min by KOH 45wt% solution at $80^{\circ}C$. The wafer etched at high temperature ($90^{\circ}C$) and in low concentration (4wt%) of TMAH solution showed an increased etch rate of silicon wafer and wavy patterns on the surface. Especially, pyramidal textures were formed in 4wt% TMAH solution without alcohol additives.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.19 no.7
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• pp.51-58
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• 2002

In this paper, the characteristics of silicon wafer surface which is textured by KOH anisotropic etching method and mechanical polishing are investigated from the viewpoint of stiction and friction. It was found that the characteristics of stiction and friction of each textured surface are dependent on the contact area characterized by surface parameters such as bearing length ratio and peak count. To find the mechanism of the variation of stiction and friction in textured surface, OTS SAM coated wafer was used. In this case, the variation of stiction and friction was diminished, Therefore, it is concluded that the reason of variation of stiction and friction on textured surface is mainly caused by capillary which in turn is affected by the surface topography

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.423.1-423.1
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• 2014

본 발표에서는 실리콘 이종접합 태양전지에서 중요한 실리콘 웨이퍼 표면/계면 제어에 대하여 발표한다. 다시 말하여, 실리콘 웨이퍼 기판 세정공정 변화에 따른 실리콘 웨이퍼 표면의 소수전하수명(minority carrier lifetime, MCLT) 및 태양전지 소자특성 변화에 대하여 연구하였다. 구체적으로, 실리콘 웨이퍼 클리닝 최초단계로써 KOH damage etching 공정을 도입할 때, 이후 클리닝 공정을 통일하여 적용한 웨이퍼 표면의 MCLT 및 상기 웨이퍼를 이용하여 플라즈마 화학기상증착법(PECVD)을 통하여 제작한 태양전지 소자 효율은 KOH etching 시간이 10분일 때 최대치에 도달한 후 감소하였다. 또한, RCA1, RCA2, Piranha로 이루어진 웨이퍼 클리닝 단계의 사이에, 또는 맨 마지막에 묽힌 불산용액(DHF, 5 %) 처리를 하여 표면 산화막 제거 및 수소종단처리를 하여 기판의 passivation 특성을 향상시키고자 할 때, 불산용액 처리 순서에 따른 웨이퍼 표면의 MCLT 및 태양전지 소자 효율을 비교하였다. 그 결과, 묽은불산용액을 클리닝 단계 사이에 적용하였을 때의 MCLT 및 태양전지 소자의 특성이 더 우수하였다.

• Electrical & Electronic Materials
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.481-486
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• 1997

This paper describes the anisotropic etching characteristics of Si in acqueous TMAH/IPA solutions. The etch rates of (100) oriented Si crystal planes decrease with increasing TMAH concentration and IPA concentration. Etchant concentration and etch temperature have a large effect on hillock density. Hillock density strongly increase with lower TMAH concentration and higher etch temperature. The etched (100) planes are covered by pyramidal-shaped hillocks below TMAH 15 wt.%, but very smooth surface is obtained TMAH 25 wt.%. The addition of IPA to TMAH solution leads to smoother surfaces of sidewalls etched planes. Undercutting ratio of pure TMAH solution is much higher than KOH. But, addition of IPA to TMAh the underrcutting ratio reduces by a factor of 3∼4. Therefore, acqueous TMAH/IPA solution is able to use as anisotropic etchant of Si because of full compability with IC fabrication process.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2001.04a
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• pp.844-847
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• 2001

The application of laser direct etching has been discussed, and believed that the process is a very powerful method for micro machining. This study is focused on the micro patterning technology using laser direct etching process with no chemical damage of the material surface. A new introduced concept of energy synergy effect for surface micro machining is the combination of chemically ion reaction and laser thermal process. The etchant can't etch the material in room temperature, and used Ar laser has not power enough to machine. But, the machining is occurred in local area of the material by the combined energy. Using this process, the material is especially prevented from chemical damage for electric property. We have tested this new concept, and achieved a line with $1{mu}m$ width. The Ar laser with 488nm wavelength was used. The material was Si(100) wafer, and etchant is KOH solution. The application and flexibility of this process is in great hopes for MEMS structures and fabrication of the micro electric device parts.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.24-31
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• 2004

Masking effect of the nanoscratched silicon (100) surface was studied and applied to a maskless nanofabrication technique. First, the surface of the silicon (100) was machined by ductile-regime nanomachining process using the scratch option of the Nanoindenter${ \circledR}$ XP. To clarify the possibility of the nanoscratched silicon surfaces for the application to wet etching mask, the etching characteristic with a KOH solution was evaluated at room temperature. After the etching process, the convex nanostructures were made due to the masking effect of the mechanically affected layer. Moreover, the height and the width of convex structures were controlled with varying normal loads during nanoscratch.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.47 no.11
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• pp.748-753
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• 2009

The surface morphology and the surface roughness of n-type SiC induced by wet-treatment using 45% KOH and buffered oxide etchant (BOE-1HF : $6H_2O$) were investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). While Si-face of SiC could be etched by alkali solutions such as KOH, acidic solutions such as BOE were hardly able to etch SiC. When the rough SiC samples were used, the surface roughness of etched sample was decreased after wet-treatment regardless of etchant, due to the planarization the of surface by widening of scratches formed by mechanical polishing. It was observed that the initial etching was affected by the energetically unstable sites, such as dangling bond and steps. However, when a relatively smooth sample was used, the surface roughness was rapidly increased after treatment at $180^{\circ}C$ for 1 hr and at room temperature for 4 hr by using KOH solution, resulting from the nano-sized structures such as pores and bumps. This indicates that porous SiC surface can be achieved by using purely chemical treatment.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.02a
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• pp.584-584
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• 2012

결정형 실리콘 태양전지 공정 중 표면 texturing 공정은 표면에 요철을 형성시켜 반사되는 빛 손실을 줄여서, 증가된 빛 흡수 양에 의해 단락전류(Isc)를 증가시키는데 그 목적이 있다. 표면 texturing 공정은 습식 식각과 건식 식각에 의한 방법으로 나눌 수 있다. 습식 식각은 KOH, TMAH, HNA 등의 실리콘 식각 용액을 사용하여 공정상의 위험도가 크고, 사용 후 용액의 폐기물에 의한 환경오염 문제가 있다. 건식 식각은 습식 식각과 달리 폐기물의 처리가 없고 미량의 가스를 이용한다. 그리고 다결정 실리콘 웨이퍼처럼 불규칙적인 결정방향에도 영향을 받지 않는 장점을 가지고 있어서 건식 식각을 이용한 표면 texturing 공정에 관한 많은 연구가 진행되고 있으며, 특히 RIE(reactive ion etching)를 이용한 태양전지 texturing 공정이 가장 주목을 받고 있다. 하지만 기존의 RIE를 이용하여 표면 texturing 공정을 하게 되면 500 nm 이하의 needle-like 구조의 표면이 만들어진다. Needle-like 구조의 표면은 전극을 형성할 때에 접촉 면적이 좁기 때문에 adhesion이 좋지 않은 것과 단파장 대역에서 광 손실이 많다는 단점이 있다. 본 논문에서는 기존의 RIE texturing의 단점을 보완하기 위해 챔버 내부에 metal-mesh를 장착한 후 RIE를 이용하여 $1{\mu}m$의 피라미드 구조를 형성하였고, RIE 공정 시 ion bombardment에 의한 표면 손상을 제거(RIE damage remove etching)하기 위하여 10초간 TMAH(Tetramethyl -ammonium hydroxide, 25 %) 식각 공정을 하였다.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.301-306
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• 2016

The effects of nanotexturing and post-etching on the reflection and quantum efficiency properties of diamond wire sawn (DWS) multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si) solar cell have been investigated. The chemical solutions, which are acidic etching solution (HF-$HNO_3$), metal assisted chemical etching (MAC etch) solutions ($AgNO_3$-HF-DI, HF-$H_2O_2$-DI) and post-etching solution (diluted KOH at $80^{\circ}C$), were used for micro- and nano-texturing at the surface of diamond wire sawn (DWS) mc-Si wafer. Experiments were performed with various post-etching time conditions in order to determine the optimized etching condition for solar cell. The reflectance of mc-Si wafer texturing with acidic etching solution showed a very high reflectance value of about 30% (w/o anti-reflection coating), which indicates the insufficient light absorption for solar cell. The formation of nano-texture on the surface of mc-Si contributed to the enhancement of light absorption. Also, post-etching time condition of 240 s was found adequate to the nano-texturing of mc-Si due to its high external quantum efficiency of about 30% at short wavelengths and high short circuit current density ($J_{sc}$) of $35.4mA/cm^2$.