• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.594-601
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• 2014

Rare-earth (RE) nitrides can be used as magnetocaloric materials in low temperature. They exhibit ferromagnetism and have Curie temperature in the region from 6 to 70 K. In this study, Holmium nitride (HoN) nano particles were prepared through plasma arc discharge technique and their magnetocaloric properties were studied. Nitrogen gas ($N_2$) was employed as an active element for arc discharge between two electrodes maintained at a constant current. Also, it played an important role not only as a reducing agent but also as an inevitable source of excited nitrogen molecules and nitrogen ions for the formation of HoN phase. Partial pressure of $N_2$ was systematically varied from 0 to 28,000 Pa in order to obtain single phase of HoN with minimal impurities. Magnetic entropy change (${\Delta}S_m$) was calculated with data set measured by PPMS (Physical Property Measurement System). The as-synthesized HoN particles have shown a magnetic entropy change ${\Delta}S_m$) of 27.5 J/kgK in applied field of 50,000 Oe at 14.2 K thereby demonstrating its ability to be applied as an effective magnetic refrigerant towards the re-liquefaction of hydrogen.

• Composites Research
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.123-129
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• 2014

Ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) consist of such reinforcements as carbides, nitrides, borides and oxides, which have high melting points, low density, high modulus and high strength, for the purpose of increasing toughness. These materials are used for heat shielding systems for aerospace vehicles, high-temperature gas turbine combustion chambers, turbine blades, stator vane parts, etc. Oxide CMCs are used for the components of burner and flame holder and the high-temperature gas duct. CMCs are also applied to brake disks, which are subjected to severe thermal shock, and slide bearing parts under heavy loads. The research and development of the CMC are progressed for the strategic purpose in defense and energy industry; for instance, for aerospace applications in the U.S., and for hyper-speed aircraft, gas turbines, and atomic fissions in U.S., Japan, and Europe.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.311-317
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• 2007

This study examined the phase changes, nitride precipitation and variation in mechanical properties of STS 304, STS 321 and STS 316L austenitic stainless steels after high temperature gas nitriding (HTGN) at temperature ranges from $1050^{\circ}C\;to\;1150^{\circ}C$. Fine round type of $Cr_2N$ nitrides were observed in the surface layers of 304 and 316L steels, even more in STS 321. Additionally, square type of TiN was found in STS 321 austenitic matrix too. As a result of many precipitates in the surface layer of the STS 321, it was seen $370{\sim}470Hv$ hardness variation depending on the HTGN treatment conditions, and interior region of austenite represented 150Hv. The surface hardness value of STS 304 and STS 316L showed $255{\sim}320Hv$, respectively. The nitrogen content was shown 0.27, 1.7 and 0.4% respectively at the surface layers of the STS 304, STS 321 and STS 316L. After the HTGN it was shown the improvement of corrosion resistance of the STS 321 and STS 316L compared with solution annealed steels in the solution of 1N $H_2SO_4$ whereas the STS 304 was not.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.329-334
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• 2003

Microstructure and mechanical properties of $(Ti_{1-x}Alx)N$ films, Produced by the the Ion Beam Sputtering(IBS) method, were studied by changing the Ti, Al contents. The compositions of films determined by RBS were $(Ti_{0.75}Al_{0.25})N$, $(Ti_{0.61}Al_{0.39})N$ and $(Ti_{0.5}Al_{0.5})N$, and XPS binding energies of Ti2P, A12p and N1s shifted to higher energies than those of pure Ti, Al and N, which indicated that nitrides were formed. XRD results indicated that the NaCl structure for $$x{\leq_-}0.39$$ changed into amorphous structure at x=0.5. For films with $$x{\leq_-}0.39$$, the lattice parameter decreased in proportion to the Al content. Nanoindentation hardness value were above HV=3300 at Al content up to x=0.39. However, the hardness of films with x=0.5 abruptly decreased to HV=1800, and this lower hardness values were attributed to different crystal structure. Critical load(Lc) in scratch test showed 23N at x=0.25, 22N at x=0.39 and 22N at x=0.5, which indicated that films with different Al contents showed similar adhesion behavior.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.441-448
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• 2002

Dispersions of non-soluble ceramic particles in a metallic matrix can enhance the strength and heat resistance of materials. With the advent of mechanical alloying it became possible to put the theoretical concept into practice by incorporating very fine particles in a flirty uniform distribution into often oxidation- and corrosion- resistant metal matrices. e.g. superalloys. The present paper will give an overview about the mechanical alloying technique as a dry, high energy ball milling process for producing composite metal powders with a fine controlled microstructure. The common way is milling of a mixture of metallic and nonmetallic powders (e.g. oxides. carbides, nitrides, borides) in a high energy ball mill. The heavy mechanical deformation during milling causes also fracture of the ceramic particles to be distributed homogeneously by further milling. The mechanisms of the process are described. To obtain a homogeneous distribution of nano-sized dispersoids in a more ductile matrix (e.g. aluminium-or copper based alloys) a reaction milling is suitable. Dispersoid can be formed in a solid state reaction by introducing materials that react with the matrix either during milling or during a subsequent heat treatment. The pre-conditions for obtaining high quality materials, which require a homogeneous distribution of small dis-persoids, are: milling behaviour of the ductile phase (Al, Cu) will be improved by the additives (e.g. graphite), homogeneous introduction of the additives into the granules is possible and the additive reacts with the matrix or an alloying element to form hard particles that are inert with respect to the matrix also at elevated temperatures. The mechanism of the in-situ formation of dispersoids is described using copper-based alloys as an example. A comparison between the in-situ formation of dispersoids (TiC) in the copper matrix and the milling of Cu-TiC mixtures is given with respect to the microstructure and properties, obtained.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.14-14
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• 2001

Nitride films such as TiN, CrN etc. deposited on glass by PVD processes have been developed for many industrial applications. These nitride films deposited on glass were widely used for not only decorative and optical coatings but also wear and corrosion resistance coatings employed as dies and molds made of glass for the example of lens forming molds. However, the major problem of nitride coatings on glass by PVD process is non-uniform film owing to pin-hole and micro crack. It is estimated that nonuniform coating is influenced by a different surface energy between metal nitrides and glass due to binding states. In this work, therefore, for the evaluation of nucleation and growth mechanism of nitride films on glass TiN and CrN film were synthesized on glass with various nitrogen partial pressure by unbalanced magnetron sputtering. Prior to deposition, for the examination of relationship between surface energy and film microstructure plasma pre-treatment process was carried out with various argon to hydrogen flow rate and substrate bias voltage, duty cycle and frequency by using pulsed DC power supply. Surface energy owing to the different plasma pre-treatment was calculated by the measurement of wetting angle and surface conditions of glass were investigated by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy(XPS) and Atomic Force Microscope(AFM). The microstructure change of nitride films on glass with increase of film thickness were analyzed by X-Ray Diffraction(XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM).

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.194-200
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• 2014

Metallic Cr film coatings of $1.2{\mu}m$ thickness were prepared by DC magnetron sputter deposition method on c-plane sapphire substrates. The thin Cr films were ammoniated during horizontal furnace thermal annealing for 10-240 min in $NH_3$ gas flow conditions between 400 and $900^{\circ}C$. After annealing, changes in the crystal phase and chemical constituents of the films were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) surface analysis. Nitridation of the metallic Cr films begins at $500^{\circ}C$ and with further increases in annealing temperature not only chromium nitrides ($Cr_2N$ and CrN) but also chromium oxide ($Cr_2O_3$) was detected. The oxygen in the films originated from contamination during the film formation. With further increase of temperature above $800^{\circ}C$, the nitrogen species were sufficiently supplied to the film's surface and transformed to the single-phase of CrN. However, the CrN phase was only available in a very small process window owing to the oxygen contamination during the sputter deposition. From the XPS analysis, the atomic concentration of oxygen in the as-deposited film was about 40 at% and decreased to the value of 15 at% with increase in annealing temperature up to $900^{\circ}C$, while the nitrogen concentration was increased to 42 at%.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.23 no.8
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• pp.405-422
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• 2013

Atomic layer deposition(ALD) is a promising deposition method and has been studied and used in many different areas, such as displays, semiconductors, batteries, and solar cells. This method, which is based on a self-limiting growth mechanism, facilitates precise control of film thickness at an atomic level and enables deposition on large and three dimensionally complex surfaces. For instance, ALD technology is very useful for 3D and high aspect ratio structures such as dynamic random access memory(DRAM) and other non-volatile memories(NVMs). In addition, a variety of materials can be deposited using ALD, oxides, nitrides, sulfides, metals, and so on. In conventional ALD, the source and reactant are pulsed into the reaction chamber alternately, one at a time, separated by purging or evacuation periods. Thermal ALD and metal organic ALD are also used, but these have their own advantages and disadvantages. Furthermore, plasma-enhanced ALD has come into the spotlight because it has more freedom in processing conditions; it uses highly reactive radicals and ions and for a wider range of material properties than the conventional thermal ALD, which uses $H_2O$ and $O_3$ as an oxygen reactant. However, the throughput is still a challenge for a current time divided ALD system. Therefore, a new concept of ALD, fast ALD or spatial ALD, which separate half-reactions spatially, has been extensively under development. In this paper, we reviewed these various kinds of ALD equipment, possible materials using ALD, and recent ALD research applications mainly focused on materials required in microelectronics.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2000

Refractory metals, W and Ti, and their nitrides, $W_2N$ and TiN, were investigated for using as an ohmic contact material with SiC single crystalline thin films. The possibility of nitride materials for using as a stable ohmic contact material of SiC at high temperatures was examined by considering the thermal stability depending on the heat treatment temperature, their electrical properties and protective behavior from the interdiffusion. W contact with SiC thin films, deposited by using new organosilicon precursor, bis-trimethylsilylmethane, showed the lowest resistivity, $2.17{\times}10^{-5}$Ω$\textrm{cm}^2$. On the other hand, Ti-based contact materials showed higher contact resistivity than W-based ones. The oxidation of contact materials was restricted by applying Pt thin films on those electrodes. Nitride electrodes had rather stable electrical properties and better protective behavior from interdiffusion than metal electrodes.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.1414-1420
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• 1996

Using Si powder with average particle size of 8${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ Si compacts were formed by pressureless powder packing method. The compacts were reaction bonded at 1350, 140$0^{\circ}C$ for 3~35 hrs under N2/H2 atmosphere and its microstructures were examined. Reaction bonded silicon nitrides showed nitridation of 90% and relative density of 88% After the impregnation of 5wt% MgO as sintering additive using aqueous solution of Mg nitrate the Si compacts were reaction bonded at 140$0^{\circ}C$ for 15hrs. The reaction bonded bodies were gas pressure sintered at 180$0^{\circ}C$ 190$0^{\circ}C$ 200$0^{\circ}C$ for 150, 300min. They showed relative density of 95% bending strength of 600MPa and fracture toughness of 6 MPa.m1/2.