• Journal of Korean Vacuum Science & Technology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.11-18
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• 2001

Dielectric passivation effects on the EM(electromigration) have been a great interest with recent ULSI and multilevel structure tends in thin film interconnections of a microelectronic device. SiO$_2$, PSG(phosphosilicate glass), and Si$_3$N$_4$ passivation materials effects on the EM resistance were investigated by utilizing widely used Al-1%Si thin film interconnections. A standard photolithography process was applied for the fabrication of 0.7㎛ thick 3㎛ wide, and 200㎛ ~1600㎛ long Al-1%Si EM test patterns. SiO$_2$, PSG, and Si$_3$N$_4$ dielectric passivation with the thickness of 300 nm were singly deposited onto the Al-1%Si thin film interconnections by using an APCVD(atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition) and a PECVD(plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition) in order to investigate the passivation materials effects on the EM characteristics. EM tests were performed at the direct current densities of 3.2 $\times$ 10$\^$6/∼4.5 $\times$ 10$\^$6/ A/cm$^2$ and at the temperatures of 180 $\^{C}$, 210$\^{C}$, 240$\^{C}$, and 270$\^{C}$ for measuring the activation energies(Q) and for accelerated test conditions. Activation energies were calculated from the measured MTF(mean-time-to-failure) values. The calculated activation energies for the electromigration were 0.44 eV, 0.45 eV, and 0.50 eV, and 0.66 eV for the case of nonpassivated-, Si$_3$N$_4$passivated-, PSG passivated-, and SiO$_2$ passivated Al-1%Si thin film interconnections, respectively. Thus SiO$_2$ passivation showed the best characteristics on the EM resistance followed by the order of PSG, Si$_3$N$_4$ and nonpassivation. It is believed that the passivation sequences as well as the passivation materials also influence on the EM characteristics in multilevel passivation structures.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.462-462
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• 2014

The effect of rear passivation for passivated emitter and rear cell (PERC) using ozone and H2O oxidant of atomic layer deposited (ALD) Al2O3 was studied by post-annealing in N2 and forming gas ambients. Rear surface of PERC solar cell was passivated by Al2O3 grown by ALD with ozone and H2O oxidant. Al2O3 grown by ALD with ozone oxidant has been known to have many advantages, such as lower interface defects, low leakage current density. Its passivation quality is better than Al2O3 with H2O. Al2O3 layer with 10 nm and 20 nm thickness was grown at $150^{\circ}C$ with ozone oxidant and at $250^{\circ}C$ with H2O oxidant. And then each samples were post-annealled at $450^{\circ}C$ in N2 ambients and at $850^{\circ}C$ in forming gas ambients. The passivation quality was investigated by measuring the minority carrier lifetime respectively. We examined atomic layer deposited Al2O3 such as growth rate, film density, thickness, negative fixed charge density at AlOx/Si interface, and reflectance. The influences of process temperature and heat treatment were investigated using Sinton (WCT-120) by Quasi-Steady State Photoconductance (QSSPC) mode. Ozone-based ALD Al2O3 film shows the best carrier lifetime at lower deposition temperature than H2O-based ALD.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.47-53
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• 2016

Silicon nitride ($SiN_x:H$) films made by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) are generally used as antireflection layers and passivation layers on solar cells. In this study, we investigated the properties of silicon nitride ($SiN_x:H$) films made by PECVD. The passivation properties of $SiN_x:H$ are focused on by making the antireflection properties identical. To make equivalent optical properties of silicon nitride films, the refractive index and thickness of the films are fixed at 2.0 and 90 nm, respectively. This limit makes it easier to evaluate silicon nitride film as a passivation layer in realistic application situations. Next, the effects of the mixture ratio of the process gases with silane ($SiH_4$) and ammonia ($NH_3$) on the passivation qualities of silicon nitride film are evaluated. The absorption coefficient of each film was evaluated by spectrometric ellipsometry, the minority carrier lifetimes were evaluated by quasi-steady-state photo-conductance (QSSPC) measurement. The optical properties were obtained using a UV-visible spectrophotometer. The interface properties were determined by capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurement and the film components were identified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy detection (RBS) - elastic recoil detection (ERD). In hydrogen passivation, gas ratios of 1:1 and 1:3 show the best surface passivation property among the samples.

• 한국정보디스플레이학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.07b
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• pp.1480-1483
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• 2005

Transparent thin composite films (TCFs) were deposited on OLED devices by means of RF sputtering method and their passivation-properties were evaluated by comparing to the e-beam evaporating method. This composite film formed by mixed ratio of MgO (3wt %): $SiO_2$ (1wt %) was developed from pallet as a source of e-beam evaporator to 6-inch size target for sputtering in order to apply for large-sized organic display devices. Water Vapor Transmission Rates (WVTR) of the deposited films were measured as a function of thickness to assess the effectiveness of this film as a passivation layer and it applied to real devices. From this study, we can confirm that the passivation layer formed by TCFs using RF sputtering method sufficiently shows the potentiality of application to passivation layer for organic display devices.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.405-410
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• 2013

During sintering of Ni-electrode multi-layer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), the Ni electrode often becomes discontinuous because of its lower sintering temperature relative to that of $BaTiO_3$. In an attempt to retard the sintering of Ni, we introduced passivation of the Ni powder. To find the optimal passivation conditions, a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was conducted in air. After passivation at $250^{\circ}C$ for 11 h in air, a nickel oxide shell with a thickness of 4-5 nm was formed on nickel nanoparticles of 180 nm size. As anticipated, densification of the compacts of the passivated Ni/NiO core-shell powder was retarded: the starting temperature of densification increased from ${\sim}400^{\circ}C$ to ${\sim}600^{\circ}C$ in a $97N_2-3H_2$ (vol %) atmosphere. Grain growth was also retarded during sintering at temperatures of 750 and $1000^{\circ}C$. When the sintering atmosphere was changed from wet $99.93N_2-0.07H_2$ to wet $99.98N_2-0.02H_2$, the average grain size decreased at the same sintering temperature. The conductivity of the passivated powder sample sintered at $1150^{\circ}C$ for 8 h in wet $99.93N_2-0.07H_2$ was measured to be $3.9{\times}10^4S/cm$, which is comparable with that, $4.6{\times}10^4S/cm$, of the Ni powder compact without passivation. These results demonstrate that passivation of Ni is a viable means of retarding sintering of a Ni electrode and hence improving its continuity in the fabrication of $BaTiO_3$-based multi-layer ceramic capacitors.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.41-45
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• 2014

We have investigated the passivation property of $SiN_x$ and $SiO_2$ thin films formed using various process conditions for the application of crystalline Si solar cells. An increase in the thickness of $SiN_x$ deposited using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) led to the improvement of passivation quality. This could be associated with the passivation of Si dangling bonds by hydrogen atoms which were supplied during PECVD deposition. The $SiO_2$ thin films grown using dry oxidation process exhibited better passivation behavior than those using wet oxidation process, implying the dry oxidation process was more effective in the formation of high quality $SiO_2$ thin films. The relative effective life time gradually decreased with increasing dry oxidation temperature. Such a degradation of passivation behavior could be attributed to the increase in interface trap density caused by thermal damages.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2001.07c
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• pp.1369-1371
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• 2001

This paper describes on thinning SDB SOI substrates by SDB technology and Electro-chemical etch-stop. The surface of the fabricated SDB SOI substrates is more uniform than that grinding or polishing by mechanical method, and this process is possible to accurate SOI thickness control. During Electrochemical etch-stop, leakage current versus voltage curves were measured for analysis of the open current potential (OCP) point and the passivation potential (PP) poin and determinated to anodic passivation potential. The surface roughness and selectively controlled thickness of the fabricated SOI substrates were analyzed by using AFM and SEM, respectively.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.334.2-334.2
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• 2016

Silicon nitride (SiNx:H) films are generally used as passivation layer on solar cell and they are usually made by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). In this study, we investigated the properties of silicon nitride (SiNx:H) films made by PECVD. Effects of mixture ratio of process gases with silane (SiH4) and ammonia (NH3) on the passivation qualities of silicon nitride film are evaluated. Passivation properties of SiNx:H are focused by making antireflection properties identical with thickness and refractive index controlled. The absorption coefficient of each film was evaluated by spectrometric ellipsometery and the minority carrier lifetimes were evaluated by quasi-steady-state photo-conductance (QSSPC) measurement. The optical properties were obtained by UV-visible spectrophotometer. The interface properties were measured by capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurement and the film components were identified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy detection (RBS) - elastic recoil detection (ERD).

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.272-277
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• 2010

We investigated the life time characteristics of OLED device with aluminium oxide ($AlO_x$) passivation film on glass substrate and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate by RF magnetron sputtering for the transparent barrier film applied to flexible OLED device. Basic buffer layer was determined as $Alq_3$(500 nm)-LiF(300 nm)-Al(1200 nm), and the most suitable aluminium oxide ($AlO_x$) film have been formed when the partial volume ratio of oxygen was 20% and the sputtering power was 100 watt and the minimum thickness of buffer was $2\;{\mu}m$. $AlO_x$/epoxy hybrid film was also used as a effective passivation layer for the purpose of improving life time characteristics of OLED devices with the glass substrate and the plastic substrate. Besides, the simultaneous deposition of $AlO_x$/epoxy film on back side of PET could result in better improvement of life time.

• 한국정보디스플레이학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.10a
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• pp.794-797
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• 2009

We manufactured a novel gas permeation thin film passivation by using inorganic Mg-Zn-F target which has better optical characteristics and high electronegativity. We fabricated targets in various composition ratio and formed about 200nm which is limited thickness of the flexible display. Applied to PLED device, the target which composed of $MgF_2$ and Zn at the ratio of 4:6, WVTR was reached the measurement limit of the equipment, $10^{-3}g/m^2{\cdot}day$ and the life time was increased 25 times better than PLED device which is non-passivation.