• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.54 no.2
• /
• pp.262-267
• /
• 2016

In this study, we present an excellent approach for easily and uniformly immobilizing Pt, Au and bimetallic PtAu nanoparticles (NPs) on a multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT)-coated layer through dry plasma reduction. The NPs are stably and uniformly immobilized on the surface of MWNTs and the nanohybrid materials are applied to counter electrode (CE) of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The electrochemical properties of CEs are examined through cyclic voltammogram, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and Tafel measurements. As a result, both electrochemical catalytic activity and electrical conductivity are highest for PtAu/MWNT electrode. The DSC employing PtAu/MWNT CE exhibits power conversion efficiency of 7.9%. The efficiency is better than those of devices with MWNT (2.6%), AuNP/MWNT (2.7%) and PtNP/MWNT (7.5%) CEs.

• Journal of Powder Materials
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.50-56
• /
• 2024

We report the effect of plastic deformation on the thermoelectric properties of n-type Bi₂Te_2.5Se_0.5 compounds. N-type Bi₂Te_2.5Se_0.5 powders are synthesized by an oxide-reduction process and consolidated via spark-plasma sintering. To explore the effect of plastic deformation on the thermoelectric properties, the sintered bodies are subjected to uniaxial pressure to induce a controlled amount of compressive strains (-0.2, -0.3, and -0.4). The shaping temperature is set using a thermochemical analyzer, and the plastic deformation effect is assessed without altering the material composition through differential scanning calorimetry. This strategy is crucial because the conventional hot-forging process can often lead to alterations in material composition due to the high volatility of chalcogen elements. With increasing compressive strain, the (00l) planes become aligned in the direction perpendicular to the pressure axis. Furthermore, an increase in the carrier concentration is observed upon compressive plastic deformation, i.e., the donor-like effect of the plastic deformation in n-type Bi₂Te_2.5Se_0.5 compounds. Owing to the increased electrical conductivity through the preferred orientation and the donor-like effect, an improved ZT is achieved in n-type Bi₂Te_2.5Se_0.5 through the compressive-forming process.

• 한국정보디스플레이학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2006.08a
• /
• pp.121-124
• /
• 2006

A novel quantum chemical molecular dynamics program, 'Colors' was developed to simulate the electronic structure of rare earth-doped phosphor materials as well as the destruction processes of MgO protecting layer in plasma display panel (PDP). We have also developed a quantitative prediction method based on Monte Carlo simulation technique to evaluate the electrical conductivity of insulators, semiconductors, and metals as well as the spatial distribution of electron density by Colors code. All these original simulators enable us to study theoretically a variety of materials related to PDP.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Telematics and Electronics A
• /
• v.31A no.5
• /
• pp.106-112
• /
• 1994

We have developed a large area ion shower doping system with an RF plasma ion source. The ion current density (i.e., doping concentration) increases with RF power and acceleration voltage. Using this technique, we investigated the optimum condition for ion doping of phosphorus in a-Si:H and poly-Si films. The optimum acceleration voltage and doping time are 6KV and 90sec, respectively, in a-Si:H films. Under this condition the electrical conductivity of ion-doped a-Si:H film is obtained ~10$^{-3}$/cm at room temperature. The sheet resistance decreases witnh acceleration voltage in ion-doped poly-Si, and a heavily-doped layer with a sheet resistance of 920$\Omega$/ㅁ is obtained by using ion doping and subsequent activation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2016.02a
• /
• pp.306.1-306.1
• /
• 2016

ZnO semiconductor material has been widely utilized in various applications in semiconductor device technology owing to its unique electrical and optical features. It is a promising as solar cell material, because of its low cost, n-type conductivity and wide direct band gap. In this work ZnO/Si heterojunctions were fabricated by using pulsed laser deposition. Vacuum chamber was evacuated to a base pressure of approximately $2{\times}10^{-6}Torr$. ZnO thin films were grown on p-Si (100) substrate at oxygen partial pressure from 5mTorr to 40mTorr. Growth temperature of ZnO thin films was set to 773K. A pulsed (10 Hz) Nd:YAG laser operating at a wavelength of 266 nm was used to produce a plasma plume from an ablated a ZnO target, whose density of laser energy was $10J/cm^2$. Thickness of all the thin films of ZnO was about 300nm. The optical property was characterized by photoluminescence and crystallinity of ZnO was analyzed by X-ray diffraction. For fabrication ZnO/Si heterojunction diodes, indium metal and Al grid patterns were deposited on back and front side of the solar cells by using thermal evaporator, respectively. Finally, current-voltage characteristics of the ZnO/Si structure were studied by using Keithly 2600. Under Air Mass 1.5 Global solar simulator with an irradiation intensity of $100mW/cm^2$, the electrical properties of ZnO/Si heterojunction photovoltaic devices were analyzed.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
• /
• v.28 no.12
• /
• pp.852-856
• /
• 2015

In this study, we investigate the effect of high-energy ball milling on thermoelectric transport properties in double-filled $CoSb_3$ skutterudite ($In_{0.2}Yb_{0.1}Co_4Sb_{12}$). $In_{0.2}Yb_{0.1}Co_4Sb_{12}$ powders are milled using high-energy ball milling for different periods of time (0, 5, 10, and 20 min), and the milled powders are consolidated into bulk samples by spark plasma sintering. Microstructure analysis shows that the high-energy ball milled bulk samples are composed of nano- and micro-grains. Because the filling fractions are reduced in the bulk samples due to the kinetic energy of the high-energy ball milling, the carrier concentration of the bulk samples decreases with the ball milling time. Furthermore, the mobility of the bulk samples also decreases with the ball milling time due to enhanced grain boundary scattering of electrons. Reduction of electrical conductivity by ball milling has a decisive effect on thermoelectric transport in the bulk samples, power factor decreases with the ball milling time.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 1999.07a
• /
• pp.211-211
• /
• 1999

Titanium nitride (TiN) thin films have useful properties including high hardness, good electrical conductivity, high melting point, and chemical inertness. The applications have included wear-resistant hard coatings on machine tools and bearings, decorative coating making use of the golden color, thermal control coatings for widows, and erosion resistant coatings for spacecraft plasma probes. For all these applications as feature sizes shrink and aspect ratios grow, the issue of good step coverage becomes increasingly important. It is therefore essential to manufacture conformal coatings of TiN. The growth of TiN thin films by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is of great interest for achieving conformal deposition. The most widely used precursor for TiN is TiCl4 and NH3. However, chlorine impurity in the as-grown films and relatively high deposition temperature (>$600^{\circ}C$) are considered major drawbacks from actual device fabrication. To overcome these problems, recently, MOCVD processes including plasma assisted have been suggested. In this study, therefore, we have doposited Ti(C, N) thin films on Si(100) and D2 steel substrates in the temperature range of 150-30$0^{\circ}C$ using tetrakis diethylamido titanium (TDEAT) and titanium isopropoxide (TIP) by pulsed DC plamsa enhanced metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (PEMOCVD) method. Polycrystalline Ti(C, N) thin films were successfully grown on either D2 steel or Si(100) surfaces at temperature as low as 15$0^{\circ}C$. Compositions of the as-grown films were determined with XPS and RBS. From XPS analysis, thin films of Ti(C, N) with low oxygen concentration were obtained. RBS data were also confirmed the changes of stoichiometry and microhardness of our films. Radical formation and ionization behaviors in plasma are analyzed by optical emission spectroscopy (OES) at various pulsed bias and gases conditions. H2 and He+H2 gases are used as carrier gases to compare plasma parameter and the effect of N2 and NH3 gases as reactive gas is also evaluated in reduction of C content of the films. In this study, we fond that He and H2 mixture gas is very effective in enhancing ionization of radicals, especially N resulting is high hardness. The higher hardness of film is obtained to be ca. 1700 HK 0.01 but it depends on gas species and bias voltage. The proper process is evident for H and N2 gas atmosphere and bias voltage of 600V. However, NH3 gas highly reduces formation of CN radical, thereby decreasing C content of Ti(C, N) thin films in a great deal. Compared to PVD TiN films, the Ti(C, N) film grown by PEMOCVD has very good conformability; the step coverage exceeds 85% with an aspect ratio of more than 3.

• Applied Microscopy
• /
• v.47 no.3
• /
• pp.131-147
• /
• 2017

In this work further optical and electrical investigations of pure and Zr doped $Mn_3O_4$ (from 0 up to 20 at.%) thin films as a function of frequency. First, the refractive index, the extinction coefficient and the dielectric constants in terms of Zr content are reached from transmittance and reflectance data. The dispersion of the refractive index is discussed by means of Cauchy model and Wemple and DiDomenico single oscillator models. By exploiting these results, it was possible to estimate the plasma pulse ${\omega}_p$, the relaxation time ${\tau}$ and the dielectric constant ${\varepsilon}_{\infty}$. Second, we have performed original ac and dc conductivity studies inspired from Jonscher model and Arrhenius law. These studies helped establishing significant correlation between temperature, activation energy and Zr content. From the spectroscopy impedance analysis, we investigated the frequency relaxation phenomenon and hopping mechanisms of such thin films. Moreover, a special emphasis has been putted on the effect of the oxidation in air of hausmannite thin films to form $Mn_2O_3$ ones at $350^{\circ}C$. This intrigue phenomenon which occurred at such temperature is discussed along with this electrical study. Finally, all results have been discussed in terms of the thermal activation energies which were determined with two methods for both undoped and Zr doped $Mn_3O_4$ thin films in two temperature ranges.

• Journal of Powder Materials
• /
• v.18 no.5
• /
• pp.437-442
• /
• 2011

The present study focused on the synthesis of Bi-Te-Se-based powder by an oxide-reduction process, and analysis of the thermoelectric properties of the synthesized powder. The phase structure, chemical composition, and morphology of the synthesized powder were analyzed by XRD, EPMA and SEM. The synthesized powder was sintered by spark plasma sintering. The thermoelectric properties of the sintered body were evaluated by measuring its Seebeck coefficient, electrical resistivity, and thermal conductivity. $Bi_2Te_{2.7}Se_{0.3}$ powder was synthesized from a mixture of $Bi_2O_3$, $TeO_2$, and $SeO_2$ powders by mechanical milling, calcination, and reduction. The sintered body of the synthesized powder exhibited n-type thermoelectric characteristics. The thermoelectric properties of the sintered bodies depend on the reduction temperature. The Seebeck coefficient and electrical resistivity of the sintered body were increased with increasing reduction temperature. The sintered body of the $Bi_2Te_{2.7}Se_{0.3}$ powder synthesized at $360^{\circ}C$ showed about 0.5 of the figure of merit (ZT) at room temperature.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
• /
• v.50 no.8
• /
• pp.613-618
• /
• 2012

We report on electrical and mechanical properties of silicon nitride ($SiN_x$) films deposited by a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method at $200^{\circ}C$ from $SiH_4$ highly diluted in $N_2$. The films were also prepared from $SiH_4$ diluted in He for comparison. The $N_2$ dilution was also effective in improving adhesion of the $SiN_x$ films, fascilitating construction of thin film transistors (TFTs). Metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) and Metal-insulator-Metal (MIM) structures were used for capacitance-voltage (C-V) and current-voltage (I-V) measurements, respectively. The resistivity and breakdown field strength of the $SiN_x$ films from $N_2$-diluted $SiH_4$ were estimated to be $1{\times}10^{13}{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$, 7.4 MV/cm, respectively. The MIS device showed a hysteresis window and a flat band voltage shift of 3 V and 0.5 V, respectively. The TFTs fabricated by using these films showed a field-effect mobility of $0.16cm^2/Vs$, a threshold voltage of 3 V, a subthreshold slope of 1.2 V/dec, and an on/off ratio of > $10^6$.