• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.6-11
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• 2008

In this study, we investigated effects of hydrogen annealing (HA) and plasma nitridation (PN) applied in order to improve $Si/SiO_2$ interface characteristics of TiN metal gate. In result, HA and PN showed a positive effect decreasing number of interface state $(N_{it})$ respectively. After FN stress for verifying reliability, however, we identified rapid increase of $N_{it}$ for TiN gate with HA, which is attributed to hydrogen related to a change of $Si/SiO_2$ interface characteristic. In contrast to HA, PN showed an improved Nit and gate oxide leakage characteristic due to several possible effects, such as blocking of Chlorine (Cl) diffusion and prevention of thermal reaction between TiN and $SiO_2$.

• 한국전기전자재료학회논문지
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.1-7
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• 2007

In this paper, two kinds of initial oxidation methods i.e., SLTO(Slow Low Temperature Oxidation: $700^{\circ}C$) and RTO(Rapid Thermal Oxidation: $850^{\circ}C$) are applied prior to the plasma nitridation for ultra thin oxide of RPNO (Remote Plasma Nitrided Oxide). It is observed that SLTO has superior characteristics to RTO such as lower SS(Sub-threshold Slope) and improved Ion-Ioff characteristics. Low frequency noise characteristics of SLTO also showed better than RTO both in linear and saturation regime. It is shown that flicker noise is dominated by carrier number fluctuation in the channel region. Therefore, SLTO is promising for nano-scale CMOS technology with ultra thin gate oxide.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.17-22
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• 2004

We studied the magnetotransport properties of tunnel junctions with AlO and AlN barriers fabricated using microwave-excited plasma. The plasma nitridation process provided wider controllability than the plasma oxidization for the formation of MTJs with ultra-thin insulating layer, because of the slow nitriding rate of metal Al layers, comparing with the oxidizing rate of them. High tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) ratios of 49 and 44% with respective resistance-area product $(R{\times}A) of 3 {\times} 10^4 and 6 {\times} 10^3 {\Omega}{\mu}m^2$ were obtained in the Co-Fe/Al-N/Co-Fe MTJs. We conclude that AlN is a hopeful barrier material to realize MTJs with high TMR ratio and low $R{\times}A$ for high performance MRAM cells. In addition, in order to clarify the annealing temperature dependence of TMR, the local transport properties were measured for Ta $50{\AA} /Cu 200 {\AA}/Ta 50 {\AA}/Ni_{76}Fe_{24} 20 {\AA}/Cu 50 {\AA}/Mn_{75}Ir_{25} 100 {\AA}/Co_{71}Fe_{29} 40 {\AA}/Al-O$ junction with $d_{Al}= 8 {\AA} and P_{O2}{\times}t_{0X}/ = 8.4 {\times} 10^4$ at various temperatures. The current histogram statistically calculated from the electrical current image was well in accord with the fitting result considering the Gaussian distribution and Fowler-Nordheim equation. After annealing at $340^{\circ}C$, where the TMR ratio of the corresponding MTJ had the maximum value of 44%, the average barrier height increased to 1.12 eV and its standard deviation decreased to 0.1 eV. The increase of TMR ratio after annealing could be well explained by the enhancement of the average barrier height and the reduction of its fluctuation.

• 한국진공학회지
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• 제7권4호
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• pp.320-327
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• 1998

원격 플라즈마 화학기상증착법(Remote Plasma Enhanced-Ultrahigh Vacuum Chemical Vapor Deposition)에 의해 활성화된 질소 원자를 사용하여 사파이어 기판의 표면 을 저온에서 질화처리한 후 표면의 화학적 조성을 조사하였다. 질화처리에 의해 주로 표면 에 형성된 물질은 AIN임을 X-선 광전자 분광방법(X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy:XPS) 을 사용하여 확인하였다. 또한 플라즈마의 RF 출력, 반응 온도 및 시간에 따라서 기판의 Al 과 반응한 질소의 상대적인 양과, 표면 형태를 XPS와 AFM(atomic force microscopy)을 사 용하여 조사하였다. 플라즈마에 의해서 질소는 RF출력에 따라 증가한 후 일정하게 됨을 관 찰하였다. 그러나 질화 처리 온도와 시간의 증가에 따른 AIN의 상대적인 양은 비교적 무관 함을 관찰하였다. 또한 Ar스퍼터링을 통한 XPS의 depth profile을 관찰한 결과 질화층은 깊 이에 따라 3개의 다른 층으로 이루어져 있음을 확인하였다.

• 전기학회논문지
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• 제56권9호
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• pp.1614-1618
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• 2007

We have demonstrated the experimental results to obtain the immunity of FN (Fowler Nordheim) stress for S-RCAT (Spherical-Recess Cell Array Transistor) which has been employed to meet the requirements of data retention time and propagation delay time for sub-100-nm mobile DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory). Despite of the same S-RCAT structure, the immunity of FN stress of S-RCAT depends on the process condition of gate oxidation. The S-RCAT using DPN (decoupled plasma nitridation) process showed the different degradation of device properties after FN stress. This paper gives the mechanism of FN-stress degradation of S-RCAT and introduces the improved process to suppress the FN-stress degradation of mobile DRAM.

• 전자공학회논문지A
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• 제29A권10호
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• pp.35-41
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• 1992

Ultra-thin silicon nitride films were fabricated with ECR(Electron cyclotron Resonance) nitrogen plasma at room temperature. Film thickness was about 50$\AA$ after nitridation for 1min at microwave power of 1000W, RF power of 500W, and NS12T pressure of ${\times}10^{-3}$ torr. 50$\AA$ fo nitride film was grown within 1 min and no appreciable growth occured thereafter. Dielectric breakdown strength and leakage current density in Al/SiN/Si structure were measured to be about 7-11 MV/cm and ${\times}10^{-10}~5{\times}10^{-10}A/cm^{2}$, respectively. Observed linear relationship in 1n(J/E)-vs-E$^{1/2}$ and no polarity-dependence of the leakage current indicated that the Poole-Frenkel emission is mainly responsible for the conduction in this nitrided silicon films.

• 한국전기전자재료학회논문지
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• 제21권3호
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• pp.208-212
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• 2008

This paper reports physical properties of in situ boron doped silicon films made from boron source gas and silane ($SiH_4$) gas in a conventional low-pressure chemical vapor deposition vertical furnace. If the p-type polysilicon is formed by boron implantation into undoped polysilicon, the plasma nitridation (PN) process is added on the oxide in order to suppress boron penetration that can be caused during the thermal treatments used in fabrication. In-situ boron doped polysilicon deposition can complete p-type polysilicon film with only one deposition process and need not the PN process, because there is not interdiffusion of dopant at the intermediate temperatures of the subsequent steps. Since in-situ boron doped polysilicon films have higher work function than that of n-type polysilicon and they are compatible with the underlying oxide, they may be promising materials for improving memory cell characteristics if we make its profit of these physical properties.

• Composites Research
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• 제36권2호
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• pp.101-107
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• 2023

본 연구에서는 질화알루미늄을 강화재로 갖는 알루미늄기지 복합재료를 질소 분위기에서의 아크용해 공정을 통해 제조하였다. 알루미늄과 질소 원자의 화학반응을 1분간 유지시켰을 때, 중간층과 라멜라층으로 구분되는 질화알루미늄 강화상이 자발적으로 알루미늄 용탕 내부에 형성되어 기지 전반에 분포되었다. 복합재료는 약 10 vol.%의 AlN을 가지며, 이 강화재는 계면에서 낮은 열저항과 강한 결합을 보였다. 제조된 복합재료는 열전도도가 높고 열팽창계수는 낮은 열적 특성 조합을 보였다. 또한, 본 연구의 복합재료는 이종원소인 실리콘을 기지에 첨가함으로써 열팽창계수를 추가적으로 감소시키는 것이 가능했다. 이는 아크 용해법으로 제조된 알루미늄기지 복합재료가 낮은 열팽창계수를 요구하는 방열소재로 적용될 수 있는 가능성을 시사한다.

• 한국재료학회지
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• 제21권11호
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• pp.634-638
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• 2011

We report growth of epitaxial AlN thin films on c-plane sapphire substrates by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. To achieve two-dimensional growth the substrates were nitrided by nitrogen plasma prior to the AlN growth, which resulted in the formation of a two-dimensional single crystalline AlN layer. The formation of the two-dimensional AlN layer by the nitridation process was confirmed by the observation of streaky reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) patterns. The growth of AlN thin films was performed on the nitrided AlN layer by changing the Al beam flux with the fixed nitrogen flux at 860$^{\circ}C$. The growth mode of AlN films was also affected by the beam flux. By increasing the Al beam flux, two-dimensional growth of AlN films was favored, and a very flat surface with a root mean square roughness of 0.196 nm (for the 2 ${\mu}m$ ${\times}$ 2 ${\mu}m$ area) was obtained. Interestingly, additional diffraction lines were observed for the two-dimensionally grown AlN films, which were probably caused by the Al adlayer, which was similar to a report of Ga adlayer in the two-dimensional growth of GaN. Al droplets were observed in the sample grown with a higher Al beam flux after cooling to room temperature, which resulted from the excessive Al flux.