• Macromolecular Research
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.134-140
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• 2004

Semi-crystalline poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) film surfaces were modified with argon and oxygen plasmas by radio-frequency (RF) glow discharge at 240 mTorr/40 W; the changes in topography and surface structure were investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) in conjunction with specular reflectance of infrared microspectroscopy (IMS). Under our operating conditions, analysis of the AFM images revealed that longer plasma treatment results in significant ablation on the film surface with increasing roughness, regardless of the kind of plasma used. The basic topographies, however, were different depending upon the kind of gas used. The specular reflectance analysis showed that the ablative mechanisms of the argon and oxygen plasma treatments are entirely different with one another. For the Ar-plasma-treated PET surface, no observable difference in the chemical structure was observed before and after plasma treatment. On the other hand, the oxygen-plasma-treated PET surface displays a significant decrease in the number of aliphatic C-H groups. We conclude that a constant removal of material from the PET surface occurs when using the Ar-plasma, whereas preferential etching of aliphatic C-H groups, with respect to, e.g. , carbonyl and ether groups, occurs upon oxygen plasma.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.157-161
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• 1999

We investigated the effect of mechanical back side damage in Czochralski silicon wafer. The intensity of mechanical damage was evaluated by minority carrier recombination lifetime by laser excitation/microwave reflection photoconductance decay ($\mu$-PCD) technique, wet oxidation/preferential etching methods, near surface micro defect (NSMD) analysis, and X-ray section topography. The data indicate that the higher the mechanical damage intensity, the lower the minority carrier lifetime, and NSMD density increased proportionally, also correlated to the oxidation induced stacking fault (OISF) density. Thus, NSMD technique can be used separately from conventional etching method in OISF measurement.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2003.07a
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• pp.361-365
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• 2003

Planar Inductively Coupled Plasma (PICP) etching of InGaP was performed in $BCl_3,\;BCl_3/Ar\;and\;BCl_3/Ne$ plasmas as a function of ICP source power ($0\;{\sim}\;500\;W$), RIE chuck power ($0\;{\sim}\;150\;W$), chamber pressure ($5\;{\sim}\;15\;mTorr$) and gas composition of $BCl_3/Ar\;and\;BCl_3/Ne$. Total gas flow was fixed at 20 sccm (standard cubic centimeter per minute). Increase of ICP source power and RIE chuck power raised etch rate of InGaP, while that of chamber pressure reduced etch rate. We also found that some addition of Ar and Ne in $BCl_3$ plasma improved etch rate of InGaP. InGaP etch rate was varied from $1580\;{\AA}/min$ with pure $BC_3\;to\;2800\;{\AA}/min$ and $4700\;{\AA}/min$ with 25 % Ar and Ne addition, respectively. Other process conditions were fixed at 300 W ICP source power, 100 W RIE chuck power and 7.5 mTorr chamber pressure. SEM (scanning electron microscopy) and AFM (atomic force microscopy) data showed vertical side wall and smooth surface of InGaP at the same condition. Proper addition of noble gases Ar and Ne (less than about 50 %) in $BCl_3$ inductively coupled plasma have resulted in not only increase of etch rate but also minimum preferential loss and smooth surface morphology by ion-assisted effect.

• Electrical & Electronic Materials
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• v.10 no.10
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• pp.1034-1040
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• 1997

A solar cell conversion effiency was degraded by grain boundary effect in polycrystalline silicon. Grain boundaries acted as potential barriers as well as recombination centers for the photo-generated carriers. To reduce these effects of the grain boundaries we investigated various influencing factors such as emitter thickness thermal treatment preferential chemical etching of grain boundaries grid design contact metal and top metallization along boundaries. Pretreatment in $N_2$atmosphere and gettering by POCl$_3$and Al were performed to obtain multicrystalline silicon of the reduced defect density. Structural electrical and optical properties of slar cells were characterized before and after each fabrication process. Improved conversion efficiencies of solar cell were obtained by a combination of pretreatment above 90$0^{\circ}C$ emitter layer of 0.43${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ Al diffusion in to grain boundaries on rear side fine grid finger top Yb metal and buried contact metallization along grain boundaries.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 1999

We investigated the effect of mechanical back side damage in viewpoint of electrical and surface morphological characteristics in Czochralski silicon wafer. The intensity of mechanical damage was evaluated by minority carrier recombination lifetime by laser excitation/microwave reflection photoconductance decay technique, atomic force microscope, optical microscope, wet oxidation/preferential etching methods. The data indicate that the higher the mechanical damage degree, the lower the minority carrier lifetime, and surface roughness, damage depth and density of oxidation induced stacking fault increased proportionally.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.137-141
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• 2006

Process window for infinite etch selectivity of silicon nitride $(Si_3N_4)$ layers to ArF photoresist (PR) was investigated in dual frequency superimposed capacitive coupled plasma (DFS-CCP) by varying the process parameters such as low frequency power $(P_{LF})$, $CH_2F_2$ and $H_2$ flow rate in $CH_2F_2/H_2/Ar$ plasma. It was found that infinite etch selectivities of $Si_3N_4$ layers to the ArF PR on both blanket and patterned wafers can be obtained for certain gas flow conditions. The etch selectivity was increased to the infinite values as the $CH_2F_2$ flow rate increases, while it was decreased from the infinite etch selectivity as the $H_2$ flow rate increased. The preferential chemical reaction of the hydrogen with the carbon in the polymer film and the nitrogen on the $Si_3N_4$ surface leading to the formation of HCN etch by-products results in a thinner steady-state polymer and, in turn, to continuous $Si_3N_4$ etching, due to enhanced $SiF_4$ formation, while the polymer was deposited on the ArF photoresist surface.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.02a
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• pp.458-458
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• 2010

The process window for the etch selectivity of silicon nitride ($Si_3N_4$) layers to extreme ultra-violet (EUV) resist and variation of line edge roughness (LER) of EUV resist were investigated durin getching of $Si_3N_4$/EUV resist structure in a dual-frequency superimposed capacitive coupled plasma (DFS-CCP) etcher by varying the process parameters, such as the $CH_2F_2$ and $N_2$ gas flow rate in $CH_2F_2/N_2$/Ar plasma. The $CH_2F_2$ and $N_2$ flow rate was found to play a critical role in determining the process window for infinite etch selectivity of $Si_3N_4$/EUV resist, due to disproportionate changes in the degree of polymerization on $Si_3N_4$ and EUV resist surfaces. The preferential chemical reaction between hydrogen and carbon in the hydrofluorocarbon ($CH_xF_y$) polymer layer and the nitrogen and oxygen on the $Si_3N_4$, presumably leading to the formation of HCN, CO, and $CO_2$ etch by-products, results in a smaller steady-state hydrofluorocarbon thickness on $Si_3N_4$ and, in turn, in continuous $Si_3N_4$ etching due to enhanced $SiF_4$ formation, while the $CH_xF_y$ layer is deposited on the EUV resist surface. Also critical dimension (and line edge roughness) tend to decrease with increasing $N_2$ flow rate due to decreased degree of polymerization.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.117-123
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• 1998

We investigated the effect of mechanical backside damage in Czochralski grown silicon wafer. The intensity of mechanical damage was evaluated by minority carrier recombination lifetime by laser excitation/microwave reflection photoconductivity decay method, photo-acoustic displacement method, X-ray section topography, and wet oxidation/preferential etching methods. The data indicate that the higher the mechanical damage intensity, the lower the minority carrier lifetime, and the photo-acoustic displacement values increased proportionally, and it was at Grade 1: Grade 2:Grade 3 = 1:19.6:41 that the normalized relative quantization ratio of excess photo-acoustic displacement in damaged wafer was calculated, which are normalized to the excess PAD from sample Grade 1.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.581-586
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• 1998

We investigated the effect of mechanical back side damage in Czochralski grown silicon wafer. The intensity of mechanical damage was evaluated by minority carrier recombination lifetime by laser excitation/microwave reflection photoconductivity decay method, degree of X-ray diffuse scattering, X-ray section topography, and wet oxidation/preferential etching methods. The data indicate that the higher the mechanical damage intensity, the lower the minority carrier lifetime, and the magnitude of diffuse scattering and X-ray excess intensity increased proportionally, and it was at Grade 1:Grade 2:Grade 3=1:7:18.4 that the normalized relative quantization ratio of excess intensity in damaged wafer was calculated, which are normalized to the excess intensity from sample Grade 1.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.104-107
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• 1999

We investigated the effects of cooling condition on deep levels and iron precipitate formation in iron-contaminated p-type silicon by DLTS(Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy) and preferential etching technique. Dependency of cooling condition on Bulk Micro-Defect (BMD) and four different iron-related deep traps were observed. For normal cooling condition, T1, T2, T3, T4 traps that related to Fe\ulcorner or Fe-O complex were obtained. However, the trap with activation energy, 0.4 eV was observed for slow cooling condition. The trap caused by the $\textrm{Fe}^{+}\textrm{}^{-}$ pair (H4:0.56eV) were detected only at the case of $\textrm{LN}_{2}$ quenching condition.