• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.9 no.12
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• pp.1155-1159
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• 1999

Thin film solar cells on a glass/$SnO_2$ substrate with p-SiC/i-Si/n-Si heterojunction structures were fabricated using a plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition system. The photovoltaic properties of the solar cells were examined with varying the gas phase composition, x=$CH_4/\;(SiH_4+CH_4)$, during the deposition of the p-SiC layer. In the range of x=0~0.4, the efficiency of solar cell increased because of the increased band gap of the p-SiC window layer. Further increase in the gas phase composition, however, led to a decrease in the cell efficiency probably due to in the increased composition mismatch at the p-SiC/i-Si layers. As a result, the efficiency of a glass/$SnO_2$/p-SiC/i-SiC/i-Si/n-Si/Ag thin film solar cell with $1cm^2$ area was 8.6% ($V_{oc}$=0.85V, $J_{sc}$=16.42mA/$cm^2$, FF=0.615) under 100mW/$cm^2$ light intensity.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.102-105
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• 2011

This work describes the characteristics of zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films formed on a polycrystalline (poly) 3C-SiC buffer layer using a sol-gel process. The deposited ZnO films were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and photoluminescence (PL) spectra. ZnO thin films grown on the poly 3C-SiC buffer layer had a nanoparticle structure and porous film. The effects of post-annealing on ZnO film were also studied. The PL spectra at room temperature confirmed the crystal quality and optical properties of ZnO thin films formed on the 3C-SiC buffer layer were improved due to close lattice mismatch in the ZnO/3C-SiC interface.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2006.06a
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• pp.406-407
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• 2006

This paper describes the ohmic contact formation between a TiW film as a contact material deposied by RF magnetron sputter and polycrystalline 3C-SiC films deposied on thermally grown Si wafers. The specific contact resistance (${\rho}_c$) of the TiW contact was measured by using the C-TLM. The contact phase and interfacial reaction between TiW and 3C-SiC at high-temperature were also analyzed by XRD and SEM. All of the samples didn't show cracks of the TiW film and any interfacial reaction after annealing. Especially, when the sample was annealed at $800^{\circ}$ for 30min., the lowest contact resistivity of $2.90{\times}10^{-5}{\Omega}cm^2$ was obtained due to the improved interfacial adhesion.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.59 no.7
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• pp.1255-1258
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• 2010

In this paper, the $CoSi_2$ thin films with thicknesses of about $5{\mu}m$ were deposited on n-type silicon (111) substrates by RF magnetron sputtering method using a $CoSi_2$ target (99.99%). The flow rate of argon of 50 sccm, substrate temperature of $100^{\circ}C$, RF power of 60 watts, deposition time of 30 minutes, and the vacuum of $1\times10^{-6}$ Torr. The annealing treatments of the $CoSi_2$ thin film were performed from 500, 700 and $900^{\circ}C$ for 1h in air ambient by an electric furnace. In order to investigate the $CoSi_2$ thin film X-ray diffraction patterns were measured using the X-ray diffractometer (XRD). The structure of the thin films were investigated by using scanning the electron microscope (SEM) were used for review. The surface morphology of the thin films was measured with a atomic force microscopy (AFM). Temperature dependence of sheet resistivity and property of Hall effect was measured in the $CoSi_2$ thin film.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.589-594
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• 1997

Superconducting $YBa_2Cu_3O_y$ thin films were prepared at the deposition temperature of $650^{\circ}C$ under oxygen partial pressure of 0.0126 Torr on Si(111) and SrTiO3(100) substrates by chemical vapor deposition technique using $\beta$-diketonates of Y, Ba and Cu as source materials. The thin film fabricated on $SrTiO_3(100)$ had a $T_{c,onset}$ of 91K and $T_{c.0}$ of 87K. The thin film prepared on Si(111) had a $T_{c,onset}$ of 91K but didn't have a $T_{c.0}$ at liquid nitrogen boiling point(77.3K). Dense and two-dimensionally well alligned microstructure was developed for the film deposited on $SrTiO_3(100)$ substrate whereas a relatively porous and randomly distributed microstructure was developed for the film prepared on Si(111) substrate.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.08a
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• pp.148-148
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• 2011

Recently, there have been many research activities to develop the large-area plasma source, which is able to generate the high-density plasma with relatively good uniformity, for the plasma processing in the thin-film solar cell and display panel industries. The large-area CCP sources have been applied to the PECVD process as well as the etching. Especially, the PECVD processes for the depositions of various films such as a-Si:H, ${\mu}c$-Si:H, Si3N4, and SiO2 take a significant portion of processes. In order to achieve higher deposition rate (DR), good uniformity in large-area reactor, and good film quality (low defect density, high film strength, etc.), the application of VHF (>40 MHz) CCP is indispensible. However, the electromagnetic wave effect in the VHF CCP becomes an issue to resolve for the achievement of good uniformity of plasma and film. Here, we propose a new electrode as part of a method to resolve the standing wave effect in the large-area VHF CCP. The electrode is split up a series of strip-type electrodes and the strip-type electrodes and the ground ones are arranged by turns. The standing wave effect in the longitudinal direction of the strip-type electrode is reduced by using the multi-feeding method of VHF power and the uniformity in the transverse direction of the electrodes is achieved by controlling the gas flow and the gap length between the powered electrodes and the substrate. Also, we provide the process results for the growths of the a-Si:H and the ${\mu}c$-Si:H films. The high DR (2.4 nm/s for a-Si:H film and 1.5 nm/s for the ${\mu}c$-Si:H film), the controllable crystallinity (~70%) for the ${\mu}c$-Si:H film, and the relatively good uniformity (1% for a-Si:H film and 7% for the ${\mu}c$-Si:H film) can be obtained at the high frequency of 40 MHz in the large-area discharge (280 mm${\times}$540 mm). Finally, we will discuss the issues in expanding the multi-electrode to the 8G class large-area plasma processing (2.2 m${\times}$2.4 m) and in improving the process efficiency.

• Solar Energy
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.41-49
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• 1991

In this study, the (P)SiC/(N)Si solar cell is fabricated by the vacuum evaporation method with the substrate temperature at about $200{\pm}5[5^{\circ}C]$ and its characteristics are investigated. The optimal thickness of $1.2[{\mu}m]$ of SiC film is derived from the relation between film thickness and conversion efficiency. The characteristics of solar cells are improved by the annealing. The optimum annealing temperature and duration are $420[^{\circ}C]$ and 12[min], respectively it is shown that the peak values of spectral response are shifted to the long wavelength region with increasing the annealing temperature. The X-ray diffraction patterns and the scanning electron micrographs show the grain grow thin SiC film as the annealing temperature and time is increased. The best conversion efficiency is 11.7[%] for a $2.5{\times}1[cm^2]$ cell.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.11 no.12
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• pp.1091-1098
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• 1998

Thermal stability of the electroless deposited Cu thin film was investigated. Cu/TaN/Si multilayer was fabricated by electroless-depositing Cu thin layer on TaN diffusion barrier layer which was deposited by MOCVD on the Si substrate, and was annealed in $H_2$ ambient to investigate the microstructure of Cu film with a post heat-treatment. Cu thin film with good adhesion was successfully deposited on the surface of the TaN film by electroless deposition with a proper activation treatment and solution control. Microstructural property of the electroless-deposited Cu layer was improved by a post-annealing in the reduced atmosphere of $H_2$ gas up to $600^{\circ}C$. Thermal stability of Cu/TaN/Si system was maintained up to $600^{\circ}C$ annealing temperature, but the intermediate compounds of Cu-Si were formed above $650^{\circ}C$ because Cu element passed through the TaN layer. On the other hand, thermal stability of the Cu/TaN/Si system in Ar ambient was maintained below $550^{\circ}C$ annealing temperature due to the minimal impurity of $O_2$ in Ar gas.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.216-220
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• 2010

Ni-Fe alloys have various applications such as thin film inductor, thin film transformer, magnetic head's shield case, etc. Magnetic properties of Ni-Fe thin films depend on the process parameters such as thickness, contents, deposition rate, substrates, etc. In this study, NiFe films with a thickness of about 150nm were deposited on Si(100) wafer and $SiO_2$/Si(100) substrate at room temperature by a DC magnetron co-sputtering using Fe and Ni targets. Their phase formation and magnetic properties as a function of annealing temperature were investigated with XRD, FE-SEM and VSM. The assputtered films have BCC structure. With increasing annealing temperature, NiFe thin film for $SiO_2$/Si(100) substrate transformed completely from BCC to FCC phase above $500^{\circ}C$, but some BCC phase remained above $500^{\circ}C$ on Si(100) wafer. For samples annealed at $450^{\circ}C$, squareness ratio of NiFe thin film shows peak value and its saturation magnetization is around 0.0118 emu, which means that the optimum annealing temperature of NiFe thin film seems to be $450^{\circ}C$. The saturation magnetization of films decreased rapidly above the annealing temperature of $500^{\circ}C$ due to phase transformation from BCC to FCC phase.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.274-284
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• 1994

SiC fibers were coated with Cu, Ag and Ni metallic thin films by magnetron sputtering in order to improve wetting properties between Al matrix and SiC fiber. The wetting behavior of metal coated SiC fiber by pure Al has been studied at $670^{\circ}C{\sim}900^{\circ}C$ range for $10{\sim}90min$. under vacuum atmosphere. Besides, the effect of coated film thickness on the wettability has been investigated. The wetting behavior and interfacial reaction between Al and SiC fibers were analysed with optical microscope and SEM (scanning electron microscope). The wetting behavior of the as-received SiC fiber with Al melt was not uniform, indicated by the contact angles from less than $90^{\circ} to more Al melt was appeared in the initial stage of reation. It was considered that the metallic thin film played an important role in reducing the interfacial free energy and breaking down the aluminum oxide film by eutectic reaction with Al melt. However the wettability of Ni coated SiC fiber was not improved as much as that of Cu or Ag coated SiC fiber. The improvement of wettability by coating thickness is clearly showed in $1{\mu}m$ coated SiC fiber compared with $0.25{\mu}m$ coated SiC.