• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.430.1-430.1
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• 2016

We present the concept of reducible fugitive material that conformally surrounds core Cu nanowire (NW) to fabricate transparent conducting electrode (TCE). Reducing atmosphere can corrodes/erodes the underlying/surrounding layers and might cause undesirable reactions such impurity doing and contamination, so that hydrogen-/forming gas based annealing is impractical to make device. In this regards, we introduce novel reducible shell conformally surrounding indivial CuNW to provide a protection against the oxidation when exposed to both air and solvent. Uniform copper lactate shell formation is readily achievable by injecting lactic acid to the CuNW dispersion as the acid reacts with the surface oxide/hydroxide or pure copper. Cu lactate shell prevents the core CuNW from the oxidation during the storage and/or film formation, so that the core-shell CuNW maintains without signficant oxidation for long time. Upon simple thermal annealing under vacuum or in nitrogen atmosphere, the Cu lactate shell is easily decomposed to pure Cu, providing an effective way to produce pure CuNW network TCE with typically sheet resistance of $19.8{\Omega}/sq$ and optical transmittance of 85.5% at 550 nm. Our reducible copper lactate core-shell Cu nanowires have the great advantage in fabrication of device such as composite transparent electrodes or solar cells.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.375-382
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• 2019

Homogeneous multicomponent indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) ceramics for transparent electrode targets are prepared from the oxides and nitrates as the source materials, and their properties are characterized. The selected compositions were $In_2O_3:Ga_2O_3:ZnO$ = 1:1:2, 1:1:6, and 1:1:12 in mole ratio based on oxide. As revealed by X-ray diffraction analysis, calcination of the selected oxide or nitrides at $1200^{\circ}C$ results in the formation of $InGaZnO_4$, $InGaZn_3O_6$, and $InGaZn_5O_8$ phases. The 1:1:2, 1:1:6, and 1:1:12 oxide samples pressed in the form of discs exhibit relative densities of 96.9, 93.2, and 84.1%, respectively, after sintering at $1450^{\circ}C$ for 12 h. The $InGaZn_3O_6$ ceramics prepared from the oxide or nitrate batches comprise large grains and exhibit homogeneous elemental distribution. Under optimized conditions, IGZO multicomponent ceramics with controlled phases, high densities, and homogeneous microstructures (grain and elemental distribution) are obtained.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.492-498
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• 2021

This feasibility study evaluated an optically transparent planar antenna using liquid salt-water as the conducting material. The most significant reason behind using liquid salt-water for transparent antenna applications is its excellent average optical transparency (OTav) (> 95% at a salinity of 40 ppt) compared to other typical solid transparent thin-film electrodes, such as indium tin oxide (ITO:> 73%) or multi-layer films (MLF: > 78%). Each conductive arm of the proposed dipole is constructed from a salt-water layer held between two clear planar acrylic layers (��r = 2.61, tan�� = 0.01, OTav > 90%) (acrylic/salt-water/acrylic; ASA) due to surface tension. To examine the electrical and optical properties of the ASA structure, the surface tension was measured to determine the thickness of the salt-water layer that finalized its sheet resistance and OTav. The average gain and efficiency of the antenna were 1.72 dBi and 74%, respectively, in the operating UHF (Ultra high frequency) band (470-771 MHz). Therefore, the proposed antenna can be a good candidate for applications as a transparent planar antenna using salt-water.

• Laser Solutions
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2014

Indium tin oxide (ITO) is an important transparent conducting oxide (TCO). ITO films have been widely used as transparent electrodes in optoelectronic devices such as organic light-emitting devices (OLED) because of their high electrical conductivity and high transmission in the visible wavelength. Finding ways to control ITO micromachining depth is important role in the fabrication and assembly of display field. This study presented the depth control of ITO patterns on glass substrate using a femtosecond laser and slit. In the proposed approach, a gaussian beam was transformed into a quasi-flat top beam by slit. In addition, pattern of square type shaped by slit were fabricated on the surfaces of ITO films using femtosecond laser pulse irradiation, under 1030nm, single pulse. Using femtosecond laser and slit, we selectively controlled forming depth and removed the ITO thin films with thickness 145nm on glass substrates. In particular, we studied the effect of pulse number on the ablation of ITO. Clean removal of the ITO layer was observed when the 6 pulse number at $2.8TW/cm^2$. Furthermore, the morphologies and fabricated depth were characterized using a optical microscope, atomic force microscope (AFM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS).

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.275-279
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• 2016

This is a brief review on light trapping in Si based thin film solar cells with textured surfaces and transparent conducting oxide front electrodes. The light trapping scheme appears to be essential in improving device efficiency over 10%. As light absorption in a thin film solar cells is not sufficient, light trapping becomes necessary to be effectively implemented with a textured surface. Surface texturing helps in the light trapping, and thereby raises short circuit current density and its efficiency. Such a scheme can be adapted to single junction as well as tandem solar cell, amorphous or micro-crystalline devices. A tandem cell is expected to have superior performance in comparison to a single junction cell and random surface textures appears to be preferable to a periodic structures.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.257.1-257.1
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• 2014

We investigated characteristics of ITO/Ag-Pd-Cu (APC)/ITO multilayer electrodes prepared by direct current magnetron sputtering for use as an anode in organic solar cells (OSCs). To optimize electrical properties of ITO/APC/ITO multilayer, we fabricated the ITO/APC/ITO multilayer at a fixed ITO thickness of 30 nm as a function of APC thickness. Compare to the surface of Ag layer on ITO, the APC had a smooth surface morphology. At optimized APC thickness of 12 nm, the ITO/APC/ITO multilayer exhibited a sheet resistance of $6{\Omega}/square$ and optical transmittance of 84.15% at a wavelength of 550 nm which is comparable to conventional ITO/Ag/ITO multilayer. However, the APC-based ITO multilayer showed a higher average transmittance in a visible region than the Ag-based ITO multilayer. The higher average transmittance of ITO/APC/ITO multilayer indicated the multilayer is suitable anode for organic solar cells with P3HT:PCBM active layer. OSCs fabricated on the optimized ITO/ACP/ITO multilayer exhibited a better performance with a fill factor of 64.815%, a short circuit current of $8.107mA/cm^2$, an open circuit voltage of 0.59 V, and power conversion efficiency (3.101%) than OSC with ITO/Ag/ITO multilayer (2.8%).

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.571-575
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• 2005

In order to improve the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), $TiO_2$ electrode screen-printed on transparent conducting oxide (TCO) substrate was sintered in variation with different temperature$(350\;to\;550^{\circ}C)$. $TiO_2$ electrode on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) glass was assembled with Pt counter electrode on FTO glass. I-V properties of DSSCs were measured under solar simulator. Also, effect of sintering temperature on surface morphology of $TiO_2$ films was investigated to understand correlation between its surface morphology and sintering temperature. Such surface morphology was observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Below sintering temperature of $500^{\circ}C$, efficiency of DSSCs was relatively lower due to lower open circuit voltage. Oppositely, above sintering temperature of $500^{\circ}C$, efficiency of DSSCs was relatively higher due to higher open circuit voltage. In both cases, lower fill factor (FF) was observed. However, at sintering temperature of $500^{\circ}C$, both efficiency and fill factor of DSSCs were mutually complementary, enhancing highest fill factor and efficiency. Such results can be explained in comparison of surface morphology with schematic diagram of energy states on the $TiO_2$ electrode surface. Consequently, it was considered that optimum sintering temperature of a-terpinol included $TiO_2$ paste is at $500^{\circ}C$.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.204-210
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• 2020

ZnO thin films are of considerable interest because they can be customized by various coating technologies to have high electrical conductivity and high visible light transmittance. Therefore, ZnO thin films can be applied to various optoelectronic device applications such as transparent conducting thin films, solar cells and displays. In this study, ZnO rod and thin films are fabricated using aqueous chemical bath deposition (CBD), which is a low-cost method at low temperatures, and environmentally friendly. To investigate the structural, electrical and optical properties of ZnO for the presence of citrate ion, which can significantly affect crystal form of ZnO, various amounts of the citrate ion are added to the aqueous CBD ZnO reaction bath. As a result, ZnO crystals show a nanorod form without citrate, but a continuous thin film when citrate is above a certain concentration. In addition, as the citrate concentration increases, the electrical conductivity of the ZnO thin films increases, and is almost unchanged above a certain citrate concentration. Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ (CIGS) solar cell substrates are used to evaluate whether aqueous CBD ZnO thin films can be applicable to real devices. The performance of aqueous CBD ZnO thin films shows performance similar to that of a sputter-deposited ZnO:Al thin film as top transparent electrodes of CIGS solar cells.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.87-87
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• 2010

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) systems are promising methods of producing H2 gas using solar energy in an aqueous solution. The photoelectrochemical properties of numerous metal oxides have been studied. Among them, the PEC systems based on TiO2 have been extensively studied. However, the drawback of a PEC system with TiO2 is that only ultraviolet (UV) light can be absorbed because of its large band gap (3.2 - 3.4 eV). Two approaches have been introduced in order to use PEC cells in the visible light region. The first method includes doping impurities, such as nitrogen, into TiO2, and this technique has been extensively studied in an attempt to narrow the band gap. In comparison, research on the second method, which includes visible light water splitting in molecular photosystems, has been slow. Mallouk et al. recently developed electrochemical water-splitting cells using the Ru(II) complex as the visible light photosensitizer. the dye-sensitized PEC cell consisted of a dye-sensitized TiO2 layer, a Pt counter electrode, and an aqueous solution between them. Under a visible light (< 3 eV) illumination, only the dye molecule absorbed the light and became excited because TiO2 had the wide band gap. The light absorption of the dye was followed by the transfer of an electron from the excited state (S*) of the dye to the conduction band (CB) of TiO2 and its subsequent transfer to the transparent conducting oxide (TCO). The electrons moved through the wire to the Pt, where the water reduction (or H2 evolution) occurred. The oxidized dye molecules caused the water oxidation because their HOMO level was below the H2O/O2 level. Organic dyes have been developed as metal-free alternatives to the Ru(II) complexes because of their tunable optical and electronic properties and low-cost manufacturing. Recently, organic dye molecules containing multi-branched, multi-anchoring groups have received a great deal of interest. In this work, tri-branched tri-anchoring organic dyes (Dye 2) were designed and applied to visible light water-splitting cells based on dye-sensitized TiO2 electrodes. Dye 2 had a molecular structure containing one donor (D) and three acceptor (A) groups, and each ended with an anchoring functionality. In comparison, mono-anchoring dyes (Dye 1) were also synthesized. The PEC response of the Dye 2-sensitized TiO2 film was much better than the Dye 1-sensitized or unsensitized TiO2 films.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.97-102
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• 2019

Bifacial and semitransparent hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin-film solar cells in p-i-n configuration were prepared with front and rear transparent conducting oxide (TCO) electrodes using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition method. Fluorine-doped tin oxide and tin-doped indium oxide films were used as front and rear TCO contacts, respectively. Film thickness of intrinsic a-Si:H absorber layers were controlled from 150 nm to 450 nm by changing deposition time. The dependence of performance characteristics of solar cells on the front and rear illumination direction were investigated. For front illumination, gradual increase in the short-circuit current density (J_SC) from 10.59 mA/㎠ to 14.19 mA/㎠ was obtained, whereas slight decreases from 0.83 V to 0.81 V for the open-circuit voltage (V_OC) and from 68.43% to 65.75% for fill factor (FF) were observed. The average optical transmittance in the wavelength region of 380 ~ 780 nm of the solar cells decreased gradually from 22.76% to 15.67% as the absorber thickness was changed from 150 nm to 450 nm. In case of the solar cells under rear illumination condition, the J_SC increased from 10.81 to 12.64 mA/㎠ and the FF deceased from 66.63% to 61.85%, while the V_OC values were maintained at 0.80 V with increasing the absorber thickness from 150 nm to 450 nm. By optimizing the deposition parameters, a high-quality bifacial and semitransparent a-Si:H solar cell with 350 nm-thick i-a-Si:H absorber layer exhibited the conversion efficiencies of 7.69% for front illumination and 6.40% for rear illumination, and average visible optical transmittance of 17.20%.