• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.901-906
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• 2006

The transparent conductive oxide(TCO) has been used in necessity as front electrode for increasing efficiency of LED. In our paper, aluminium-doped zinc oxide films(AZO), which has transparent conducting were prepared with RF magnetron sputtering system on glass substrate(corning 1737) and annealed at $400^{\circ}C$ for 2 hr in vacuum ambient and $600^{\circ}C$ for 2hr with $O_2$ ambient respectively. The smooth AZO films were etched in diluted HCL(0.5 %) to examine the surface properties, which in ambient post-annealing process. We confirmed that the electric, structural and optical properties of textured AZO thin films, which implemented using the methods of XRD, FWHM, AFM and Hall measurement. The properties of textured AZO thin films especially depended on the ambient post-annealing process. We presumed that the change of transmittances as R G B LED and the ambient post-annealing process will be increasing the efficiency of LED.

• Journal of Surface Science and Engineering
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.182-189
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• 2020

Indium tin oxide (ITO) used a transparent electrode of a photoelectric device has a low sheet resistance and a high transmittance. However, ITO is disadvantageous in that the process cost is expensive, and the process time is long. Silver nanowires (AgNWs) transparent electrodes are based on a low cost solution process. In addition, it has attracted attention as a next-generation transparent electrode material that replaces ITO because it has similar electrical and optical characteristic to ITO, it is noted as a. AgNW thin films are mainly produced by spin-coating. However, the spin-coating process has a disadvantage of high material loss. In this study, the material loss was reduced by using about 2~10 ㎕ of AgNW solution on a (25 × 25) ㎟ substrate using the shear-coating method. It was also possible to align AgNWs in the drag direction by dragging the meniscus of the solution. The electro-optical properties of the AgNW thin film were adjusted by changing the experimental parameters that the amount of AgNWs suspension, the gap between the substrate and the blade, and the coating speed. As a result, AgNW thin films with a transmittance of 90.7 % at a wavelength of 550 nm and a sheet resistance of 15 Ω/□ was deposited and exhibited similar properties to similar AgNW transparent electrodes studied by other researchers.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.863-867
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• 2008

In this paper, to increase the light current efficiency of photodiode, we fabricated aluminum-doped zinc oxide(AZO) thin films by RF magnetron sputtering. AZO thin films were deposited at low temperature of 100 $^{\circ}C$ and different RF powers of 50, 100, 150 and 200 W due to selective process technology. Then the AZO thin films were annealed at 400 $^{\circ}C$ for 1 hr in vacuum ambient to increase crystalline. The lowest resistivity of 1.35 ${\times}$ $10^{-3}$ ${\Omega}cm$ and a high transmittance over 90 % were obtained under the conditions of 3 mTorr, 100 'c and 150 W. The optimized AZO thin films were deposited as anti-reflection coating on PN junction of silicon photodiode. It was confirmed by the result of $V_r-I_{ph}$ curve that the efficiency of photodiode with AZO thin film was enhanced 17 % more than commercial photodiode.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.208-208
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• 2010

Indium zinc tin oxide (IZTO) thin films were studied as a possible alternative to indium tin oxide (ITO) films for providing low-cost transparent conducting oxide (TCO) for thin film photovoltaic devices. IZTO films were deposited onto glass substrates at room temperature. A dc/rf magnetron co-sputtering system equipped with a ceramic target of the same composition was used to deposit TCO films. Earlier studies showed that the resistivity value of $In_{0.6}Zn_{0.2}Sn_{0.2}O_{1.5}$ (IZTO20) films could be lowered to approximately $6{\times}10^{-4}ohm{\cdot}cm$ without sacrificing optical transparency and still maintaining amorphous structure through the optimization of process variables. The growth rate was kept at about 8 nm/min while the oxygen-to-argon pressure ratio varied from 0% to 7.5%. As-deposited films were always amorphous and showed strong oxygen pressure dependence of electrical resistivity and electron concentration values. Influence of forming gas anneal (FGA) at medium temperatures was also studied and proven effective in improving electrical properties. In this study, the chemical composition of the targets and the films varied around the $In_{0.6}Zn_{0.2}Sn_{0.2}O_{1.5}$ (IZTO20). It was the main objective of this paper to investigate how off-stoichiometry affected TCO characteristics including electrical resistivity and optical transmission. In addition to the composition effect, we have also studied how film properties changed with processing variables. IZTO thin films have shown their potential as a possible alternative to ITO thin films, in such way that they could be adopted in some applications where currently ITO and IZO thin films are being used. Our experimental results are compared to those obtained for commercial ITO thin films from solar cell application view point.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.02a
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• pp.100-101
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• 2012

The plasma damage free and room temperature processedthin film deposition technology is essential for realization of various next generation organic microelectronic devices such as flexible AMOLED display, flexible OLED lighting, and organic photovoltaic cells because characteristics of fragile organic materials in the plasma process and low glass transition temperatures (Tg) of polymer substrate. In case of directly deposition of metal oxide thin films (including transparent conductive oxide (TCO) and amorphous oxide semiconductor (AOS)) on the organic layers, plasma damages against to the organic materials is fatal. This damage is believed to be originated mainly from high energy energetic particles during the sputtering process such as negative oxygen ions, reflected neutrals by reflection of plasma background gas at the target surface, sputtered atoms, bulk plasma ions, and secondary electrons. To solve this problem, we developed the NBAS (Neutral Beam Assisted Sputtering) process as a plasma damage free and room temperature processed sputtering technology. As a result, electro-optical properties of NBAS processed ITO thin film showed resistivity of $4.0{\times}10^{-4}{\Omega}{\cdot}m$ and high transmittance (>90% at 550 nm) with nano- crystalline structure at room temperature process. Furthermore, in the experiment result of directly deposition of TCO top anode on the inverted structure OLED cell, it is verified that NBAS TCO deposition process does not damages to the underlying organic layers. In case of deposition of transparent conductive oxide (TCO) thin film on the plastic polymer substrate, the room temperature processed sputtering coating of high quality TCO thin film is required. During the sputtering process with higher density plasma, the energetic particles contribute self supplying of activation & crystallization energy without any additional heating and post-annealing and forminga high quality TCO thin film. However, negative oxygen ions which generated from sputteringtarget surface by electron attachment are accelerated to high energy by induced cathode self-bias. Thus the high energy negative oxygen ions can lead to critical physical bombardment damages to forming oxide thin film and this effect does not recover in room temperature process without post thermal annealing. To salve the inherent limitation of plasma sputtering, we have been developed the Magnetic Field Shielded Sputtering (MFSS) process as the high quality oxide thin film deposition process at room temperature. The MFSS process is effectively eliminate or suppress the negative oxygen ions bombardment damage by the plasma limiter which composed permanent magnet array. As a result, electro-optical properties of MFSS processed ITO thin film (resistivity $3.9{\times}10^{-4}{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$, transmittance 95% at 550 nm) have approachedthose of a high temperature DC magnetron sputtering (DMS) ITO thin film were. Also, AOS (a-IGZO) TFTs fabricated by MFSS process without higher temperature post annealing showed very comparable electrical performance with those by DMS process with $400^{\circ}C$ post annealing. They are important to note that the bombardment of a negative oxygen ion which is accelerated by dc self-bias during rf sputtering could degrade the electrical performance of ITO electrodes and a-IGZO TFTs. Finally, we found that reduction of damage from the high energy negative oxygen ions bombardment drives improvement of crystalline structure in the ITO thin film and suppression of the sub-gab states in a-IGZO semiconductor thin film. For realization of organic flexible electronic devices based on plastic substrates, gas barrier coatings are required to prevent the permeation of water and oxygen because organic materials are highly susceptible to water and oxygen. In particular, high efficiency flexible AMOLEDs needs an extremely low water vapor transition rate (WVTR) of $1{\times}10^{-6}gm^{-2}day^{-1}$. The key factor in high quality inorganic gas barrier formation for achieving the very low WVTR required (under ${\sim}10^{-6}gm^{-2}day^{-1}$) is the suppression of nano-sized defect sites and gas diffusion pathways among the grain boundaries. For formation of high quality single inorganic gas barrier layer, we developed high density nano-structured Al2O3 single gas barrier layer usinga NBAS process. The NBAS process can continuously change crystalline structures from an amorphous phase to a nano- crystalline phase with various grain sizes in a single inorganic thin film. As a result, the water vapor transmission rates (WVTR) of the NBAS processed $Al_2O_3$ gas barrier film have improved order of magnitude compared with that of conventional $Al_2O_3$ layers made by the RF magnetron sputteringprocess under the same sputtering conditions; the WVTR of the NBAS processed $Al_2O_3$ gas barrier film was about $5{\times}10^{-6}g/m^2/day$ by just single layer.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.567-571
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• 2009

Polycrystalline ZnO and Ga doped ZnO (GZO) films are deposited on glass substrate by RF magnetron sputtering at room temperature. The characteristics of ZnO and GZO films are investigated with X-ray diffraction measurement, UV-VIS-NIR spectrophotometer $(250{\sim}1200nm)$ and hall measurement. The post-growth thermal treatment of these films is carried out in N2 ambient at $500^{\circ}C$ for 30 min and an hour. ZnO and GZO films have different changing behavior of structural and optical properties by annealing. To use transparent conductive films for solar cell, films should have not only high transmittance but also good electrical property. Although as deposited GZO films have electrical properties than ZnO films, GZO films have not good transmittance properties. Consequently, we succeed that the high transmittance of GZO films is improved by annealing process.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.103-107
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• 2023

A Nickel oxide (NiO_x) thin films were prepared via sol-gel process on a transparent conductive oxide glass substrate. The NiO_x thin films were spin-coated in ambient air and subsequently annealed for 30 minutes at temperatures ranging from 150℃ to 450℃. The structural and optical characteristics of the NiO_x thin films annealed at various temperatures were measured using X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. After optimizing the NiO_x coating conditions, perovskite solar cells were fabricated with p-i-n inverted structure, and its photovoltaic performance was evaluated. NiO_x thin films annealed at 350℃ exhibited the most favorable characteristics as a hole transport layer, resulting in the highest power conversion efficiency of 17.88 % when fabricating inverted perovskite solar cells using this film.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.98-103
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• 2016

The surface morphology of the front transparent conductive oxide (TCO) films plays a vital role in amorphous silicon thin film solar cells (a-Si TFSCs) due to their high transparency, conductivity and excellent light scattering properties. Recently, plasma textured glass surface morphologies received much attention for light trapping in a-Si TFSCs. We report various plasma textured glass surface morphologies for the high efficiency of a-Si TFSCs. Plasma textured glass surface morphologies showed high rms roughness, haze ratio with micro- and nano size surface features and are proposed for future high efficiency of a-Si TFSCs.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.171-173
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• 2001

ZnO:Al transparent conductive thin films were prepared by facing targets sputtering system with a DC power supply using ZnO target containing 2wt% of $Al_2O_3$ and Zn metal target. Sputtering was carried out at substrate temperature of R.T. and $200^{\circ}C$ with a DC current of 0.6A, $O_2$ flow rate of $0.1{\sim}0.5$ and thickness $300{\sim}900nm$. ZnO:Al films showed a resistivity as low as $10^{-4}{\Omega}-cm$ and a transmittance above 85 % at wavelength 300 and 800nm.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.357-362
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• 2007

AZO(Aluminum-doped Zinc Oxide) films are attractive materials as transparent conductive electrode because they are inexpensive, nontoxic and abundant element compared with ITO(Indium Tin Oxide). AZO films have been deposited on glass (corning 1737) substrates by RF magnetron sputtering. The AZO film was post-annealed at $600^{\circ}C$ for 2 hr with $N_2$ atmosphere. The AZO films were used as an anode contact to fabricate OLEDs(Organic Light Emitting Diodes). OLEDs with $AZO/TPD/Alq_3/Al$ configuration were fabricated by thermal evaporation. We investigated that the electric, structural and optical properties of AZO thin films, which measured using the methods of XRD, SEM, Hall measurement and Spectrophotometer. The current density-voltage and luminescence-voltage properties of devices were studied and compared with ITO devices fabricated under the same conditions.