• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2013.02a
• /
• pp.387-387
• /
• 2013

Currently, the flash memory and the dynamic random access memory (DRAM) have been used in a variety of applications. However, the downsizing of devices and the increasing density of recording medias are now in progress. So there are many demands for development of new semiconductor memory for next generation. Magnetic random access memory (MRAM) is one of the prospective semiconductor memories with excellent features including non-volatility, fast access time, unlimited read/write endurance, low operating voltage, and high storage density. MRAM is composed of magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) stack and complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS). The MTJ stack consists of various magnetic materials, metals, and a tunneling barrier layer. Recently, MgO thin films have attracted a great attention as the prominent candidates for a tunneling barrier layer in the MTJ stack instead of the conventional Al2O3 films, because it has low Gibbs energy, low dielectric constant and high tunneling magnetoresistance value. For the successful etching of high density MRAM, the etching characteristics of MgO thin films as a tunneling barrier layer should be developed. In this study, the etch characteristics of MgO thin films have been investigated in various gas mixes using an inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching (ICPRIE). The Cl2/Ar, CH3OH/Ar, and CH4/Ar gas mix were employed to find an optimized etching gas for MgO thin film etching. TiN thin films were employed as a hard mask to increase the etch selectivity. The etch rates were obtained using surface profilometer and etch profiles were observed by using the field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM).

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2012.02a
• /
• pp.390-390
• /
• 2012

Information technology industries has grown rapidly and demanded alternative memories for the next generation. The most popular random access memory, dynamic random-access memory (DRAM), has many advantages as a memory, but it could not meet the demands from the current of developed industries. One of highlighted alternative memories is magnetic random-access memory (MRAM). It has many advantages like low power consumption, huge storage, high operating speed, and non-volatile properties. MRAM consists of magnetic-tunnel-junction (MTJ) stack which is a key part of it and has various magnetic thin films like CoFeB, FePt, IrMn, and so on. Each magnetic thin film is difficult to be etched without any damages and react with chemical species in plasma. For improving the etching process, a high density plasma etching process was employed. Moreover, the previous etching gases were highly corrosive and dangerous. Therefore, the safety etching gases are needed to be developed. In this research, the etch characteristics of CoFeB magnetic thin films were studied by using an inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching in $CH_4/O_2/Ar$ gas mixes. TiN thin films were used as a hardmask on CoFeB thin films. The concentrations of $O_2$ in $CH_4/O_2/Ar$ gas mix were varied, and then, the rf coil power, gas pressure, and dc-bias voltage. The etch rates and the selectivity were obtained by a surface profiler and the etch profiles were observed by a field emission scanning electron microscopy. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was employed to reveal the etch mechanism.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.375-384
• /
• 2004

Switching phenomenon of a three-waveguide optical coupler was analyzed by using the coupled mode theory, and the coupling-length of the device was calculated by means of the FDM. CPW traveling-wave electrodes were designed by the CMM and SOR simulation techniques so as to satisfy the conditions of phase-velocity and impedance matching. Traveling-wave modulators were fabricated on a z-cut LiNbO$_3$ substrate. Ti was in-diffused in LiNbO$_3$ to make waveguides and Au electrodes were built on the waveguides by the electroplating technique. Insertion loss and switching voltage of the optical modulator were about 4 ㏈ and 15.6V. Network analyzer was used to obtain S parameters and corresponding RF response. From the measurement, parameters of the traveling-wave electrodes were extracted as such Z$_{c}$=39.2 $\Omega$, Neff=2.48, and a0=0.0665/cm((GHz) (1/2)). The measured optical response R(w) was compared with the theoretically estimated and both responses were shown to agree well. The measurement results revealed that the ㏈ bandwidth turned out to be about 13 GHz.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
• /
• v.14 no.5
• /
• pp.545-554
• /
• 2003

Design of the optical modulator composed of a three-waveguide coupler and CPW traveling-wave electrodes was carried out. Switching phenomena of three-waveguide couplers were analyzed by using the coupled mode theory, and the coupling-lengths of the devices were calculated by means of the FDM. CPW traveling-wave electrodes were analysed by the CMM and SOR simulation technique in order to find the conditions of phase-velocity and impedance matching. Traveling-wave modulators were fabricated on z-cut LiNbO$_3$ substrate. Ti was in-diffused in LiNbO$_3$ to make waveguides and Au electrodes were built on the waveguides by the electrolyte technique. The fabricated modulator chip was end-polished, pig-tailed and packaged in a brass mount with K-connector. The insertion loss and the switching voltage of the optical modulator were about 4㏈ and 19V, respectively. Network analyzer was used to obtain the S parameter and the corresponding RF response. From the measurement, parameters of the traveling-wave electrodes were extracted to be Z$_{c}$= 45 Ω, N$_{eff}$=2.20, and $\alpha$$_{0}$=0.055/cm√GHZ. The measured optical response R($\omega$) was compared with the theoretically estimated one, showing both responses agree well. The measurement results revealed that 3㏈ bandwidth turned out to be about 13 GHz.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2011.02a
• /
• pp.168-168
• /
• 2011

정보화 사회가 도래함으로 개인별 정보 이용량이 급격히 증가하였고 스마트폰과 같은 모바일 기기의 개발로 정보 이용량이 최고치를 갱신 중이다. 이러한 흐름 속에 사람들은 빠른 처리 속도와 고도의 저장 능력을 요구하게 되고 이에 따라 새로운 Random Access Memory에 대한 연구가 활발히 진행되고 있다. 현재 Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM)가 눈부신 발전과 성과를 이룩하고 있지만 전원 공급이 중단 될 경우 저장된 내용들이 지워진다는 단점을 가지고 있다. DRAM의 장점에 이러한 단점을 보완할 수 있는 차세대 반도체 소자로 주목 받고 있는 것이 Magnetic Random Access Memory (MRAM)이다. DRAM에서 Capacitor와 유사한 기능을 하는 MTJ stack은 tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) 현상을 나타내는 자기저항 박막을 이용하여 MRAM 소자에 집적된다. 본 연구에서는 MRAM의 자성 재료로 구성된 MTJ stack을 효과적으로 식각하고 우수한 식각 profile을 얻는 동시에 재증착의 문제를 해결하는데 목적을 둔다. 본 IrMn 자성 박막의 식각 연구는 유도결합 플라즈마 반응성 이온 식각 (Inductively Coupled Plasma Reactive Ion Etching: ICPRIE)법을 이용하여 진행되었다. 특히 본 연구에서는 종래의 $Cl_2$, $BCl_3$ 그리고 HBr과 같은 부식성 가스가 아닌 부식성이 없는 $CH_4$가스를 선택하여 그 농도를 변화시키면서 식각하였고 더 나아가 $O_2$를 첨가하면서 그 효과를 극대화하려고 시도하였다. IrMn 자성 박막의 식각 속도, TiN 하드 마스크에 대한 식각 선택도 그리고 profile 등이 조사되었고 최종적으로 X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS)를 이용하여 식각 메카니즘을 이해하려고 하였다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2011.02a
• /
• pp.167-167
• /
• 2011

Magnetic random access memory (MRAM) is one of the prospective semiconductor memories for next generation. It has the excellent features including nonvolatility, fast access time, unlimited read/write endurance, low operating voltage, and high storage density. MRAM consists of magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) stack and complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS). The MTJ stack is composed of various magnetic materials, metals, and a tunneling barrier layer. For the successful realization of high density MRAM, the etching process of magnetic materials should be developed. Among various magnetic materials, FePt has been used for pinned layer of MTJ stack. The previous etch study of FePt magnetic thin films was carried out using $CH_4/O_2/NH_3$. It reported only the etch characteristics with respect to the variation of RF bias powers. In this study, the etch characteristics of FePt thin films have been investigated using an inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etcher in various etch chemistries containing $CH_4$/Ar and $CH_4/O_2/Ar$ gas mixes. TiN thin film was employed as a hard mask. FePt thin films are etched by varying the gas concentration. The etch characteristics have been investigated in terms of etch rate, etch selectivity and etch profile. Furthermore, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is applied to elucidate the etch mechanism of FePt thin films in $CH_4$/Ar and $CH_4/O_2/Ar$ chemistries.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.35-49
• /
• 1997

The coal formation of the Deokpyeong area are interbedded along metapelites of the Ogcheon Supergroup, which are composed mainly of graphite, quartz, muscovite and associated with small amounts of biotite, chlorite, pyrite and barite. The ratios of $SiO_2/Al_2O_3$, $Al_2O_3/Na_2O$ and $K_2O/Na_2O$ of the coaly metapelite are variable and wide range from 1.80 to 10.21, from 27.8 to 388.8 and from 7.6 to 61.8, respectively. These coal formation were deposited in basin of marine environments, and the REE of these rocks are not influenced with metamorphism and hydrothermal alterations on the basis of $Al_2O_3$ versus La, La against Ce, the ratios of La/Ce (0.19 to 0.99) and Th/U (0.02 to 4.75). These rocks also show much variation in $La_N/Yb_N$ (1.19 to 22.89), Th/Yb (0.14 to 21.43) and La/Th (0.44 to 13.67), and their origin is explained by derivation from a mixture of sedimentary and igneous rocks. The wide range in trace and REE element characteristics as Co/Th (0.12 to 2.78), La/Sc (0.33 to 10.18), Sc/Th (0.57 to 5.73), V/Ni (8 to 2347), Cr/V (0.02 to 0.67) and Ni/Co (1.56 to 32.95) of these coaly metapelites argues for inefficient mixing of the various source lithologies during sedimentation. Deep to pale green barium-vanadium muscovites (vanadium-oellacherite) have been found in this coal formations. Modes of occurrence and grain size of muscovite are heterogeneous, but most of the barium and vanadium-bearing muscovites occur along the boundaries between graphite and quartz grains, ranging from 200 to $350{\mu}m$ in length and from 40 to $60{\mu}m$ in width. Results of X-ray diffraction data of the minerals characterized to be monoclinic system with $a=5.249{\AA}$, $b=8.939{\AA}$, $c=20.924{\AA}$ and ${\beta}=95.894^{\circ}$. Representative chemical formula of the muscovite was $(Na_{0.09}K_{1.44}Ba_{0.46})(Al_{2.75}Ti_{0.07}V_{0.56}Fe_{0.08}Mg_{0.50})(Si_{6.12}Al_{1.88})O_{22}$. The V possibly substitute octahedral Al, and the Ba is coupled substitution of $K^+Si^{4+}=Ba^{2+}Na^+Ca^{2+}$, which compositional ranges of V and Ba are from 0.42 to 0.69 and from 0.34 to 0.56 based on $O_{22}$, respectively. Formation mechanism of the barium-vanadium muscovites in the coaly metapelite is shown that the formed by high pressure and temperature from regional metamorphism origanated during diagenesis at the interface between a basinal brine and organic matter.

• Coupled systems mechanics
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.205-217
• /
• 2012

A smart beam made of magneto-electro-elastic (MEE) material having piezoelectric phase and piezomagnetic phase, shows the coupling between magnetic, electric, thermal and mechanical under thermal environment. Product properties such as pyroelectric and pyromagnetic are generated in this MEE material under thermal environment. Recently studies have been published on the product properties (pyroelectric and pyromagnetic) for magneto-electro-thermo-elastic smart composite. Hence, the magneto-electro-elastic beam with different volume fractions, investigated under uniform temperature rise is the main aim of this paper, to study the influence of product properties on clamped-free boundary condition, using finite element procedures. The finite element beam is modeled using eight node 3D brick element with five nodal degrees of freedom viz. displacements in the x, y and z directions and electric and magnetic potentials. It is found that a significant increase in electric potential observed at volume fraction of $BaTiO_3$, $v_f$ = 0.2 due to pyroelectric effect. In-contrast, the displacements and stresses are not much affected.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2011.02a
• /
• pp.287-287
• /
• 2011

ITRS(international technology roadmap for semiconductors)에 따르면 MOS (metal-oxide-semiconductor)의 CD(critical dimension)가 45 nm node이하로 줄어들면서 poly-Si/SiO2를 대체할 수 있는 poly-Si/metal gate/high-k dielectric이 대두되고 있다. 일반적으로 metal gate를 식각시 정확한 CD를 형성시키기 위해서 plasma를 이용한 RIE(reactive ion etching)를 사용하고 있지만 PIDs(plasma induced damages)의 하나인 PICD(plasma induced charging damage)의 발생이 문제가 되고 있다. PICD의 원인으로 plasma의 non-uniform으로 locally imbalanced한 ion과 electron이 PICC(plasma induced charging current)를 gate oxide에 발생시켜 gate oxide의 interface에 trap을 형성시키므로 그 결과 소자 특성 저하가 보고되고 있다. 그러므로 본 연구에서는 이에 차세대 MOS의 metal gate의 식각공정에 HDP(high density plasma)의 ICP(inductively coupled plasma) source를 이용한 중성빔 시스템을 사용하여 PICD를 줄일 수 있는 새로운 식각 공정에 대한 연구를 하였다. 식각공정조건으로 gas는 HBr 12 sccm (80%)와 Cl2 3 sccm (20%)와 power는 300 w를 사용하였고 200 eV의 에너지로 식각공정시 TEM(transmission electron microscopy)으로 TiN의 anisotropic한 형상을 볼 수 있었고 100 eV 이하의 에너지로 식각공정시 하부층인 HfO2와 높은 etch selectivity로 etch stop을 시킬 수 있었다. 실제 공정을 MOS의 metal gate에 적용시켜 metal gate/high-k dielectric CMOSFETs의 NCSU(North Carolina State University) CVC model로 effective electric field electron mobility를 구한 결과 electorn mobility의 증가를 볼 수 있었고 또한 mos parameter인 transconductance (Gm)의 증가를 볼 수 있었다. 그 원인으로 CP(Charge pumping) 1MHz로 gate oxide의 inteface의 분석 결과 이러한 결과가 gate oxide의 interface trap양의 감소로 개선으로 기인함을 확인할 수 있었다.

• 한국정보디스플레이학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2004.08a
• /
• pp.988-991
• /
• 2004

In the present investigation, we tried AR coating simulation by using the "Essential Macleod optical coating design and analysis" program. After various run of the program we selected appropriate materials which have specific refractive indices and for that thickness was optimized to get the low reflectance. By comparing the simulated results for the different materials,we found that $SiO_2$ and TiN are the appropriate materials for this Flat panel device (FPD) application. Thin films of these materials were deposited using RF magnetron sputtering and Inductively Coupled Plasma Chemical Vapour Deposition (ICPCVD) methods on Polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) substrates. Spectroscopic ellipsometer (SE MF-1000) and UV-Vis spectrophotometer (SCINCO) were used for the optical characterization. The obtained experimental results are in good agreement with the simulation results.