• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.208-213
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• 2018

Epitaxial ($11{\bar{2}}0$) a-plane GaN films were grown on a ($1{\bar{1}}02$) R-plane sapphire substrate with photoresist (PR) masks using metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The PR mask with striped patterns was prepared using an ex-situ lithography process, whereas carbonization and heat treatment of the PR mask were carried out using an in-situ MOCVD. The heat treatment of the PR mask was continuously conducted in ambient $H_2/NH_3$ mixture gas at $1140^{\circ}C$ after carbonization by the pyrolysis in ambient $H_2$ at $1100^{\circ}C$. As the time of the heat treatment progressed, the striped patterns of the carbonized PR mask shrank. The heat treatment of the carbonized PR mask facilitated epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELO) of a-plane GaN films without carbon contamination on the R-plane sapphire substrate. Thhe surface morphology of a-plane GaN films was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The structural characteristics of a-plane GaN films on an R-plane sapphire substrate were evaluated by ${\omega}-2{\theta}$ high-resolution X-ray diffraction. The a-plane GaN films were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to determine carbon contamination from carbonized PR masks in the GaN film bulk. After $Ar^+$ ion etching, XPS spectra indicated that carbon contamination exists only in the surface region. Finally, the heat treatment of carbonized PR masks was used to grow high-quality a-plane GaN films without carbon contamination. This approach showed the promising potential of the ELO process by using a PR mask.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.51-55
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• 2011

We investigated the etching characteristics of zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films deposited by the atomic layer deposition method. The gases of the inductively coupled plasma chemistry consisted of $Cl_2$, Ar, and $O_2$. The maximum etch rate was 40.3 nm/min at a gas flow ratio of $Cl_2$/Ar=15:5 sccm, radio-frequency power of 600 W, bias power of 200 W, and process pressure of 2 Pa. We also investigated the plasma induced damage in the etched ZnO thin films using X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy and photoluminescence (PL). A highly oriented (100) peak was present in the XRD spectroscopy of the ZnO samples. The full width at half maximum value of the ZnO sample etched using the $O_2/Cl_2$/Ar chemistry was higher than that of the as-deposited sample. The roughness of the ZnO thin films increased from 1.91 nm to 2.45 nm after etching in the $O_2/Cl_2$/Ar plasma chemistry. Also, we obtained a strong band edge emission at 380 nm. The intensities of the peaks in the PL spectra from the samples etched in all of the chemistries were increased. However, there was no deep level emission.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2009.07a
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• pp.1425_1426
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• 2009

In this study, commercially available polyethylene terephthalate(PET), which is widely used as a substrate of flexible electronic devices, was modified by dielectric barrier discharge(DBD) method in an air condition at atmospheric pressure, and aluminium - doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al) transparent conducting film was deposited on PET substrate by r. f. magnetron sputtering method. Surface analysis and characterization of the plasma-treated PET substrate was carried out using contact angle measurements, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy(XPS) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Especially the effect of surface state of PET substrate on some important properties of ZnO:Al transparent conducting film such as electrical and morphological properties and deposition rate of the film, was studied experimentally. The results showed that the contact angle of water on PET film was reduced significantly from $62^{\circ}$ to $43^{\circ}$ by DBD surface treatment at 20 min. of treatment time. The plasma treatment also improved the deposition rate and electrical properties. The deposition rate was increased almost linearly with surface treatment time. The lowest electrical resistivity as low as $4.97{\times}10^{-3}[\Omega-cm]$ and the highest deposition rate of 234[${\AA}m$/min] were obtained in ZnO:Al film with surface treatment time of 5min. and 20min., respectively.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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• pp.171-171
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• 2013

2층 FCCL (연성회로기판, Flexible Copper Clad Laminate)에 있어서 폴리이미드 필름과 구리의 접착력을 향상 시키기 위해 기존에 사용되고 있는 Ni-Cr대신 박리강도가 높고 에칭성도 매우 뛰어난 Ni-Mo-Nb 박막을 Roll-to roll 스퍼터 장비를 이용하여 개발하였다. 새롭게 개발된 Ni-Mo-Nb 박막은 기존 연구되어진 Ni-Cr 물질 대비 고온 박리강도 약 1.5~2.0배, 에칭성 8배 이상의 매우 우수한 특성을 보였다. Ni-Mo-Nb 접착층의 두께가 7~40 nm로 증가함에 따라 상온 박리강도가 향상 되는 것을 확인하였다. Ni-Mo-Nb 박막을 증착 하기 전 폴리이미드 기판표면을 RF 플라즈마 전처리 하였을 때 0.67 kg f/cm의 우수한 상온 박리강도를 나타내었으며 FCCL 샘플을 $150^{\circ}C$에서 168시간동안 열처리 한 후 접착력을 측정하였을 때도 0.54 kg f/cm의 높은 고온 박리강도를 보였다. FCCL의 박리강도, 표면 거칠기, 원소들의 화학적 결합, 박막의 미세구조를 peel test, atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy를 이용하여 폴리이미드 기판 플라즈마 전처리 효과를 확인하였다. 그 결과 플라즈마 전처리를 한 폴리이미드 기판의 경우 처리하지 않은 기판보다 상온과 고온에서 더 우수한 접착력을 가지는 것을 확인 할 수 있었는데 이것은 폴리이미드 기판의 표면 거칠기 증가에 의한 mechanical interlocking effect가 아닌 전처리를 통한 폴리이미드 표면 개질로 C-0, C-N와 같은 chemical functional group이 증가했기 때문인 것으로 확인되었다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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• pp.200-200
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• 2013

기존 메모리 반도체에 비교해 빠른 재생속도와 높은 집적도, 비휘발성 등의 특성을 가지는 MRAM (Magnetic Random Access Memory)은 DRAM, flash memory 등을 대체할 수 있는 차세대 기억 소자로서 CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB로 구성된 한 개의 MTJ (Magnetic Tunnel Junction)를 단위 메모리로 사용한다. 이 MTJ 물질들은 고밀도 플라즈마를 이용한 건식 식각공정시 Cl2, BCl3 등과 같은 chlorine 을 포함한 가스를 이용하여 왔으나 식각 후 sidewall에서 발생하는 부식과 식각 선택비 확보의 어려움 등으로 마스크 물질에 제약을 받고 소자 특성이 감소하게 되는 등의 문제가 있다. 따라서 이러한 식각 문제점을 해결하기 위한 대안으로 noncorrosive 가스인 CO/NH3, CH3OH, CH4 등을 이용한 MTJ 식각 연구가 진행되어 오고 있으며 이중 CO/NH3 혼합가스는 부식성이 없고 hard mask와의 높은 선택비를 가지는 기체로 CO gas에 NH3 gas를 첨가하게 되면 etch rate이 증가하는 특성을 보인다. 또한 rf pulse-biased power를 이용하여 이온의 입사를 시간에 따라 제어함으로써 pulse off time 때 etch gas와 MTJ 물질간의 chemical reaction을 향상시킬 수 있다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 CO/NH3 혼합가스를 이용하여 다양한 rf pulse-biased power 조건에서 MTJ 물질인 CoFeB, MgO와 hard mask 물질인 W을 식각 한 뒤 식각특성을 분석하였으며 MTJ surface의 chemical binding state, surface roughness 측정을 진행하였다. 식각 샘플의 측정은 Alpha step profiler, XPS (X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy), AFM (Atomic Force Microscopy)를 통해 진행되었다. Time-averaged pulse bias에서는 duty ratio가 감소할수록 etch rate의 큰 감소 없이 CoFeB/W, MgO/W 물질의 etch selectivity가 향상됨을 확인할 수 있었으며 pulse off time 구간에서의 chemical reaction 향상으로 인해 식각부산물의 재증착이 감소하고 CoFeB의 surface roughness가 감소하는 것을 확인하였다.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.2007-2013
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• 2017

In order to give hydrophobic surface properties on carbon steel, the fluorinated amorphous carbon films were prepared by using linear 2.45GHz microwave PECVD device. Two different process approaches have been tested. One is direct deposition of a-C:H:F films using admixture of $Ar/CH_4/CF_4$ working gases and the other is surface treatment using $CF_4$ plasma after deposition of a-C:H film with $Ar/CH_4$ binary gas system. $Ar/CF_4$ plasma treated surface with high $CF_4$ gas ratio shows best hydrophobicity and durability of hydrophobicity. Nanometer scale surface roughness seems one of the most important factors for hydrophobicity within our experimental conditions. The properties of a-C:H:F films and $CF_4$ plasma treated a-C:H films were investigated in terms of surface roughness, hardness, microstructure, chemical bonding, atomic bonding structure between carbon and fluorine, adhesion and water contact angle by using atomic force microscopy (AFM), nano-indentation, Raman analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.207-212
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• 2010

Purpose: Rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses, based on fluorosilicone acrylate, were treated with plasma in air. Methods: The chemical compositions were analyzed by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), the surface morphology and roughness of RGP contact lenses were observed by using atomic force microscopy (AFM), and the wettability changes were estimated by wetting angle measurement. Results: As the contact lenses were treated by the plasma, the F contents decreased significantly, and the O and Si contents increased on the surface. The number of oxygen-containing hydrophilic radicals (C-O and Si-O) increased greatly, the hydrophobic surface decreased, and the wetting angle increased. But the C-O bonds created with exchange of the fluorine did not increase a wettability. The surface compositions were not remarkably changed for the 6 months after plasma treatment, but the wetting angle increased again. Conclusions: It was considered that the improved wettability of the RGP contact lenses of high fluorine content after plasma treatment was affected by the activation of surface, the increase of Si-O, and the decrease of hydrophobic surface.

• 한국연소학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.328-336
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• 2005

Effects of surface defect distribution on flame instability during flame-surface interaction are experimentally investigated. To examine the chemical quenching phenomenon, we prepared thermally grown silicon oxide plates with well-defined defect density. Ion implantation was used to control the number of defects, i.e. oxygen vacancies. In an attempt to preferentially remove the oxygen atoms from silicon dioxide surface, argon ions with low energy level from 3keV to 5keV were irradiated at the incident angle of $60^{\circ}C$. Compositional and structural modification of $SiO_2$ induced by low-energy $Ar^+$ ion irradiation has been characterized by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The analysis shows that as the ion energy increases, the number of structural defect also increases and non-stoichiometric condition of $SiO_x(x{\le}2)$ plates is enhanced. From the quenching distance measurements, we found out that when the surface temperature is under $300^{\circ}C$, the quenching distance decreases on account of reduced heat loss; as the surface temperature increases over $300^{\circ}C$, however, quenching distance increases despite reduced heat loss effect. Such aberrant behavior is caused by heterogeneous chemical reaction between active radicals and surface defect sites. The higher defect density, the larger quenching distance. This results means that chemical quenching is governed by radical adsorption and can be parameterized by the oxygen vacancy density on the surface.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.785-791
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• 2001

High dielectric (Ba, Sr) TiO$_3$ thin films were etched in an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) as a function of Cl$_2$/Ar mixing ration. Under Cl$_2$(20)/Ar(80), the maximum etch rate of the BST films was 400 $\AA$/mim and selectivities of BST to Pt and PR were obtained 0.4 and 0.2, respectively. Etching products were redeposited on the surface of BST and resulted in varying the nature of crystallinity. Therefore, we investigated the etched surface of BST by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) atomic force microscopy (AFM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). From the result of XPS analysis, we found that residues of Ba-Cl and Ti-Cl bonds remained on the surface of the etched BST for high boiling point. The morphology of the etched surfact was analyzed by AFM. A smoothsurface(roughness ~2.8nm) ws observed under Cl$_2$(20)/Ar(80), rf power of 600 W, dc bias voltage of -250 V and pressure of 10 mTorr. This changed the nature of the crystallinity of BST. From the result of XRD analysis, the crystallinities of the etched BST film under Ar only and Cl$_2$(20)/Ar(80) were maintained as similar to as-deposited BST. However, intensity of BST(100) orientation under Cl$_2$ only plasma was abruptly decreased. This indicated that CI compounds were redeposited on the etched BST surface and resulted in changed of the crystallinity of BST during the etch process.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.14-14
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• 2001

Nitride films such as TiN, CrN etc. deposited on glass by PVD processes have been developed for many industrial applications. These nitride films deposited on glass were widely used for not only decorative and optical coatings but also wear and corrosion resistance coatings employed as dies and molds made of glass for the example of lens forming molds. However, the major problem of nitride coatings on glass by PVD process is non-uniform film owing to pin-hole and micro crack. It is estimated that nonuniform coating is influenced by a different surface energy between metal nitrides and glass due to binding states. In this work, therefore, for the evaluation of nucleation and growth mechanism of nitride films on glass TiN and CrN film were synthesized on glass with various nitrogen partial pressure by unbalanced magnetron sputtering. Prior to deposition, for the examination of relationship between surface energy and film microstructure plasma pre-treatment process was carried out with various argon to hydrogen flow rate and substrate bias voltage, duty cycle and frequency by using pulsed DC power supply. Surface energy owing to the different plasma pre-treatment was calculated by the measurement of wetting angle and surface conditions of glass were investigated by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy(XPS) and Atomic Force Microscope(AFM). The microstructure change of nitride films on glass with increase of film thickness were analyzed by X-Ray Diffraction(XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM).