• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
• /
• 2001.05b
• /
• pp.79-83
• /
• 2001

In order to compare the barrier properties of Ta-N/Si(001) with those of Ta-N/Ta/Si(001), we studied structural properties of films grown by RF magnetron sputtering with various $Ar/N_2$ ratios. To evaluate the barrier properties, the samples were annealed in a vacuum chamber. Ex-situ x-ray scattering measurements were done using an in-house x-ray system. With increasing nitrogen ratio in Ta-N/Si(001), the barrier property of Ta-N/Si(001) was enhanced, finally failed at $750^{\circ}C$ due to the crystallization and silicide formation. Compared with Ta-N/Si(001), Ta-N/Ta/Si(001) forms silicides at $650^{\circ}C$. However it does not crystallize even at $750^{\circ}C$. With increasing nitrogen composition in Ta-N/Ta/Si(001), the formation of tantalum silicide was reduced and the surface roughness was improved. To observe the surface morphology of Ta-N/Ta/Si(001) during annealing, we performed an in-situ x-ray scattering experiment using synchrotron radiation of the 5C2 at Pohang Light Source(PLS). Addition of Ta layer between Ta-N and Si(001) improved the surface morphology and reduced the surface degradation at high temperatures. In addition, increasing $N_2/Ar$ flow ratio reduced the formation of tantalum silicide and enhanced the barrier properties.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.20 no.9
• /
• pp.483-487
• /
• 2010

To fabricate $TiO_2$ nanoparticle-based dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) at a low-temperature, DSSCs were fabricated using hydropolymer and ZnO nanoparticles composites for the electron transport layer around a low-temperature ($200^{\circ}C$). ZnO nanoparticle with 20 nm and 60 nm diameter were used and Pt was deposited as a counter electrode on ITO/glass using an RF magnetron sputtering. We investigate the effect of ZnO nanoparticle concentration in hydropolymer and ZnO nanoparticle solution on the photoconversion performance of the low temperature fabricated ($200^{\circ}C$) DSSCs. Using cis-bis(isothiocyanato)bis(2,20 bipyridy1-4,40 dicarboxylato) ruthenium (II) bis-tetrabutylammonium (N719) dye as a sensitizer, the corresponding device performance and photo-physical characteristics are investigated through conventional physical characterization techniques. The effect of thickness of the ZnO photoelectrode and the morphology of the ZnO nanoparticles with the variations of hydropolymer to ZnO ratio on the photoconversion performance are also investigated. The morphology of the ZnO layer after sintering was examined using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). 60 nm ZnO nanoparticle DSSCs showed an incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) value of about 7% higher than that of 20 nm ZnO nanoparticle DSSCs. The maximum parameters of the short circuit current density ($J_{sc}$), the open circuit potential ($V_{oc}$), fill factor (ff), and efficiency ($\eta$) in the 60 nm ZnO nanoparticle-based DSSC devices were 4.93 mA/$cm^2$, 0.56V, 0.40, and 1.12%, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.286-291
• /
• 1998

$SrTiO_3$[ST] thin films were fabricated on $RuO_2$bottom electrodes by RF magnetron sputtering with various $Ar/O_2$ratio in sputtering gas. As the content of oxygen increases, the leakage current of ST films measured at $10^5$ V/cm decreases from $2.0{\times}10^{-6}A/{\textrm}{cm}^2(Ar/O_2=10/0)$ to $3.8{\times}10^{-7}A/{\textrm}cm^2(Ar/O_2=5/5)$, and the dielectric constant of ST films increases from $70(Ar/O_2=10/0)$ to $190(Ar/O_2=5/5)$. The improvement of electrical properties of ST films is mainly due to the structural modification of ST films such as better crystallinity, smooth surface morphology with the increase of oxygen content in the sputtering gas.

• Journal of Magnetics
• /
• v.3 no.2
• /
• pp.55-63
• /
• 1998

Magnetic and magnetostrictive properties of amorphous Sm-Fe and Sm-Fe-B thin films are systematically investigated over a wide composition range from 14.1 to 71.7 at.% Sm. The films were fabricated by rf magnetron sputtering using a composite target composed of an Fe (or Fe-B) plate and Sm chips. The amount of B added ranges from 0.3 to 0.8 at. %. The microstructure, examined by X-ray diffraction, mainly consists of an amorphous phase in the intermediate Sm content range from 20 to 45 at.%. Together with an amorphous phase, crystalline phases of Fe and Sm also exist at low and high ends of the Sm content, respectively. Well-developed in-plane anisotropy is formed over the whole compositionrange, except for the low Sm content below 15 at.% and the high Sm content above 55 at %. As the Sm content increases, the saturation magnetization decreases linearly and the coercive force tends to increase, with the exception of the low Sm content where very large magnitudes of the saturation magnetization and the coercive force are observed due to the existence of the crystalline $\alpha$-Fe phase. The coercive force is affected rather substantially by the B addition, resulting in lower values of the coercive force in the practically important Sm content range of 30 to 40 at.%. Good magnetic softness indicated by well-developed in-plane anisotropy, a square-shaped hysteresis loop and a low magnitude of the coercive force results in good magnetostrictive characteristics in both Sm-Fe-B thin films. The magnetostrictive characteristics, particularly at low magnetic fields, are further improved by the addition of B; for example, at a magnetic field of 100 Oe, the magnitude of magnetostriction is -350 ppm in a Sm-Fe thin film and it is -470 ppm in a B containing Sm-Fe thin film.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.23-28
• /
• 1993

Thin films of soft magnetic Fe-Hf-C alloys with nanoscale crystallites were investigated in this study. The films were fabricated by an RF diode magnetron sputtering apparatus and subsequently annealed in vacuum. The soft magnetic properties of the films were observed to differ depending on the different substrates such as Corning 7059, $CaTiO_3$ and $Al_2O_3-TiC$ with various underlayer(Cr, $SiO_2$) thickness. This results may be due to the interdiffusion between the substrate and the magnetic layer and/or between the underlayer and the magnetic layer, rather than the microstructural change such as grain size. The Fe-Hf-C films with high permeability up to 4000(at 1 MHz) and saturation magnetization up to 16 kG were obtained in the vicinity of phase boundary between the crystalline and amorphous state when the size of ${\alpha}-Fe$ grains is about 5 nm. And also the films were found to have thermal stability up to $600^{\circ}C$.

• The Korean Journal of Ceramics
• /
• v.3 no.4
• /
• pp.274-278
• /
• 1997

(Ba, Sr) TiO$_3$(BST) thin films were prepared on RuO$_2$/Si substrates by rf magnetron sputtering and annealing was followed at temperatures ranging from 550 to 80$0^{\circ}C$ in $N_2$or $O_2$atmosphere. The effects of annealing conditions on the properties of BST film deposited on RuO$_2$bottom electrodes were investigated. It was found that the crystallinity. surface roughness, and grain size of BST films vary with the annealing temperature but they are not dependent upon the annealing atmosphere. The flat region in the current-voltage (I-V) curves of BST capacitors shortened with increasing annealing temperature under both atmospheres. This is believed to be due to the lowering of potential barrier caused by unstable interface and the increase of charge The shortening of the flat region by $O_2$annealing was more severe than that by $N_2$-annealing. As a result, there was no flat region when the films were annealed at 700 and 80$0^{\circ}C$ in $O_2$atmosphere. The dielectric properties of BST films were improved by annealing in either atmosphere. however, a degradation with frequency was observed when the films were annealed at relatively high temperature under $O_2$atmosphere.

• The Korean Journal of Ceramics
• /
• v.3 no.4
• /
• pp.263-268
• /
• 1997

RuO$_3$ thin films were deposited on Si(100) substrate at low temperatures by hot-wall metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. Bis(cyclopentadienyl) ruthenium, Ru$(C_5H_5)_2$, was used as the precursor RuO$_2$single phase was obtained at a low deposition temperature of 25$0^{\circ}C$ and the crystallinity of RuO$_2$thin films improved with increasing deposition temperature. RuO$_2$thin films grow perpendicularly to the substrate and show the columnar structure. The grain size of RuO$_2$films drastically increases with increasing the deposition temperature. The resistivity of the 180 nm-thick RuO$_2$thin films deposited at 27$0^{\circ}C$ was 136 $\mu$$\Omega$-cm and increased with decreasing film thickness. SrBi$_2Ta_2O_4$ thin films deposited by rf magnetron sputtering on the RuO$_2$bottom electrodes showed a fatigue-free characteristics up to ~10$^10$ cycles under 5 V bipolar square pulses and the remanent polarization, 2 P$_r$ and the coercive field, 2 E, were 5.2$\mu$C/$\textrm{cm}^2$ and 76.0 kV/cm, respectively, for an applied voltage of 5 V The leakage current density was about 7.0$\times$10$^{-6}$ A/$\textrm{cm}^2$ at 150 kV/cm.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers C
• /
• v.48 no.6
• /
• pp.410-415
• /
• 1999

$Ba_{1-x}Sr_xTiO_3$ thin films with various ratio of Sr (X = 0.4, 0.5, 0.6) were grown $Pt/TiN/SiO_2/Si$ subastrate by RF magnetron sputtering deposition. As, Ag, and Cu films were deposited on $Ba_{1-x}Sr_xTiO_3$ thin films as top electrodes by using a thermal evaporator. The electrical properties of $Ba_{1-x}Sr_xTiO_3$ thin films for various compositions were characterized and the physical properties at interface between $Ba_{1-x}Sr_xTiO_3$ thin films and top electrodes were evaluated in terms of the work function difference. At x =0.5, the degradation of capacitance is lower to the other compositions. As negative biasapplied, the specimen with Cu top electrode has board saturation region and low leakage current since work function of Cu is bigger than other electrodes.$ Ba_{0.5}Sr_{0.5}TiO_3$ thin films with Cu top electrode, the dielectric constant was measured to the value of 354 at 1 kHz and the leakage current was obtained to the value of $5.26\times10^{-6}A/cm2$ at the forward bias of 2 V.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
• /
• 2010.06a
• /
• pp.326-326
• /
• 2010

The dielectric properties of continuous composition spreaded (CCS) $BaTiO_3-SrTiO_3$ (BST) thin filmsgrown at room temperature and annealed at different temperature ($350^{\circ}C$ and $550^{\circ}C$) were investigated. Moreover, electrical properties (leakage current and breakdown voltage) of CCS BST thin films were also investigated. The aluminum top-electrode, sized by $200{\times}200\;{\mu}m2$ and apart from each other by $300\;{\mu}m$, were deposited on the CCS BST thin films by the DC sputtering system. The dielectric properties of the CCS BST thin films were significantly influenced depending on the distance from $BaTiO_3$ and $SrTiO_3$ targets which was attributed to the $BaTiO_3-SrTiO_3$ composition ratio. The maps of dielectric constants and loss tangents were plotted via $1500\;{\mu}m$ - step measuring. The specific points showing the dielectric constant (k: ~300) and loss tangent (tand: ~0.008) at 1 MHz were found.

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