• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.362-362
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• 2014

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) can be regarded as a special variation of the chemical vapor deposition method for reducing film thickness. ALD is based on sequential self-limiting reactions from the gas phase to produce thin films and over-layers in the nanometer scale with perfect conformality and process controllability. These characteristics make ALD an important film deposition technique for nanoelectronics. Tantalum pentoxide ($Ta_2O_5$) has a number of applications in optics and electronics due to its superior properties, such as thermal and chemical stability, high refractive index (>2.0), low absorption in near-UV to IR regions, and high-k. In particular, the dielectric constant of amorphous $Ta_2O_5$ is typically close to 25. Accordingly, $Ta_2O_5$ has been extensively studied in various electronics such as metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (FET), organic FET, dynamic random access memories (RAM), resistance RAM, etc. In this experiment, the variations of chemical and interfacial state during the growth of $Ta_2O_5$ films on the Si substrate by ALD was investigated using in-situ synchrotron radiation photoemission spectroscopy. A newly synthesized liquid precursor $Ta(N^tBu)(dmamp)_2$ Me was used as the metal precursor, with Ar as a purging gas and $H_2O$ as the oxidant source. The core-level spectra of Si 2p, Ta 4f, and O 1s revealed that Ta suboxide and Si dioxide were formed at the initial stages of $Ta_2O_5$ growth. However, the Ta suboxide states almost disappeared as the ALD cycles progressed. Consequently, the $Ta^{5+}$ state, which corresponds with the stoichiometric $Ta_2O_5$, only appeared after 4.0 cycles. Additionally, tantalum silicide was not detected at the interfacial states between $Ta_2O_5$ and Si. The measured valence band offset value between $Ta_2O_5$ and the Si substrate was 3.08 eV after 2.5 cycles.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.536-542
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• 2018

Tin dioxide, $SnO_2$, is a well-known n-type semiconductor that shows change in resistance in the presence of gas molecules, such as $H_2$, CO, and $CO_2$. Considerable research has been done on $SnO_2$ semiconductors for gas sensor applications due to their noble property. The nanomaterials exhibit a high surface to volume ratio, which means it has an advantage in the sensing of gas molecules. In this study, SnO nanoplatelets were grown densely on Si substrates using a thermal CVD process. The SnO nanostructures grown by the vapor transport method were post annealed to a $SnO_2$ phase by thermal CVD in an oxygen atmosphere at $830^{\circ}C$ and $1030^{\circ}C$. The pressure of the furnace chamber was maintained at 4.2 Torr. The crystallographic properties of the post-annealed SnO nanostructures were investigated by Raman spectroscopy and XRD. The change in morphology was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. As a result, the SnO nanostructures were transformed to a $SnO_2$ phase by a post-annealing process.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2012

In this article, I will introduce recent developments of environmental-friendly materials fabricated using atomic layer deposition (ALD). Advantages of ALD include fine control of the thin film thickness and formation of a homogeneous thin fim on complex-structured three-dimensional substrates. Such advantages of ALD can be exploited for fabricating environmental-friendly materials. Porous membranes such as anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) can be used as a substrate for $TiO_2$ coating with a thickness of about 10 nm, and the $TiO_2$-coated AAO can be used as filter of volatile organic compound such as toluene. The unique structural property of AAO in combination with a high adsorption capacity of amorphous $TiO_2$ can be exploited in this case. $TiO_2$ can be also deposited on nanodiamonds and Ni powder, which can be used as photocatalyst for degradation of toluene, and $CO_2$ reforming of methane catalyst, respectively. One can produce structures, in which the substrates are only partially covered by $TiO_2$ domains, and these structures turns out to be catalytically more active than bare substrates, or complete core-shell structures. We show that the ALD can be widely used not only in the semiconductor industry, but also environmental science.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.89-94
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• 2016

In this study, the crystalline property of a-plane GaN epitaxial layer grown on r-plane sapphire by a HVPE method has been investigated according to the V/III ratio and the growth time of multi-step growth. Furthermore, these results were compared with the previous result obtained from the single-step growth of a-plane GaN on r-plane sapphire substrate. In the multi-step growth for a-plane GaN epitaxial layer on r-plane sapphire, the FWHM values of rocking curve in GaN epitaxial layer were decreased as the HCl source flow rate and the growth time were increased. The void formed in epitaxial layer was continuously decreased as the growth time in first step and second step using a higher HCl flow rate was increased. As a result, the GaN layer obtained with the longest growth time on the first step and second step exhibited the lowest FWHM values of 584 arcsec and the smallest dependence of azimuth angle.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.149-161
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• 2004

The fusion of nano technology and information technology is essential to sustain the present growth rate and to induce new industry in this ever-growing information age. Considering Korean industry whose competitiveness lies heavily on information related technologies, this field will be inevitable for future. Nano materials can be described as novel materials whose size of elemental structure has been engineered at the nanometer scale. Materials in the nanometer size range exhibit fundamentally new behavior, as their size falls below the critical length scale associated with any given property. " Bottom-up' techniques involve manipulating individual atoms and molecules. Bottom-up process usually implies controlled or directed self assembly of atoms and molecules into nano structures. It resembles more closely the processes of biology and chemistry, where atoms and molecules come together to create structures such as crystals or living cells. Nano scale sensors are included in the electronics area since the diverse sensing mechanisms are often housed on a semiconductor substrate and usually give rise to an electronic signal. The application of nano technology to the chemical sensors should allow improvements in functionality such as gas sensing. In this presentation, we will discuss about the nano scale information materials and devices fabricated by using the organic/inorganic nano templates.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.518-522
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• 2008

The miniaturization of device size and multilevel interlayers have been developed by ULSI circuit devices. These submicron processes cause serious problems in conventional metallization due to the solubility of silicon and metal at the interface, such as an increasing contact resistance in the contact hole and interdiffusion between metal and silicon. Therefore it is necessary to implement a barrier layer between Si and metal. Thus, the size of multilevel interconnection of ULSI devices is critical metallization schemes, and it is necessary reduce the RC time delay for device speed performance. So it is tendency to study the Cu metallization for interconnect of semiconductor processes. However, at the submicron process the interaction between Si and Cu is so strong and detrimental to the electrical performance of Si even at temperatures below $200^{\circ}C$. Thus, we suggest the tungsten-carbon-nitrogen (W-C-N) thin film for Cu diffusion barrier characterized by nano scale indentation system. Nano-indentation system was proposed as an in-situ and nanometer-order local stress analysis technique.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.02a
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• pp.229-229
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• 2010

With the scaling down of ultra large integrated circuits (ULSI) to the sub-50 nm technology node, the need for an ultra-thin, continuous and conformal diffusion barrier and Cu seed layer is increasing. However, diffusion barrier and Cu seed layer formation with a physical vapor deposition (PVD) method has become difficult as the technology node is reduced to 30 nm and beyond. Recent work on self-forming barrier processes using PVD Cu alloys have attracted great attention due to the capability of conformal ultra-thin barrier formation using a simple technique. However, as in the case of the conventional barrier and Cu seed layer, PVD of the Cu alloy seed layer will eventually encounter the difficulty in conformal deposition in narrow line trenches and via holes. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) has been known for its good step coverage and precise thickness control, and is a candidate technique for the formation of a thin conformal barrier layer and Cu seed layer. Conformal Cu-Mn seed layers were deposited by plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) at low temperature ($120^{\circ}C$), and the Mn content in the Cu-Mn alloys were controlled form 0 to approximately 10 atomic percent with various Mn precursor feeding times. Resistivity of the Cu-Mn alloy films decreased by annealing due to out-diffusion of Mn atoms. Out-diffused Mn atoms were segregated to the surface of the film and interface between a Cu-Mn alloy and $SiO_2$, resulting in self-formed $MnO_x$ and $MnSi_xO_y$, respectively. No inter-diffusion was observed between Cu and $SiO_2$ after annealing at $500^{\circ}C$ for 12 h, indicating an excellent diffusion barrier property of the $MnSi_xO_y$. The adhesion between Cu and $SiO_2$ was enhanced by the formation of $MnSi_xO_y$. Continuous and conductive Cu-Mn seed layers were deposited with PEALD into 32 nm $SiO_2$ trench, enabling a low temperature process, and the trench was perfectly filled using electrochemical plating (ECD) under conventional conditions. Thus, it is the resultant self-forming barrier process with PEALD Cu-Mn alloy film as a seed layer for plating Cu that has further potential to meet the requirement of the smaller than 30 nm node.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.41-46
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• 2019

In order to develop novel thermal imaging materials for microbolometer applications, $[(Ni_{0.3}Mn_{0.7})_{1-x}Cu_x]_3O_4$ ($0.18{\leq}x{\leq}0.26$) thin films were fabricated using metal-organic decomposition. Effects of Cu content on the electrical properties of the annealed films were investigated. Spinel thin films with a thickness of approximately 100 nm were obtained from the $[(Ni_{0.3}Mn_{0.7})_{1-x}Cu_x]_3O_4$ films annealed at $380^{\circ}C$ for five hours. The resistivity (${\rho}$) of the annealed films was analyzed with respect to the small polaron hopping model. Based on the $Mn^{3+}/Mn^{4+}$ ratio values obtained through x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis, the hopping mechanism between $Mn^{3+}$ and $Mn^{4+}$ cations discussed in the proposed study. The effects of $Cu^+$ and $Cu^{2+}$ cations on the hopping mechanism is also discussed. Obtained results indicate that $[(Ni_{0.3}Mn_{0.7})_{1-x}Cu_x]_3O_4$ thin films with low temperature annealing and superior electrical properties (${\rho}{\leq}54.83{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$, temperature coefficient of resistance > -2.62%/K) can be effectively employed in applications involving complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) integrated microbolometer devices.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.13-19
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• 2021

This study examined the effects of stacking faults on the thermoelectric properties for n-type SiC semiconductors. Porous SiC semiconductors with 30~42 % porosity were fabricated by the heat treatment of pressed ��-SiC powder compacts at 1600~2100 ℃ for 20~120 min in an N2 atmosphere. XRD was performed to examine the stacking faults, lattice strain, and precise lattice parameters of the specimens. The porosity and surface area were analyzed, and SEM, TEM, and HRTEM were carried out to examine the microstructure. The electrical conductivity and the Seebeck coefficient were measured at 550~900 ℃ in an Ar atmosphere. The electrical conductivity increased with increasing heat treatment temperature and time, which might be due to an increase in carrier concentration and improvement in grain-to-grain connectivity. The Seebeck coefficients were negative due to nitrogen behaving as a donor, and their absolute values also increased with increasing heat treatment temperature and time. This might be due to a decrease in stacking fault density, i.e., a decrease in stacking fault density accompanied by grain growth and crystallite growth must have increased the phonon mean free path, enhancing the phonon-drag effect, leading to a larger Seebeck coefficient.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.143-149
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• 2021

In this study, (GaN)_1-x(ZnO)_x solid solution nanoparticles with a high zinc content are prepared by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis and subsequent nitridation. The structure and morphology of the samples are investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The characterization results show a phase transition from the Zn and Ga-based oxides (ZnO or ZnGa₂O₄) to a (GaN)_1-x(ZnO)_x solid solution under an NH3 atmosphere. The effect of the precursor solution concentration and nitridation temperature on the final products are systematically investigated to obtain (GaN)_1-x(ZnO)_x nanoparticles with a high Zn concentration. It is confirmed that the powder synthesized from the solution in which the ratio of Zn and Ga was set to 0.8:0.2, as the initial precursor composition was composed of about 0.8-mole fraction of Zn, similar to the initially set one, through nitriding treatment at 700℃. Besides, the synthesized nanoparticles exhibited the typical XRD pattern of (GaN)_1-x(ZnO)_x, and a strong absorption of visible light with a bandgap energy of approximately 2.78 eV, confirming their potential use as a hydrogen production photocatalyst.