• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• 제5권3호
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• pp.75-82
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• 2017

High efficiency thin film solar cells require an absorber layer with high absorption and low defect, a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) film with high transmittance of over 80% and a high conductivity. Furthermore, light can be captured through the glass substrate and sent to the light absorbing layer to improve the efficiency. In this paper, morphology formation on the surface of glass substrate was investigated by using HF, mainly classified as random etching and periodic etching. We discussed about the etch mechanism, etch rate and hard mask materials, and periodic light trapping structure.

• 반도체디스플레이기술학회지
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.66-69
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• 2017

In this paper, solution based Indium Zinc Oxide thin film transistors (IZO TFTs) were fabricated with PVP gate dielectric. To enhance the electrical properties, UV-O3 treatment is proposed on solution based IZO TFTs. The gate leakage current and interface trap density is compatible with conventional ZnO-based TFT with inorganic gate insulator. Especially, the UV-treated device shows improved electrical characteristics compared to the untreated device. These results can be explained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, which shows that the oxygen vacancy of UV-O3 treatment is higher than that of no treatment.

• 한국재료학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국재료학회 2012년도 춘계학술발표대회
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• pp.65-65
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• 2012

Copper zinc tin sulfide ($Cu_2ZnSnS_4$, CZTS) is a very promising material as a low cost absorber alternative to other chalcopyrite-type semiconductors based on Ga or In because of the abundant and economical elements. In addition, CZTS has a band-gap energy of 1.4~1.5eV and large absorption coefficient over ${\sim}10^4cm^{-1}$, which is similar to those of $Cu(In,Ga)Se_2$(CIGS) regarded as one of the most successful absorber materials for high efficient solar cell. Most previous works on the fabrication of CZTS thin films were based on the vacuum deposition such as thermal evaporation and RF magnetron sputtering. Although the vacuum deposition has been widely adopted, it is quite expensive and complicated. In this regard, the solution processes such as sol-gel method, nanocrystal dispersion and hybrid slurry method have been developed for easy and cost-effective fabrication of CZTS film. Among these methods, the hybrid slurry method is favorable to make high crystalline and dense absorber layer. However, this method has the demerit using the toxic and explosive hydrazine solvent, which has severe limitation for common use. With these considerations, it is highly desirable to develop a robust, easily scalable and relatively safe solution-based process for the fabrication of a high quality CZTS absorber layer. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication of a high quality CZTS absorber layer with a thickness of 1.5~2.0 ${\mu}m$ and micrometer-scaled grains using two different non-vacuum approaches. The first solution-processing approach includes air-stable non-toxic solvent-based inks in which the commercially available precursor nanoparticles are dispersed in ethanol. Our readily achievable air-stable precursor ink, without the involvement of complex particle synthesis, high toxic solvents, or organic additives, facilitates a convenient method to fabricate a high quality CZTS absorber layer with uniform surface composition and across the film depth when annealed at $530^{\circ}C$. The conversion efficiency and fill factor for the non-toxic ink based solar cells are 5.14% and 52.8%, respectively. The other method is based on the nanocrystal dispersions that are a key ingredient in the deposition of thermally annealed absorber layers. We report a facile synthetic method to produce phase-pure CZTS nanocrystals capped with less toxic and more easily removable ligands. The resulting CZTS nanoparticle dispersion enables us to fabricate uniform, crack-free absorber layer onto Mo-coated soda-lime glass at $500^{\circ}C$, which exhibits a robust and reproducible photovoltaic response. Our simple and less-toxic approach for the fabrication of CZTS layer, reported here, will be the first step in realizing the low-cost solution-processed CZTS solar cell with high efficiency.

• 한국재료학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국재료학회 2009년도 춘계학술발표대회
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• pp.16.1-16.1
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• 2009

We have fabricated solution processed oxide semiconductor active layer for thin film transistors (TFTs). The oxide semiconductor layers were prepared by ink-jet printing the sol-gel precursor solution based on doped-ZnO. Inorganic ZnO-based thin films have drawn significant attention as an active channel layer for TFTs applications alternative to conventional Si-based materials and organic semiconducting materials, due to their wide energy band gap, optical transparency, high mobility, and better stability. However, in spite of such excellent device performances, the fabrication methods of ZnO related oxide active layer involve high cost vacuum processes such as sputtering and pulsed laser deposition. Herein we introduced the ink-jet printing technology to prepare the active layers of oxide semiconductor. Stable sol-gel precursor solutions were obtained by controlling the composition of precursor as well as solvents and stabilizers, and their influences on electrical performance of the transistors were demonstrated by measuring electrical parameters such as off-current, on-current, mobility, and threshold voltage. Microstructure and thermal behavior of the doped ZnO films were investigated by SEM, XRD, and TG/DTA. Furthermore, we studied the influence of the ink-jet printing conditions such as substrate temperature and surface treatment on the microstructure of the ink-jet printed active layers and electrical performance. The mobility value of the device with optimized condition was about 0.1-1.0 $cm^2/Vs$ and the on/off current ratio was about $10^6$. Our investigations demonstrate the feasibility of the ink-jet printed oxide TFTs toward successful application to cost-effective and mass-producible displays.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• 제2권3호
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• pp.110-114
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• 2014

We propose a low temperature sol-gel ZnO/Ag nanowire composite thin film to fulfill low temperature and low cost requirements, which are essential criteria in future flexible electronic devices. In this proposed thin film, Ag nanowire plays the role of electrical conduction, and sol-gel ZnO provides a structural medium with a high visible transmittance. Low temperature restriction in the sol-gel fabrication process prevents sufficient oxidation of Zn acetate precursors, which were solved by a post-coating treatment with ultraviolet light irradiation. Composite thin film formation was performed by spin coating methods with a mixed precursor solution or in a sequential manner. We obtained an average visible transmittance larger than 85% and a sheet resistance smaller than $50{\Omega}/sq$. After optimization in a fabricated composite transparent conductive thin film with the thickness around 100 nm. Similar experimental demonstration in a flexible substrate (polyethyleneterephthalate) was successful, which implies a promising application opportunity of this technology.

• 반도체디스플레이기술학회지
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• 제12권2호
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• pp.51-56
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• 2013

Even if transmissions through normal channel between ubiquitous devices and terminal readers are encrypted, any extra sources of information retrieved from encrypting module can be exploited to figure out the key parameters, so called side channel attack. Since side channel attacks are based on statistical methods, making side channel signal weak or complex is the proper solution to prevent the attack. Among many countermeasures, shielding the electromagnetic signal and adding noise to the EM signal were examined by applying different thicknesses of thin films of ferroelectric (BTO) and conductors (copper and gold). As a test vehicle, chip antenna was utilized to see the change in radiation characteristics: return loss and gain. As a result, the ferroelectric BTO showed no recognizable effect on both shielding and adding noise. Cu thin film showed increasing shielding effect with thickness. Nanometer Au exhibited possibility in adding noise by widening of bandwidth and red shifting of resonating frequencies.

• 한국초전도저온공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국초전도저온공학회 2003년도 추계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.27-29
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• 2003

Solution-based MOD-TFA deposition technology of YBCO layers offers a route to low-cost YBCO coated conductors. Since the structures and properties of grown thin film by MOD process are strongly influenced by chemistry of precursor solution, the chemical modification of precursor solution for MOD process are important for improvement of the electrical properties of YBCO films. In this study, the precursor solution for MOD process are modified by chemical additives and solvents. The microstructure and texture of YBCO films grown by chemically modified precursor solution were characterized with SEM/EDS, XRD.

• 한국정보디스플레이학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국정보디스플레이학회 2009년도 9th International Meeting on Information Display
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• pp.1586-1589
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• 2009

We investigated the influence of chemical compositions of gallium and indium cations on the performance of solgel derived amorphous gallium indium zinc oxide (a-GIZO) based thin-film transistors (TFTs). Systematical composition study allows us to understand the solutionprocessed a-GIZO TFTs. Understanding of the compositional influence can be utilized for tailoring the solution processed amorphous oxide TFTs for the specific applications.

• 한국세라믹학회지
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• 제48권6호
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• pp.499-503
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• 2011

Recently, variety of organic and inorganic hybrid materials have recently investigated as alternative routes to SiOC, $SiO_2$ thin film formation at low temperatures for applications in electronic ceramics. Specially, silicon based polymers, such as polycarbosilane, polysilane and polysilazane derivatives have been studied for use in electronic ceramics and have been applied as dielectric or insulating materials. In this study, Polycarbosilane(PCS), which Si-$CH_2$-Si bonds build up the backbone of the polymer, has been investigated as low-k materials using a solution process. After heat treatment at 350$^{\circ}C$ under $N_2$ atmosphere, chemical composition and dielectric constant of the thin film were $SiO_{0.27}C_{1.94}$ and 1.2, respectively. Mechanical property measured using nanoindentor shows 1.37 GPa.

• 한국재료학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국재료학회 2010년도 춘계학술발표대회
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• pp.18.2-18.2
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• 2010

For the past a few years, we have intensively researched the printable inorganic conductors and ZnO-based amorphous oxide semiconductors (AOSs) for thin-film transistors. For printable conductor materials, we have focused on the aqueous Ag and Cu ink which possess a variety of advantages, comparing with the conventional metal inks based on organic solvent system. The aqueous Ag ink was designed to achieve the long-term dispersion stability using a specific polymer which can act as a dispersant and capping agent, and the aqueous Cu ink was carefully formulated to endow the oxidation stability in air and even aqueous solvent system. The both inks were successfully printed onto either polymer or glass substrate, exhibiting the superior conductivity comparable to that of bulk one. For printable ZnO-based AOSs, we have researched the noble way to resolve the critical problem, a high processing-temperature above $400^{\circ}C$, and recently discovered that Ga doping in ZnO-based AOSs promotes the formation of oxide lattice structures with oxygen vacancies at low annealing-temperatures, which is essential for acceptable thin-film transistor performance. The mobility dependence on annealing temperature and AOS composition was analyzed, and the chemical role of Ga are clarified, as are requirements for solution-processed, low-temperature annealed AOSs.