• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.349-355
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• 2000

Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films have been deposited on PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and glass substrates by a do magnetron sputter method of powder target without heat treatments such as substrate heater and post heat treatment. During the sputtering deposition, sputtering parameters such as sputtering power, working pressure, oxygen gas mixture, film thickness and substrate-target distance are important factors for the high quality of ITO thin films. The structural, electrical and optical properties of as-deposited ITO oxide films are investigated by sputtering power, oxygen partial pressure and films thickness among the several sputtering conditions. XRD patterns of ITO films are affected by sputtering power and pressure. As the power and pressure are increased, (411) and (422) peaks of ITO films are grown strongly. Electrical resistivity is also increased, as the sputtering power and pressure are increased. Transmittance of ITO thin films in the visible light ranges is lowered with an increase of sputtering power and film thickness. Reflectance of ITO films in infra-red region is decreased, as the power and pressure is increased.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.579-593
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• 2022

This study examines the surface characteristics, electrical conductivity, electromagnetic wave blocking characteristics, infrared (IR) transmittance, stealth function, thermal characteristics, and moisture characteristics of IR thermal imaging cameras. Nylon film (NFi), nylon fabric (NFa), and 5 types of nylon mesh were selected as the base materials for aluminum sputtering, and aluminum sputtering was performed to study IR thermal imaging, color difference, temperature change, and so on, and the relationship with infrared transmittance was assessed. The electrical conductivity was measured and the aluminum-sputtered nylon film demonstrated 25.6kΩ of surface resistance and high electrical conductivity. In addition, the electromagnetic wave shielding characteristics of the sputtering-treated nylon film samples were noticeably increased as a result of aluminum sputtering treatment as measured by the electromagnetic wave blocking characteristics. When NFi and NFa samples with single-sided sputtering were placed on the human body (sputtering layer faced the outside air) and imaged using IR thermographic cameras, the sputtering layer displayed a color similar to the surroundings, showing a stealth effect. Moreover, the tighter the sample density, the better the stealth function. According to the L, a, b measurements, when the sputtering layer of NFi and NFa samples faced the outside air, the value of a was generally high, thereby demonstrating a concealing effect, and the △E value was also high at 124.2 and 93.9, revealing a significant difference between the treated and untreated samples. This research may be applicable to various fields, such as the military wear, conductive sensors, electromagnetic wave shielding film, and others.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.02a
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• pp.100-101
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• 2012

The plasma damage free and room temperature processedthin film deposition technology is essential for realization of various next generation organic microelectronic devices such as flexible AMOLED display, flexible OLED lighting, and organic photovoltaic cells because characteristics of fragile organic materials in the plasma process and low glass transition temperatures (Tg) of polymer substrate. In case of directly deposition of metal oxide thin films (including transparent conductive oxide (TCO) and amorphous oxide semiconductor (AOS)) on the organic layers, plasma damages against to the organic materials is fatal. This damage is believed to be originated mainly from high energy energetic particles during the sputtering process such as negative oxygen ions, reflected neutrals by reflection of plasma background gas at the target surface, sputtered atoms, bulk plasma ions, and secondary electrons. To solve this problem, we developed the NBAS (Neutral Beam Assisted Sputtering) process as a plasma damage free and room temperature processed sputtering technology. As a result, electro-optical properties of NBAS processed ITO thin film showed resistivity of $4.0{\times}10^{-4}{\Omega}{\cdot}m$ and high transmittance (>90% at 550 nm) with nano- crystalline structure at room temperature process. Furthermore, in the experiment result of directly deposition of TCO top anode on the inverted structure OLED cell, it is verified that NBAS TCO deposition process does not damages to the underlying organic layers. In case of deposition of transparent conductive oxide (TCO) thin film on the plastic polymer substrate, the room temperature processed sputtering coating of high quality TCO thin film is required. During the sputtering process with higher density plasma, the energetic particles contribute self supplying of activation & crystallization energy without any additional heating and post-annealing and forminga high quality TCO thin film. However, negative oxygen ions which generated from sputteringtarget surface by electron attachment are accelerated to high energy by induced cathode self-bias. Thus the high energy negative oxygen ions can lead to critical physical bombardment damages to forming oxide thin film and this effect does not recover in room temperature process without post thermal annealing. To salve the inherent limitation of plasma sputtering, we have been developed the Magnetic Field Shielded Sputtering (MFSS) process as the high quality oxide thin film deposition process at room temperature. The MFSS process is effectively eliminate or suppress the negative oxygen ions bombardment damage by the plasma limiter which composed permanent magnet array. As a result, electro-optical properties of MFSS processed ITO thin film (resistivity $3.9{\times}10^{-4}{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$, transmittance 95% at 550 nm) have approachedthose of a high temperature DC magnetron sputtering (DMS) ITO thin film were. Also, AOS (a-IGZO) TFTs fabricated by MFSS process without higher temperature post annealing showed very comparable electrical performance with those by DMS process with $400^{\circ}C$ post annealing. They are important to note that the bombardment of a negative oxygen ion which is accelerated by dc self-bias during rf sputtering could degrade the electrical performance of ITO electrodes and a-IGZO TFTs. Finally, we found that reduction of damage from the high energy negative oxygen ions bombardment drives improvement of crystalline structure in the ITO thin film and suppression of the sub-gab states in a-IGZO semiconductor thin film. For realization of organic flexible electronic devices based on plastic substrates, gas barrier coatings are required to prevent the permeation of water and oxygen because organic materials are highly susceptible to water and oxygen. In particular, high efficiency flexible AMOLEDs needs an extremely low water vapor transition rate (WVTR) of $1{\times}10^{-6}gm^{-2}day^{-1}$. The key factor in high quality inorganic gas barrier formation for achieving the very low WVTR required (under ${\sim}10^{-6}gm^{-2}day^{-1}$) is the suppression of nano-sized defect sites and gas diffusion pathways among the grain boundaries. For formation of high quality single inorganic gas barrier layer, we developed high density nano-structured Al2O3 single gas barrier layer usinga NBAS process. The NBAS process can continuously change crystalline structures from an amorphous phase to a nano- crystalline phase with various grain sizes in a single inorganic thin film. As a result, the water vapor transmission rates (WVTR) of the NBAS processed $Al_2O_3$ gas barrier film have improved order of magnitude compared with that of conventional $Al_2O_3$ layers made by the RF magnetron sputteringprocess under the same sputtering conditions; the WVTR of the NBAS processed $Al_2O_3$ gas barrier film was about $5{\times}10^{-6}g/m^2/day$ by just single layer.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.08a
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• pp.218-218
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• 2011

The CIGS Solar Cells have the highest conversion efficiency in the film-type solar cells. They consist of p-type CuInSe2 film and n-type ZnO film. The CdS films are used as buffer layer in the CIGS solar cells since remarkable difference in the lattice constant and energy band gap of two films. The CdS films are toxic and make harmful circumstances. The CdS films deposition process need wet process. In this works, we design and make the hitter and lamp reflection part in the sputtering system for the ZnS films deposition as buffer layer, not using wet process. Film thickness, SEM, and AFM are measured for the uniformity valuation of the ZnS films. We conclude the optimum deposition temperature for the films uniformity less than 1.6%. The ZnS films deposited by the sputtering system are more dense and uniform than the CdS films deposited by the Chemical Bath Deposition Method(CBD) for the CIGS Solar Cells.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.11 no.8
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• pp.601-606
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• 1998

ZnO thin film had been deposited on the glass by sputtering method, and the electrical and structural properties were investigated. When the rf power was 180W and sputtering was 10 m Torr at room temperature, Al-doped ZnO thin film had the lowest resistivity(1$\times10^{-4}\Omega\cdot{cm}$) and then carrier concentration and Hall mobility were $6.27\times10^{20} cm^{-3} and 22.04 cm^2/V\cdot$s, respectively. The undoped ZnO thin film had about 10$\times10^{14}\Omega\cdot cm$ resistivity when oxygen content was 10% or more at room temperature. When the oxygen content was 50% and below and sputtering pressure was 1.0$\times$1.0 \ulcorner Torr, the surface morphology of thin film observed by SEM was overall uniform.

• Journal of Ceramic Processing Research
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• v.13 no.spc2
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• pp.403-406
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• 2012

Effect of thickness on ZnO properties including the compositional ratio and crystallinity has been systematically investigated using a variety of characterization tools of x-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, x-ray fluorescence and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Interestingly, it was observed that ZnO films below 80 nm in thickness were in oxygen deficiency, while the oxygen ratio was increased in the films above the thickness, although the compositional ratio of ZnO film was not linearly varied with increasing film thickness. Also, ZnO crystallinity, which is characterized by (002) diffraction pattern, was clearly improved with increasing film thickness. The properties of ZnO film with different sputtering time and the nature of direct current reactive sputtering process were discussed in terms of compositional ratio, especially oxygen ratio in ZnO film.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.272-277
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• 2010

We investigated the life time characteristics of OLED device with aluminium oxide ($AlO_x$) passivation film on glass substrate and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate by RF magnetron sputtering for the transparent barrier film applied to flexible OLED device. Basic buffer layer was determined as $Alq_3$(500 nm)-LiF(300 nm)-Al(1200 nm), and the most suitable aluminium oxide ($AlO_x$) film have been formed when the partial volume ratio of oxygen was 20% and the sputtering power was 100 watt and the minimum thickness of buffer was $2\;{\mu}m$. $AlO_x$/epoxy hybrid film was also used as a effective passivation layer for the purpose of improving life time characteristics of OLED devices with the glass substrate and the plastic substrate. Besides, the simultaneous deposition of $AlO_x$/epoxy film on back side of PET could result in better improvement of life time.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.29-33
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• 2010

Recently, the growth of ZnO thin film on glass substrate has been investigated extensively for transparent thin film transistor. We have studied the phase transition of ZnO thin films from metal to semiconductor by changing RF power in the deposition process by RF magnetron sputtering system. The structural, electric, and optical properties of the ZnO thin films were investigated. The film deposited with 75 watt of RF power showed n-type semiconductor characteristic having suitable resistivity $-3.56\;{\times}\;10^{+1}\;{\Omega}cm$, carrier concentration $-2.8\;{\times}\;10^{17}\;cm^{-3}$, and mobility $-0.613\;cm^2V^{-1}s^{-1}$ while other films by 25, 50, 100 watt of RF power closed to metallic films. From the surface analysis (AFM), the number of crystal grain of ZnO thin film increased as RF power increased. The transmittance of the film was over 88% in the visible region regardless of the change in RF power.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.93-99
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• 1996

In this work BN thin films were deposited on Si substrate by R. F. sputtering method at $200^{\circ}C$ and in Ar + $N_2$ mixed gas atmosphere. In order to investigate the effect of ion bombardment on substrate for c-BN bonding, substrate bias voltage was applied. The optimum substrate bias voltage for c-BN bonding was determined by FTIR analysis on specimens which were deposited with various bias voltages. Then BN thin film was deposited with this optimum condition and its phase, morphology, chemical composition, and refractive index were compared with those of BN film which was deposited without bias voltage. FTIR results showed that BN films deposited with substrate bias voltage were composed of mixed phases of c-BN and h-BN, while those deposited without bias voltage were h-BN only. When pure Ar gas was used for sputtering gas, BN films were delaminated easily from substrate in air, while when 10% $N_2$ gas was added to the sputtering gas, although c-BN specific infrared peak was reduced, delamination did not occur. GXRD and TEM results showed that BN films were amorphous phases regardless of substrate bias voltage, and AES results showed that the chemical compositions of B/N were about 1.7~1.8. The refractive index of BN film deposited with bias voltage was higher than that without bias voltage. The reason is believed to be the existence of c-BN bonding in BN film and the higher density of film that deposited with the substrate bias voltage.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.629-635
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• 2010

Abstract In this study characteristics of Al-doped ZnO thin film by HIPIMS (High power impulse sputtering) are discussed. Deposition speed of HIPIMS with conventional balanced magnetic field is measured at about 3 nm/min, which is 30% of that of conventional RF sputtering process with the same working pressure. To generate additional magnetic flux and increase sputtering speed, electromagnetic coil is mounted at the back side of target. Under unbalanced magnetic flux from electromagnet with 1.5A coil current, deposition speed of AZO thin film is increased from 3 nm/min to 4.4 nm/min. This new value originates from the decline of particles near target surface due to the local magnetic flux going toward substrate from electromagnet. AZO film sputtered by HIPIMS process shows very smooth and dense film surface for which surface roughness is measured from 0.4 nm to 1 nm. There are no voids or defects in morphology of AZO films with varying of magnetic field. When coil current is increased from 0A to 1A, transmittance of AZO thin film decreases from 80% to 77%. Specific resistance is measured at about $2.9{\times}10-2\Omega{\cdot}cm$. AZO film shows C-axis oriented structure and its grain size is calculated at about 5.3 nm, which is lower than grain size in conventional sputtering.