• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.1-4
• /
• 2019

Reactive sputtering is widely used because of its high deposition rate and high step coverage. The deposition layer is often affected by target poisoning because the target conditions are changed, as well, by reactive gases during the initial stage of sputtering process. The reactive gas affects the deposition rate and process stability (target poisoning), and it also leads unintended oxide interlayer formation. Although the target poisoning mechanism has been well known, little attention has been paid on understanding the interlayer formation during the reactive sputtering. In this research, we studied the interlayer formation during the reactive sputtering. A DC magnetron sputtering process is carried out to deposit an aluminum oxide film on a silicon wafer. From the real-time process monitoring and material analysis, the target poisoning phenomena changes the reactive gas balance at the initial stage, and affects the interlayer formation during the reactive sputtering process.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
• /
• 2007.06a
• /
• pp.379-380
• /
• 2007

The characteristics of a co-sputtered indium zinc tin oxide (IZTO) films prepared by dual target dc magnetron sputtering from IZO and ITO targets at a room temperature are investigated. Film properties, such as sheet resistance, optical transmittance, surface work function and surface roughness were examined as a function of ITO dc power at constant IZO dc power of 100 W. It was shown that the increase of the ITO dc power during co-sputtering of ITO and IZO target resulted in an increase of sheet resistance of the IZTO films. This can be attributed to high resistivity of ITO film prepared at room temperature. Surface smoothness and roughness were investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The synchrotron x-ray scattering results obtained from IZTO film with different ITO contents showed that introduction of ITO atoms into amorphous IZO film resulted in a crystallization of IZTO film with (222) preferred orientation due to low alc transition temperature of ITO film. However, the transmittance of the IZTO films with thickness of 150 nm is between 80 and 85 % at wavelength of 550 nm regardless of ITO content. Possible mechanism to explain the ITO and IZO co-sputtering effect on properties of IZTO is suggested.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.247-251
• /
• 2016

Au/PDMS membranes are widely used to fabricate strain sensors which can detect input signals. An interfacial adhesion between metal films and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates is one of the important factors determining the performance of strain sensors, in terms of robustness, reliability, and sensitivity. Here, we fabricate Au/PDMS membranes with (3-mercaptopropyl) trimethoxysilane (MPTMS) treatment. PDMS membranes were fabricated by spin-coating and the thickness was controlled by varying the spin rates. Au electrodes were deposited on the PDMS membrane by metal sputtering and the thickness was controlled by varying sputtering time. Owing to the MPTMS treatment, the interfacial adhesion between the Au electrode and the PDMS membrane was strengthened and the membrane was highly transparent. The Au electrode, fabricated with a sputtering time of 50 s, had the highest gauge factor at a maximum strain of ~0.7%, and the Au electrode fabricated with a sputtering time of 60 s had the maximum strain range among sputtering times of 50, 60, and 120 s. Our technique of using Au/PDMS with MPTMS treatment could be applied to the fabrication of strain sensors.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
• /
• v.39 no.6
• /
• pp.268-275
• /
• 2006

In this study, effect of sputtering on the plasma-nitriding substrate and before PVD coating on the microstucture, microhardness, surface roughness and the adhesion strength of CrZrN thin films were investigated. Experimental results showed that this sputtering process not only removed surface compound layer which formed during a plasma nitriding process but also induced an alteration of the surface of plasma nitrided substrate in terms of microhardness distribution, surface roughness. This in turn affected the adhesion strength of PVD coatings. After sputtering, microhardness distribution showed general decrease and the surface roughness became increased slightly. The critical shear stress measured from the scratch test on the CrZrN coatings showed an approximately 1.4 times increase in the adhesion strength through the sputtering prior to the coating and this could be attributed to a complete removal of compound layer from the plasma nitrided surface and to an increase in the surface roughness after sputtering.

• Applied Science and Convergence Technology
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.1-4
• /
• 2018

A sputtering-assisted magnetic field system was successfully developed for depositing crystalline Cu thin films at room temperature. This system employs a plasma source and an ion-beam gun with two magnetic field generators, which is covered with sputtering target and the ion-beam gun, simultaneously serving as sputtering plasma and a magnetic field generator. The formation of crystalline Cu thin films at room temperature was dominated by magnetic fields, which was revealed by preliminary experiments. This system can be employed for producing crystalline metal thin films at room temperature.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
• /
• v.14 no.6
• /
• pp.277-280
• /
• 2004

p-ZnO films have been grown on (0001) sapphire substrates by RF-DC magnetron co-sputtering. The p-ZnO single crystalline thin films of the thickness about 120 nm were grown successfully. The dopant (Aluminum) was sputtered simultaneously from Al metal target by DC sputtering during rf-magnetron sputtering of ZnO at the substrate temperatures of $400^{\circ}C$ and $600^{\circ}C$ respectively. The crystallinity and optical properties of as-grown P-ZnO films have been characterized.

• Applied Science and Convergence Technology
• /
• v.25 no.6
• /
• pp.128-132
• /
• 2016

We investigated the effect of Ar ion sputtering on the surface electronic structure of indium tin oxide (ITO) using X-ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS and UPS) measurements with increasing Ar ion sputtering time. XPS measurements revealed that surface contamination on ITO was rapidly removed by Ar ion sputtering for 10 s. UPS measurements showed that the work function of ITO increased by 0.2 eV after Ar ion sputtering for 10 s. This increase in work function was attributed to the removal of surface contamination, which formed a positive interface dipole relative to the ITO substrate. However, further Ar ion sputtering did not change the work function of ITO although the surface stoichiometry of ITO did change. Therefore, removing the surface contamination is critical for increasing the work function of ITO, and Ar ion sputtering for a short time (about 10 s) can efficiently remove surface contamination.

• Journal of Information Display
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.5-10
• /
• 2007

Twin target sputtering (TTS) system with a configuration of vertically parallel facing Al targets and a substrate holder perpendicular to the Al target plane has been designed to realize a direct Al cathode sputtering on organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). The TTS system has a linear twin target gun with ladder type magnet array for effective and uniform confinement of high density plasma. It is shown that OLEDs with Al cathode deposited by the TTS show a relatvely lower leakage current density $({\sim}1{\times}10^{-5}mA/cm^2)$ at reverse bias of -6V, compared to that ($1{\times}10^{-2}{\sim}10^{-3}$ $mA/cm^2$ at -6V) of OLEDs with Al cathodes grown by conventional DC magnetron sputtering. In addition, it was found that Al cathode films prepared by TTS were amorphous structure with nanocrystallines due to low substrate temperature. This demonstrates that there is no plasma damage caused by the bombardment of energetic particles. This indicates that the TTS system with ladder type magnet array could be useful plasma damage free deposition technique for direct Al cathode sputtering on OLEDs or flexible OLEDs.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.126-130
• /
• 2011

In this study, off-axis magnetron sputtering was used for the crystallized ITO thin films at a low temperature of about $120^{\circ}C$ instead of the conventional RF sputtering because the off-axis sputtering can avoid the damage for the plasma as well as fabrication of thin films with a high quality. The ITO thin films grown on PET substrate at $120^{\circ}C$ were crystallized with a (222) preferred orientation. 58-nm thick ITO films showed a resistivity of about $2{\times}10-4{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$ and a transmittance of about 75% at a wavelength of 550 nm. The transmittance of the ITO thin films by an insertion of SiO2 thin films on ITO films was improved.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.41-45
• /
• 2013

IGZO transparent conductive thin films were widely used as transparent electrode of optoelectronic devices. We have studied the optical and electrical properties of IGZO thin films. The IGZO thin films were deposited on the corning 1737 glass by RF magnetron sputtering method. The RF power in sputtering process was varied as 25, 50, 75and 100 W, respectively. All of the thin films transmittance in the visible range was above 85%. XRD analysis showed that amorphous structure of the thin films without any peak. The thin films were electrically characterized by high mobility above $13.4cm^2/V{\cdot}s$, $7.0{\times}10^{19}cm^{-3}$ high carrier concentration and $6{\times}10^{-3}{\Omega}-cm$ low resistivity. By the studies we found that IGZO transparent thin film can be used as transparent electrodes in electronic devices.