• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.02a
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• pp.328-328
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• 2011

Wetting phenomena have been heavily studied for industrial and academic researches especially tuning the wettability between hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity. Wicking through the surface texture is shown on superhydrophilic surface while rolling (or dewetting) on the patterns of superhydrophobic surface. These wetting phenomena are known to be affected by surface wettability determined with physical surface patterns as well as chemical composition of surface layer. In this research, we introduce a method to control the wettability of a thin C-SiOx film from hydrophobic to hydrophilic using a mixture gas of HMDSO/$O_2$ by plasma polymerization with rf-CVD (radio frequency-Chemical Vapor Deposition). Wettability was finely controlled by changing the ratio of HMDSO/$O_2$. Hydrophilicity increased as the ratio decreased, while hydrophobicity was enhanced by the ratio. Moreover, fine control from superhydrophilicity to superhydrophobicity was achieved by C-SiOx coating on the Si wafer with prepatterns of submicron-sized pillar array formed by $CF_4$ plasma etching.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.171-178
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• 2017

Recently, layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly has emerged as a promising fabrication technique in controlling surface wetting properties. LbL assembly technique is eco-friendly versatile technique to control the hierarchical structure and surface properties in nano- and micro-scale by employing a variety of materials (e.g., polymers, surfactants, nanoparticles, etc.). This article reviews recent progress in controlling the surface wetting using LbL technique. In particular, technical trends and research findings on fabrication and the applications of superhydrophobic, superhydrophilc, and superoleophobic/superhydrophilic LbL surfaces are extensively explained. Additionally, basic principles and fabrication methods in emerging areas such as omniphobic, self-healing, intelligent and responsive LbL surfaces are discussed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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• pp.97-97
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• 2013

The exterior structures of natural organisms have continuously evolved by controlling wettability, such as the Namib Desert beetle, whose back has hydrophilic/hydrophobic contrast for water harvesting by mist condensation in dry desert environments, and some plant leaves that have hierarchical micro/nanostructures to collect or repel liquid water. In this work, we have provided a method for wettability contrast on metals by both nano-flake or needle patterns and tuning of the surface energy. Metals including steel alloys and aluminum were provided with hierarchical micro/nanostructures of metaloxides induced by fluorination and a subsequent catalytic reaction of fluorine ions on metal surfaces in water with various ranges from room to boiling temperature of water. Then, a hydrophobic material was deposited on the structured surfaces, rendering superhydrophobicity. Plasma oxidization induces the formation of superhydrophilic surfaces on selective regions surrounded by superhydrophobic surfaces. We show that wettability contrast surfaces align liquid water within patterned hydrophilic regions during the condensation process. Furthermore, this method could have a greater potential to align other liquids or living cells.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.11
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• pp.3991-3995
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• 2011

$TiO_2-SiO_2-In_2O_3$ nanocomposite thin film was deposited on the glass substrates using a dip coating technique. The morphology, surface composition, surface hydroxyl groups, photocatalytic activity and hydrophilic properties of the thin film were investigated by AFM, XPS, methyl orange decoloring rate and water contact angle measurements. The hydroxyl content for $TiO_2$, $TiO_2-SiO_2$ and $TiO_2-SiO_2-In_2O_3$ nanocomposite films was calculated to be 11.6, 17.1 and 20.7%, respectively. $TiO_2-SiO_2-In_2O_3$ film turned superhydrophilic after 180-min irradiation with respect to pure $TiO_2$ and $TiO_2-SiO_2$ thin films. The photocatalytic decomposition of methyl orange for $TiO_2$, $TiO_2-SiO_2$ and $TiO_2-SiO_2-In_2O_3$ thin films was measured as 38.19, 58.71 and 68.02%, respectively. The results indicated that $SiO_2$ and $In_2O_3$ had a significant effect on the hydrophilic, photocatalytic and self-cleaning properties of $TiO_2$ thin film.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.02a
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• pp.100-100
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• 2010

Hydrophilic $TiO_2$ films were deposited on slide glasses using titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) as a precursor by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The temperature of substrate was $400^{\circ}C$ and the temperatures of precursor were kept at $75^{\circ}C$ (sample A) and $60^{\circ}C$ (sample B) during the $TiO_2$ film growth. The deposited $TiO_2$ films were characterized by contact angle measurement and uv/vis spectroscopy. The result show that sample B has very low contact angle of almost zero due to superhydrophilic $TiO_2$ surface and transmittance is $76.85%{\pm}1.47%$ at the range of 400 - 700 nm. So, this condition is very optimal for hydrophilic $TiO_2$ film deposition. However, when the temperature of precursor is lower is lower than $50^{\circ}C$ or higher than $75^{\circ}C$, $TiO_2$ could not be deposited on the substrate and cloudy $TiO_2$ film was formed due to low precursor temperature and the increase of surface roughness, respectively.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.08a
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• pp.122-122
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• 2012

The exterior structures of natural organisms have continuously evolved by controlling wettability, such as the Namib Desert beetle, whose back has hydrophilic/hydrophobic contrast for water harvesting by mist condensation in dry desert environments, and some plant leaves that have hierarchical micro/nanostructures to collect or repel liquid water. In this work, we have provided a method for wettability contrast on metals by both nano-flake or needle patterns and tuning of the surface energy. Metals including steel alloys and aluminum were provided with hierarchical micro/nanostructures of metaloxides induced by fluorination and a subsequent catalytic reaction of fluorine ions on metal surfaces in water with various ranges from room to boiling temperature of water. Then, a hydrophobic material was deposited on the structured surfaces, rendering superhydrophobicity. Plasma oxidization induces the formation of superhydrophilic surfaces on selective regions surrounded by superhydrophobic surfaces. We show that wettability contrast surfaces align liquid water within patterned hydrophilic regions during the condensation process. Furthermore, this method could have a greater potential to align other liquids or living cells.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.399-407
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• 2023

This study investigated the formation of oxide films on 6061 aluminum (Al) alloy and their impacts on corrosion resistance efficiency by regulating anodization voltage. Despite advantageous properties inherent to Al alloys, their susceptibility to corrosion remains a significant limitation. Thus, enhancing corrosion resistance through developing protective oxide films on alloy surfaces is paramount. The first anodization was performed for 6 h with an applied voltage of 30, 50, or 70 V on the 6061 Al alloy. The second anodization was performed for 0.5 h by applying 40 V after removing the existing oxide film. Resulting oxide film's shape and roughness were analyzed using field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Wettability and corrosion resistance were compared before and after a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) using an FDTS (1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-Perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane) solution. As the first anodization voltage increased, the final oxide film's thickness and pore diameter also increased, resulting in higher surface roughness. Consequently, all samples exhibited superhydrophilic behavior before coating. However, contact angle after coating increased as the first anodization voltage increased. Notably, the sample anodized at 70 V with superhydrophobic characteristics after coating demonstrated the highest corrosion resistance performance.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.02a
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• pp.320-320
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• 2011

We describe fabrication of superhydrophobic surface on non-woven fabric (NWF) having nano-hairy structures and a hydrophobic surface coating. Oxygen plasma was irradiated on NWF for nano-texuring and a precursor of HMDSO (Hexamethydisiloxane) was introduced as a surface chemical modification for obtaining superhydrophobicity using 13.56 MHz radio frequency-Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (rf-PECVD). O2 plasma treatment time was varied from 1 min to 60 min at a bias voltage of 400V, which fabricated pillar-like structures with diameter of 30 nm and height of 150 nm on NWF. Subsequently, hydrophobic coating using hexamethyldisiloxane vapor was deposited with 10 nm thickness on NWF substrate at a bias voltage of 400 V. We evaluate superhydrophobicity of the modified NWF with sessile drop using goniometer and high speed camera, in which aspect ratio of nanohairy structures, contact angle and contact angle hysteresis of the surfaces were measured. With the increase of aspect ratio, the wetting angle increased from $103^{\circ}$ to $163^{\circ}$, and the contact angle hysteresis decreased dramatically below $5^{\circ}$. In addition, we had conducted experiment for nucleation and condensation of water via E-SEM. During increasing vapor pressure inside E-SEM from 3.7 Torr to over 6 Torr which is beyond saturation point at $2^{\circ}C$, we observed condensation of water droplet on the superhydropobic NWF. While the condensation of water on oxygen plasma treated NWF (superhydrophilic) occurred easily and rapidly, superhydrophobic NWF which was fabricated by oxygen and HMDSO was hardly wet even under supersaturation condition. From the result of wetting experiment and water condensation via E-SEM, it is confirmed that superhydrophobic NWF shows the grate water repellent abilities.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.525-535
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• 2017

In order to produce hydrophilic coating solution, which has superior antifogging and antifouling effect on the glass surface of solar cell module as well as improving photovoltaic efficiency, nanosilica was dispersed in an aqueous solution of Tween 20 and fluorosurfactant composed of decafluorobutane and polyethylene glycol. The antifogging effect at high temperature was excellent for all the coating solutions containing nanosilica, but the antifouling effect was observed when the content of nanosilica was over 6 wt%. As the content of fluorosurfactant increased, the initial water contact angle slightly increased and the antifogging effect remained well until 500 wiping with wet $Wipeol^{(R)}$. The antifouling effect was also excellent regardless of the content of fluorosurfactant, thus 0.1 wt% of the fluorosurfactant was enough for a coating solution production. From the AFM results, when 0.1 wt% to 0.3 wt% of the fluoro surfactant was added, the fractal structure of the coated glass surface was clearly existed and contributed to the better antifouling effect. The transmittance of coated glass surface was highest in TL-1 coating solution containing 0.1 wt% of fluorosurfactant, and the addition of fluorosurfactant in a larger amount than 0.1 wt% did not improve the transmittance. This result is in good agreement with the previous AFM result which shows a high surface roughness as well as a fractal structure formation for the TL-1 coating solution.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.267-271
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• 2010

Super hydrophilic and high transparent $TiO_2$ thin films were successfully fabricated by sol-gel method without an irradiation of UV light. In addition, surfactant Tween 80 was used for increasing the transmittance of the thin films. When the contents of Tween 80 in $TiO_2$ solution were 0.0, 1.0, 3.0, 5.0 wt%, the transmittance of $TiO_2$ thin films was ca. 74.31%, 74.25%, 79.69%, 81.99% at 550 nm wavelength, respectively. The contact angles of fabricated $TiO_2$ thin films with or without Tween 80 were from ca. $4.0^{\circ}$ to $4.5^{\circ}$. The $TiO_2$ thin films annealed over $400^{\circ}C$ showed anatase crystal structure and the photocatalytic property that decomposed methyl orange with UV irradiation. The surface morphologies, optical properties and contact angle of prepared thin films with different contents of Tween 80 were evaluated by field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), X-ray diffratometer (XRD), UV-Vis spectrophotometer and contact angle meter.