• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.61.2-61.2
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• 2015

In the past decades, green energy, such as solar energy, wind power, hydropower, biomass energy, geothermal energy, and so on, has been widely investigated and developed to solve energy shortage. Recently, organic solar cells have attracted much attention, because they have many advantages, including low-cost, flexibility, light weight, and easy fabrication [1-3]. Organic solar cells are as a potential candidate of the next generation solar cells. In this abstract, to improve the power conversion efficiency and the stability, the inverted polymer solar cells with various structures were developed [4-6]. The novel cell structures included the P3HT:PCBM inverted polymer solar cells with AZO nanorods array, with pentacene-doped active layer, and with extra P3HT interfacial layer and PCBM interfacial layer. These three difference structures could respectively improve the performance of the P3HT:PCBM inverted polymer solar cells. For the inverted polymer solar cells with AZO nanorods array as the electronic transportation layer, by using the nanorod structure, the improvement of carrier collection and carrier extraction capabilities could be expected due to an increase in contact area between the nanorod array and the active layer. For the inverted polymer solar cells with pentacene-doped active layer, the hole-electron mobility in the active layer could be balanced by doping pentacene contents. The active layer with the balanced hole-electron mobility could reduce the carrier recombination in the active layers to enhance the photocurrent of the resulting inverted polymer solar cells. For the inverted polymer solar cells with extra P3HT and PCBM interfacial layers, the extra PCBM and P3HT interfacial layers could respectively improve the electron transport and hole transport. The extra PCBM interfacial layer served another function was that led more P3HT moving to the top side of the absorption layer, which reduced the non-continuous pathways of P3HT. It indicated that the recombination centers could be further reduced in the absorption layer. The extra P3HT interfacial layer could let the hole be more easily transported to the MoO3 hole transport layer. The high performance of the novel P3HT:PCBM inverted polymer solar cells with various structures were obtained.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.61.1-61.1
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• 2015

Nanoscale semiconductor plasma processing has become one of the most challenging issues due to the limits of physicochemical fabrication routes with its inherent complexity. The mission of future and emerging plasma processing for development of next generation semiconductor processing is to achieve the ideal nanostructures without abnormal profiles and damages, such as 3D NAND cell array with ultra-high aspect ratio, cylinder capacitors, shallow trench isolation, and 3D logic devices. In spite of significant contributions of research frontiers, these processes are still unveiled due to their inherent complexity of physicochemical behaviors, and gaps in academic research prevent their predictable simulation. To overcome these issues, a Korean plasma consortium began in 2009 with the principal aim to develop a realistic and ultrafast 3D topography simulator of semiconductor plasma processing coupled with zero-D bulk plasma models. In this work, aspects of this computational tool are introduced. The simulator was composed of a multiple 3D level-set based moving algorithm, zero-D bulk plasma module including pulsed plasma processing, a 3D ballistic transport module, and a surface reaction module. The main rate coefficients in bulk and surface reaction models were extracted by molecular simulations or fitting experimental data from several diagnostic tools in an inductively coupled fluorocarbon plasma system. Furthermore, it is well known that realistic ballistic transport is a simulation bottleneck due to the brute-force computation required. In this work, effective parallel computing using graphics processing units was applied to improve the computational performance drastically, so that computer-aided design of these processes is possible due to drastically reduced computational time. Finally, it is demonstrated that 3D feature profile simulations coupled with bulk plasma models can lead to better understanding of abnormal behaviors, such as necking, bowing, etch stops and twisting during high aspect ratio contact hole etch.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.159-159
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• 2015

A new approach for antimicrobial is based on the overproduction of reactive nitrogen species (RNS), especially; nitric oxide (NO) and peroxinitrite (ONOO-) are important factors to deactivate the bacteria. Recently, non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) has been frequently used in the field of microbial sterilization through the generation of different kinds of RNS/ROS species. However, in previous study we showed APPJ has combine effects ROS/RNS on bacterial sterilization. It is not still clear whether this bacterial killing effect has been done through ROS or RNS. We need to further investigate separate effect of ROS and RNS on bacterial sterilization. Hence, in this work, we have enhanced NO production, especially; by applying a 1% of HNO3 vapour to the N2 based APPJ. In comparison with nitrogen plasma with inclusion of water vapour plasma, it has been shown that nitrogen plasma with inclusion of 1% of HNO3 vapour has higher efficiency in killing the E. coli through the high production of NO. We also investigate the enhancement of NO species both in atmosphere by emission spectrum and inside the solution by ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy. Moreover, qPCR analysis of oxidative stress mRNA shows higher gene expression. It is noted that 1% of HNO3 vapour plasma generates high amount of NO for killing bacteria.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.119-119
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• 2015

Ion beam sputtering has been widely used in Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) for depth profile or surface cleaning. However, mainly due to severe matrix effects such as surface composition change from its original composition and damage of the surface generated by ion beam bombardment, conventional sputtering skills using mono-atomic primary ions with energy ranging from a few hundred to a thousand volts are not sufficient for the practical surface analysis of next-generation organic/inorganic device materials characterization. Therefore, minimization of the surface matrix effects caused by the ion beam sputtering is one of the key factors in surface analysis. In this work, the electronic structure of a $Ta_2O_5$ thin film on $SiO_2/Si$ (100) after Ar Gas Cluster Ion Beam (GCIB) sputtering was investigated using X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and compared with those obtained via mono-atomic Ar ion beam sputtering. The Ar ion sputtering had a great deal of influence on the electronic structure of the oxide thin film. Ar GCIB sputtering without sample rotation also affected the electronic structure of the oxide thin film. However, Ar GCIB sputtering during sample rotation did not exhibit any significant transition of the electronic structure of the $Ta_2O_5$ thin films. Our results showed that Ar GCIB can be useful for potential applications of oxide materials with sample rotation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.76.1-76.1
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• 2015

Optical resonances of metallic or dielectric nanoantennas enable to effectively convert free-propagating electromagnetic waves to localized electromagnetic fields and vice versa. Plasmonic resonances of metal nanoantennas extremely modify the local density of optical states beyond the optical diffraction limit and thus facilitate highly-efficient light-emitting, nonlinear signal conversion, photovoltaics, and optical trapping. The leaky-mode resonances, or termed Mie resonances, allow dielectric nanoantennas to have a compact size even less than the wavelength scale. The dielectric nanoantennas exhibiting low optical losses and supporting both electric and magnetic resonances provide an alternative to their metallic counterparts. To extend the utility of metal and dielectric nanoantennas in further applications, e.g. metasurfaces and metamaterials, it is required to understand and engineer their scattering characteristics. At first, we characterize resonant plasmonic antenna radiations of a single-crystalline Ag nanowire over a wide spectral range from visible to near infrared regions. Dark-field optical microscope and direct far-field scanning measurements successfully identify the FP resonances and mode matching conditions of the antenna radiation, and reveal the mutual relation between the SPP dispersion and the far-field antenna radiation. Secondly, we perform a systematical study on resonant scattering properties of high-refractive-index dielectric nanoantennas. In this research, we examined Si nanoblock and electron-beam induced deposition (EBID) carbonaceous nanorod structures. Scattering spectra of the transverse-electric (TE) and transverse-magnetic (TM) leaky-mode resonances are measured by dark-field microscope spectroscopy. The leaky-mode resonances result a large scattering cross section approaching the theoretical single-channel scattering limit, and their wide tuning ranges enable vivid structural color generation over the full visible spectrum range from blue to green, yellow, and red. In particular, the lowest-order TM01 mode overcomes the diffraction limit. The finite-difference time-domain method and modal dispersion model successfully reproduce the experimental results.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.180-185
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• 2006

Microwatt power level at relatively high voltage(order of volt) was produced by $Bi_{0.5}Sb_{1.5}Te_{3}/Bi_{2}Te_{2.4}Se_{0.6}$ thin film thermoelectric generators, and maximum output power varied with temperature difference in the square-law relation. Output voltage and current were possible to control by changing the way of electrical connection as well as the number of stacking plate-modules. Variation of open circuit voltage and short circuit current with temperature difference showed a linear relationship. There were, however, some differences in variations; open circuit voltage were dependent on the number of plate-module when connected in series, but it was not for parallel connection. On the other hand, short circuit current showed the opposite behavior to the case of open circuit current.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.275-281
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• 2001

We used the discrete-sectional model to analyze the particle growth by coagulation of particles in silane plasma reactor, considering the Gaussian distribution function for particle charges. The effects of process conditions such as monomer size and mass generation rate of monomers on particle growth in plasma reactor were analyzed theoretically/ Based on the Gaussian distribution function of particle charges, the large particles of more than 40 nm in size are almost found to be charged negatively, but some fractions of small, tiny particles are in neutral state or even charged positively. As the particle size and surface area increase with time by particle coagulation, the number of charges per particle increases with time. As the large particles are generated by particle coagulation, the particle size distribution become bimodal. The results of discrete-sectional model for the particle growth in silane plasma reactor were in close agreement with the experimental results by Shiratani et al. [3] for the same plasma conditions. We believe the model equations for the particle charge distribution and coagulation between particles can be applied to understand the nano-sized particle growth in plasma reactor.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.164-175
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• 2009

CFD is used to analyze gas flow characteristics, power absorption, electron temperature, electron density and chemical species profile of an internal antenna type inductively coupled plasma system. An optimized grid generation technology is used for a complex real-scale models for industry. A bare metal antenna shows concentrated power absorption around rf a feeding line. Skin depth of power absorption for a system is modeled to 50 mm, which is reported 53 mm by experiments. For an application of bipolar plates for hydrogen fuel cells, multi-sheet loading ICP nitriding system is proposed using an internal ICP antenna. It shows higher atomic nitrogen density than reported simple pulsed dc nitriding systems. Minimum gap between sheets for uniform nitriding is modeled to be 39 mm.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.110-115
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• 2007

A plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition(PEALD) system has been constructed adopting an inductively coupled plasma(ICP) source with an ALD system, and its plasma generation was carried out. Cobalt thin films were deposited on a p-type Si(100) wafer at $230^{\circ}C$. $Co_{2}(CO)_{6}$ was used as a cobalt precursor, $NH_{3}$ as a reactant, and Ar as a carrier and purge gas. The properties of the thin films were investigated using field emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM) and auger electron spectroscopy(AES). Large amounts of impurities were found in both the ALD film and the PEALD film, however, the amount of impurities in the PEALD film was reduced to about 50 % compared to that in the ALD film. It was found that $NH_{3}$ plasma, very effectively, induces the reaction with carbon in a cobalt precursor.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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• pp.225-225
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• 2013

Nanostructured noble metals have been attractive for their unusual optical properties and are widely utilized for various purposes. The optical properties mainly originating from collective electron oscillation can assist direct energy conversion via surface plasmon resonances. Here, we investigated the effect of surface plasmons of silver nanowires on the generation of hot electrons. It is reported that the surface plasmons of silver nanowires exhibit longitudinal and transverse modes, depending on the aspect ratio of the nanowires. In order to measure the hot electron flow through the metallic nanowires, chemically modified Au/TiO2 Schottky diodes were employed as the electric contact. The silver nanowires were deposited on a Au metal layer via the spray method to control uniformity and the amount of silver nanowire deposited. We measured the hot electron flow generated by photon absorption on the silver nanowires deposited on the Au/TiO2 Schottky diodes. The incident photon-to-current efficiency was measured a function of the photon energy, revealing two polarization modes of siliver nanowires: transverse and longitudinal modes. UV-Vis spectra exhibited two polarization modes, which are also consistent with the photocurrent measurements. Good correlation between the IPCE and UV-vis measurements suggests that hot electron measurement on nanowires on nanodiodes is a useful way to reveal the intrinsic properties of surface plasmons of nanowires.