• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.149-154
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• 2017

Transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) were fabricated using solution-based ITO (Sn-doped $In_2O_3$) nanoinks with nanorods at an annealing temperature of $200^{\circ}C$. In order to optimize their transparent conducting performance, ITO nanoinks were composed of ITO nanoparticles alone and the weight ratios of the nanorods to nanoparticles in the ITO nanoinks were adjusted to 0.1, 0.2, and 0.5. As a result, compared to the other TCOs, the ITO TCOs formed by the ITO nanoinks with weight ratio of 0.1 were found to exhibit outstanding transparent conducting performance in terms of sheet resistance (${\sim}102.3{\Omega}/square$) and optical transmittance (~80.2 %) at 550 nm; these excellent properties are due to the enhanced Hall mobility induced by the interconnection of the composite nanorods with the (440) planes of the short lattice distance in the TCOs, in which the presence of the nanorods can serve as a conducting pathway for electrons. Therefore, this resulting material can be proposed as a potential candidate for solution-based TCOs for use in optoelectronic devices requiring large-scale and low-cost processes.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.289-293
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• 2013

We have studied structural, optical, and electrical properties of the Ga-doped ZnO (GZO) thin films being usable in transparent conducting oxides. The GZO thin films were deposited on the corning 1737 glass plate by the RF magnetron sputtering system. To find optimal properties of GZO for transparent conducting oxides, the Ar gas in sputtering process was varied as 40, 60, 80 and 100 sccm, respectively. As reaction gas decreased, the crystallinity of GZO thin film was increased, the optical bandgap of GZO thin film increased. The transmittance of the film was over 80% in the visible light range regardless of the changes in reaction gas. The measurement of Hall effect characterizes the whole thin film as n-type, and the electrical property was improved with decreasing reaction gas. The structural, optical, and electrical properties of the GZO thin films were affected by Ga dopant content in GZO thin film.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.177-181
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• 2011

We have studied structural, optical, and electrical properties of the Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films being usable in transparent conducting oxides. The AZO thin films were deposited on the corning 1737 glass plate by the RF magnetron sputtering system. To find optimal properties of AZO for transparent conducting oxides, the RF power in sputtering process was varied as 40 W, 60 W, and 80 W, respectively. As RF power increased, the crystallinity of AZO thin film was decreased, the optical bandgap of AZO thin film increased. The transmittance of the film was over 80% in the visible light range regardless of the changes in RF power. The measurement of Hall effect characterizes the whole thin film as n-type, and the electrical property was improved with increasing RF power. The structural, optical, and electrical properties of the AZO thin films were affected by Al dopant content in AZO thin film.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.965-970
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• 1994

ZnO transparent conducting oxide thin films have been prepared by Pyrosol deposition method and the effects of the different experimental variables on the electrical resistivity and optical transmittance of the prepared films have been investigated in details. The best film with a resistivity of about 8 X 10S0-2TΩcm and transmittance about 80% has been obtained at the substrate temperature of 4$25^{\circ}C$ by using HS12T+CHS13TOH(1:3) solvent and NS12T carrier gas after annealing at 20$0^{\circ}C$ for 40 minutes in vacuum. Furthermore, We have also found the effect of substrate temperature on crystallographic orientation and surface morphology. Annealing of the as-deposited film in vacuum leads to a substantial reduction in resistivity without affecting the optical transmittance and crystallographic orientation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.02a
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• pp.324-324
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• 2012

투명전도체(Transparent Conducting Oxides: TCOs)는 일반적으로 면저항이 $103{\Omega}/sq$ 이하로 전기가 잘 통하며, 가시광선영역인 380~780 nm에서의 투과율이 80% 이상이고, 3.2eV 이상의 밴드갭을 가지는 재료로써, 전기전도도와 가시광선영역에서 투과성이 높아 전기적, 광학적 재료로 관심을 받아 다년간 연구대상이 되어오고 있다. 현재 가장 널리 사용되고 있는 투명전도체(Transparent Conducting Oxides: TCOs) 소재로는 Indium Tin Oxide (ITO)가 가장 각광받고 있지만, Indium의 가격상승과 박막의 열처리를 통해 저항이 증가하는 단점을 가지고 있어 이를 대체 할 새로운 소재 개발이 필요한 상황이다. 그러므로 투명전도체 소재 개발에 있어서 가장 중요한 연구과제는 Indium Tin Oxide(ITO)의 단점을 개선시키고 안정된 고농도의 In-Zn-Sn-O(ITZO) 박막을 성장시키는 것이다. 본 연구에서는 RF스퍼터링법에 의하여 Si wafer에 In-Zn-Sn-O(IZTO)를 $350{\AA}$ 만큼 증착시키고, 1시간 동안 $300^{\circ}C$, $350^{\circ}C$, $400^{\circ}C$로 각각 열처리 하였다. 박막의 전자적, 광학적 특성은 XPS(X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy), REELS(Reflection Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy)를 이용하여 연구하였다. XPS측정결과, ITZO박막은 In-O, Sn-O and Zn-O의 결합을 가지고 있고, 박막의 열처리를 통해 $400^{\circ}C$에서 Zn2p의 피크가 가장 크게 나타나는 반면 In3d와 Sn3d는 열처리를 했을 때가 Room Temperature에서 보다 피크가 작아지는 것을 확인하였다. 이는 $400^{\circ}C$에서 Zn가 표면에 편석됨을 나타낸다. 그리고 REELS를 이용해 Ep=1500 eV에서의 밴드갭을 얻어보면, 밴드갭은 $3.25{\pm}0.05eV$로 온도에 크게 변화하지 않았다. 또한 QUEELS -Simulation에 의한 광학적 특성 분석 결과, 가시광선영역인 380nm~780nm에서의 투과율이 83%이상으로 투명전자소자로의 응용이 가능하다는 것을 보여주었다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2008.04c
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• pp.41-41
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• 2008

Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films have been fabricated by vertical in-line dc magnetron sputtering for transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) applications. The effects of substrate temperature and dc power on the characteristics of AZO thin films are investigated and also optimized the process conditions to get the best electrical and optical properties. The fabricated thin films show a good electrical and optical uniformity within ${\pm}5%$ over the whole area of substrate ($200mm\;{\times}\;200mm$) ; the minimum resistivity of $8\;{\times}\;10^{-4}\;{\Omega}cm$ and the average transmittance of 90% within the visible wavelength range. We have found that the band gap ($E_g$) increases with increasing substrate temperature and dc power, whereas the crystallinity is getting improved with increasing substrate temperature. The binding energy of Zn $2p_{3/2}$ and O 1s is observed to decrease as the substrate temperature increases.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2011.10a
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• pp.43.2-43.2
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• 2011

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) are transparent in the visible and show conductivity comparable to copper, and are environmentally stable. SWCNT films have high flexibility, conductivity and transparency approaching that indium tin oxide (ITO), and can be prepared inexpensively without vacuum equipment. Transparent conducting Films (TCF) of SWCNTs has the potential to replace conventional transparent conducting oxides (TCO, e.g. ITO) in a wide variety of optoelectronic devices, energy conversion and photovoltaic industry. However, the sheet resistance of SWCNT films is still higher than ITO films. A decreased in the resistivity of SWCNT-TCFs would be beneficial for such an application. We fabricated SWCNT sheet with $KAuBr_4$ on PET substrate. Arc-discharge SWCNTs were dispersed in deionized water by adding sodum dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as surfactant and sonicated, followed by the centrifugation. The dispersed SWCNT was spray-coated on PET substrate and dried on a hotplate at $100^{\circ}C$. When the spray process was terminated, the TCF was immersed into deionized water to remove the surfactant and then it was dried on hotplate. The TCF film was then treated with AuBr4-, rinsed with deionized water and dried. The surface morphology of TCF was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy. The sheet resistance and optical transmission properties of the TCF were measured with a four-point probe method and a UV-visible spectrometry, respectively. $HNO_3$ treated SWCNT films with Au nano-particles have the lowest 61 ${\Omega}$/< sheet resistance in the 80% transmittance. Sheet resistance was decreased due to the increase of the hole concentration at the washed SWCNT surface by p-type doping of $AuBr_4{^-}$.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.102-105
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• 2004

ZnO-In$_2$O$_3$ films were fabricated on Corning 1737 glass substrate by an electron beam evaporation technique and their characteristics were investigated. The composition of ZnO-In$_2$O$_3$ films had a marked effect on the electrical properties of the films. The ZnO-In$_2$O$_3$ films showed superior transparent-conducting characteristics with increase of Zn content. The resistivity and carrier concentration of the film having Zn content of 45 at% are 4.45${\times}$10$^{-3}$ cm and 3.1${\times}$10$^{19}$ cm$^{-3}$ , respectively. Also, the transmittance was higher than 80% throughout the visible range. The average roughness of the film was 14.6 $\AA$ in terms of root mean square.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.68-75
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• 2011

In this review, we have investigated the effect of $TiO_2$-based blocking layers (t-BLs), deposited on a transparent conductive oxide (TCO)-coated glass substrate, on the photovoltaic performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The t-BL was deposited using spin-coating or sputtering technique, and its thicknesses were varied to study the influence of the thin $TiO_2$ layer in between transparent conducting glass and nanocrystalline $TiO_2$ (nc-$TiO_2$). The DSSC with the t-BL showed the improved adhesion and the suppressed charge recombination at a TCO glass substrate than those without the t-BL, which led to the higher conversion efficiency.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.923-929
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• 2008

On the piezoelectric polymer, PVDF (poly vinylidene fluoride), the transparent conducting oxide (TCO) electrode material thin film was deposited by roll to roll sputtering process mentioned as a mass product-friendly process for display application. The deposition method for ITO Indium Tin Oxides) as our TCO was DC magnetron sputtering optimized for polymer substrate with the low process temperature. As a result, a high transparent and good conductive ITO/PVDF film was prepared. During the process, especially, the gas mixture ratio of Ar and Oxygen was concluded as an important factor for determining the film's physical properties. There were the optimum ranges for process conditions of mixture gas ratio for ITO/PVDF From these results, the doping mechanism between the oxygen atom and the metal element, Indium or Tin was highly influenced by oxygen partial pressure condition during the deposition process at ambient temperature, which gives the conductivity to oxide electrode, as generally accepted. With our studies, the process windows of TCO for display and other application can be expected.