Due to changes in the form factor of display panels and touch screen panels in various devices, capacitive touch systems have evolved to address various issues such as low power consumption, noise immunity, and small chip size. Furthermore, some devices have applications that use a stylus. Since the stylus operates similarly to a finger touch, it encounters similar issues. Recent research trends focus on addressing key issues such as noise, which is primarily caused by the self-capacitor formed between the display cathode and the touch screen panel. In this paper, Various research papers discussing methods to eliminate external noise will be reviewed. These advancements enhance noise immunity in touch systems, making it easier to use thinner and more flexible panels. These progress make touch technology more versatile and reliable in various applications.
Understanding the structure-property relationship in functional materials is crucial as microstructural features such as nano-precipitates, phase boundary, grain boundary segregation, and grain boundary phases play a key role in their functional properties. Atom probe tomography (APT) is an advanced analytical technique that allows for the three-dimensional (3D) mapping of atomic distributions and the precise determination of local chemical compositions in materials. Moreover, it offers sub-nanometer spatial resolution and chemical sensitivity at the tens of parts per million (ppm) level. Owing to its unique capabilities, this technique has been employed to uncover the 3D elemental distributions in a wide range of materials, including alloys, semiconductors, nanomaterials, and even biomaterials. In this paper, various kinds of examples are introduced for elucidating structure-property relationships on functional materials by utilizing the atom probe tomography.
Lighting has been used for a long time as a medium to convey brightness from darkness, and through incandescent lamps and fluorescent lamps, LED light sources have now become the standard in the lighting industry. Recently, the lighting equipment industry has been undergoing rapid digital transformation, starting with smart lighting, and is evolving into smart lighting customized for individuals and spaces through the development of IoT technology, cloud-based services, and data analysis. However, the blue light emitted from digital devices (computers, smartphones, tablets, etc.) or LED lights stimulates the melanopsin in the optic ganglion cells in the retina of the eye, which in turn stimulates the secretion of melatonin through the pineal gland, which regulates the secretion of melatonin. This can reduce sleep quality or disrupt biological rhythms. This interaction between blue light and melatonin has such a significant impact on human sleep patterns and overall health that it is essential to reduce exposure to blue light, especially in the evening. Human-centered lighting refers to lighting that takes into account the effects of light on the physical and mental areas, such as human activity and awakening, improvement of sleep quality, and health management. Many research institutes study the effects in the visible area and the non-visible area. By studying the impact, it is expected to improve the quality of human life. In this study, we plan to study ways to implement humancentered lighting by collecting sunrise and sunset data and linking commercialized LED packages and control devices with opensource hardware.
The possibility of a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) submodule was evaluated as an independent power source that can drive a smart liquid crystal window (SLW) that selectively blocks sunlight when electricity is applied. In order to save energy and increase the functionality of buildings, SLW operation was supplied directly from DSSC submodule, rather than connecting to the existing power system and external power sources. It was confirmed that the SLW can control light transmittance through self-generation using the DSSC submodule composed of 6 cells at low light of 2,500 lux. These results imply that there is a high possibility of combining smart windows and DSSCs suitable for window-type building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems. DSSCs, which can self-generate power in low light, are expected to increase their usability in urban BIPV systems through combination with smart window technology.
The transparent electrode characteristics of the SnO₂/AgNi/SnO₂ (OMO) multilayer structures prepared by sputtering were investigated according to the annealing temperature. Ni-doped Ag of various compositions was selected as the metal layer and heat treatment was performed at 100~300℃ to evaluate the thermal stability of the metals. The manufactured OMO multilayer structures were heat treated for 6 hours at 400~600℃ in an N₂ atmosphere. The structural, electrical, and optical properties of the OMO structures before and after annealing were evaluated and analyzed using a UV-VIS spectrophotometer, 4-point probe, XPS, FE-SEM, etc. OMO with Ni-doped Ag shows improved performance due to the reduction of structural defects of Ag during annealing, but OMO structure with pure Ag shows degradation characteristics due to Ag diffusion into the oxide layer during high-temperature annealing. The figure of merit (FOM) of SnO₂/Ag/SnO₂ was highest at room temperature and gradually decreased as the heat treatment temperature increased. On the other hand, the FOM value of SnO₂/AgNi/SnO₂ mostly showed its maximum value at high temperature(~550℃). In particular, the FOM value of SnO₂/Ag-Ni (3.2 at%)/SnO₂ was estimated to be approximately 2.38×10-2 Ω-1. Compared to transparent electrodes made of other similar materials, the FOM value of the SnO₂/Ag-Ni (3.2 at%)/SnO₂ multilayer structure is competitive and is expected to be used as an alternative transparent conductive electrode in various devices.
Various process modifications have been used to minimize SiO₂ gate oxide aging in metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). In particular, post-metallization annealing (PMA) with a deuterium ambient can effectively eliminate both bulk traps and interface traps in the gate oxide. However, even with the use of PMA, it remains difficult to prevent high levels of radiation-induced gate oxide damage such as total ionizing dose (TID) during long-term missions. In this context, additional low-temperature heat treatment (LTHT) is proposed to recover from radiation-induced damage. Positive traps in the damaged gate oxide can be neutralized using LTHT, thereby prolonging device reliability in harsh radioactive environments.
Titanium oxide (TiO₂), a representative photocatalyst, reacts to ultraviolet ray energy and has antibacterial, deodorizing, and antifouling properties using superhydrophilic properties, so it is widely used in various industrial fields such as environmental purification, building exterior walls, and road facilities. However, due to the nature of the photocatalyst, it reacts to ultraviolet rays known to be harmful to the human body, and is designed to react to natural light outdoors and to ultraviolet light sources inside a sealed device indoors, so indoor space is extremely limited. This study aims to develop spatial antibacterial technology for everyday living spaces by researching methods for antibacterial and deodorization by reacting titanium oxide (TiO₂)-based photocatalysts with the visible light range emitted from lighting devices in everyday spaces. Through the results of this study, it was verified through experiments that the photocatalyst exhibits antibacterial and deodorizing properties in response to lighting devices (LED, fluorescent lights, etc.) used in daily life. Based on the research results, we hope that various studies will be conducted to create a safer living environment by applying this technology to various fields such as large-scale complex facilities where an unspecified number of floating populations gather, airports, port waiting rooms, and public transportation.
This review examines the use of halide perovskite materials in electronic devices, highlighting their exceptional optoelectronic properties and the challenges associated with them. Despite their potential for high-performance devices, practical applications are limited by sensitivity to environmental factors such as moisture and oxygen, etc. We discuss advances in enhancing stability and operational reliability, featuring innovative synthesis methods and device engineering strategies that help mitigate degradation. Furthermore, we explore the integration of perovskites in applications such as field-effect transistors and LEDs, emphasizing their transformative potential. This review also outlines future research directions, stressing the need for ongoing improvements in material stability and device integration to fully realize the commercial potential of perovskites.
Physically Unclonable Functions (PUFs) provide a high level of security for private keys using unique physical characteristics of hardware. However, fabricating PUF chips requires numerous semiconductor processes, leading to high costs, which limits their applications. In this work, we introduce a low-cost manufacturing method for PUF security chips. First, surface roughening through wet-etching is utilized to create random variables. Additionally, physical vapor deposition is added to further enhance randomness. After PUF chip fabrication, both Hamming distance (HD) and Hamming weight (HW) are extracted and compared to verify the fabricated chip. It is confirmed that the PUF chip using two different multiple process variables demonstrates superior uniqueness and uniformity compared to the PUF security chip fabricated using only a single process variable.
In line with the development of electronic devices and technologies, the demand for improving ferroelectric materials’ performance is increasing. Since K0.5Na0.5NbO3 (KNN), an eco-friendly ferroelectric material that does not use lead and has a high Curie temperature, it is attracting attention to its usability as a high-temperature dielectric, and various studies are being conducted to increase performance. In a KNN having a perovskite structure, there was a simulation result that the KNN has higher spontaneous polarization when the A-site in which sodium ions exist is replaced with lithium ions. If the simulation results can be proven experimentally, the application range of KNN-based ferroelectric materials will increase. To this end, we tried to manufacture a K1-xLixNbO3 (KLN) with high electrical characteristics by fabricating niobium-deficient and potassium-excessive compositions, which attempt was made to solve the stoichiometry problem by volatilization and suppress secondary phases. If KLN’s secondary phase suppression and relative permittivity improvement are successful, it will contribute to meeting the demand for developing electronic devices.
Climate conditions, especially transport and storage, are a very important factor in the process of sampling and testing insulation oil in the field. The samples of insulating oil exposed to the atmosphere affect the dielectric strength, total acid number and moisture test value by oxygen and high humidity environment and may also affect the results according to the criteria specified in each test. Therefore, reliable test values for insulating oil testing require consideration of the atmospheric environment of the test site, including oxygen and humidity. In this paper, each test was conducted on insulating oil exposed to various time and humidity environments, and the effect of the atmospheric environment on the test results was analyzed by comparing and analyzing with the first insulating oil.
Precise control over the morphology of nanostructures is critical for tailoring their physical and chemical properties. This study addresses the challenge of developing a simple, integrated method for synthesizing both 1D and 2D colloidal Cu nanostructures in a single system, achieving successful tuning of their localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) properties. A facile hydrothermal synthesis utilizing potassium iodide (KI) and hexadecylamine (HDA) is presented for controlling Cu nanostructure morphologies. The key to achieving 1D nanowires (NWs) and 2D nanoplates (NPs) depends on the controlled adsorption of HDA molecules and iodide (I-) ions on specific crystal facets. Depending on the morphologies, the resultant Cu nanostructures exhibit tunable LSPR peaks from 558 nm [nanoplates (NPs)] to 590 nm [nanowires (NWs)]. These results pave the way for the scalable and cost-effective production of plasmonic Cu nanostructures with tunable optical properties, holding promise for applications in sensing, catalysis, and photonic devices.
Micro light-emitting diodes (μLEDs) have been utilized in various fields such as displays, and smart devices, due to their superior stabilities. Since the applications of the μLEDs have been extended to medical devices and wearable sensors, excellent optical properties and uniformity of the μLEDs are important. Hence, several researchers have investigated to enhance the optical efficiency of the μLEDs through micro/nano lens. However, the reported methods for realizing the micro/nano lens have some drawbacks such as complex and high-cost manufacturing processes. Herein, we developed μLEDs with 3D-printed hydrogel microlenses. The printed hydrogel had high transparency and excellent adhesive strength, allowing it to attach onto top surface of the μLEDs without any additional adhesives. Microscale printing technology using a 3D printer achieved quick and fine printing in desired shapes and arrangements, showing the possibility of mass production. The 3D-printed microlens can be applied to improve not only the optical properties of μLEDs but also other optical devices.