All-solid-state thin-film lithium-ion batteries are important in the development of next-generation energy storage devices with high energy density. However, thin-film batteries have many challenges in their manufacturing procedure. This is because there are many factors, such as substrate selection, to consider when producing the thin film multilayer structure. In this study, we compare the fabrication and performance of all-solid-state thin-film lithium-ion batteries with a LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ cathode/LiPON solid electrolyte/ Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ anode structure using stainless steel and Si substrates with different surface roughness. We demonstrate that the smoother the surface of the substrate, the thinner the thickness of the all-solid-state thin-film lithium-ion battery that can be made, and as a result, the corresponding electrochemical characteristics can be improved.

It was proven that the light outputs of blue GaN-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) was seriously influenced by the application of external stress. We have simulated the wave function overlap of an electron and hole, which are significantly reduced by the development of stress. Consequently, its internal quantum efficiency decreased from 67.0% to 37.5%. To experimentally investigate the effect of stress, we designed and prepared a special zig system. By applying external tensile stress to compensate for the compressive stress innately developed in Blue LEDs, it was found that the optical output was greatly enhanced from 83.1 mcd to 117.2 mcd at a current of 100 mA, an increase of approximately 41%. In contrast, when the compressive stress is developed more by external compressive stress, we observed that the light output power was reduced from 89.0 mcd to 80.7 mcd, a decrease of approximately 9.3%.

This work reports the electrical characteristics of and temperature distribution in chalcogenide phase change memory (PCM) devices that have a self-aligned structure. GST (Ge-Sb-Te) chalcogenide alloy films were formed in a self-aligned manner by interdiffusion between sputter-deposited Ge and Sb2Te3 films during thermal annealing. A transmission electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (TEM-EDS) analysis demonstrated that the local composition of the GST alloy differed significantly and that a Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ intermediate layer was formed near the Ge/Sb₂Te₃ interface. The programming current and threshold switching voltage of the PCM device were much smaller than those of a control device; this implies that a phase transition occurred only in the Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ intermediate layer and not in the entire thickness of the GST alloy. It was confirmed by computer simulation, that the localized phase transition and heat loss suppression of the GST alloy promoted a temperature rise in the PCM device.

Controlling the shape of Ag nanoparticles (NPs) is very difficult. In the present work, urchin Ag NPs with different sizes and pod length control have been synthesized successfully in high yield by the concentration of a reducing agent. Unique Ag NPs were observed by TEM and SEM. These nanocrystals exhibit tunable surface plasmon resonance properties from the visible to near-infrared regions. They were applied to surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates using rhodamine 6G (R6G), benzenethiol (BT), and 4-amino benznethiol (4-ABT) molecules. The enhanced local field effect due to the sharp pod length, size, and surface plasmon of the urchin Ag NPs resulted in enhanced SERS properties and can serve as high-sensitivity substrates for SERS measurements.

The facile synthesis of shape-controlled Pd nanoparticles (PdNPs) with ascorbic acid as a reducing agent and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as a capping agent is presented in this study. The synthesized PdNPs were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman Spectroscopy. The prepared PdNPs show efficient surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) properties. SERS studies on the adsorption characteristics of 1,4-phenylene diisocyanide (1,4-PDI) on colloidal PdNPs have revealed that the relative peak intensity of the (NC)_free and (NC)_bound modes distinctly depends on the 1,4-PDI concentration as well as the shape of the PdNPs. Furthermore, we found that the PdNPs are also efficient photoelectron emitters such that the SERS spectrum of 4-nitrobenzenethiol (4-NBT) on PdNPs is readily converted to that of 4-aminobenzenethiol (4-ABT) under 632.8 nm radiation.

Nanoscale gold particles have been intensively researched due to their potential applications in catalysis, electronics, plasmonics, and biological assays. In our study, we fabricated gold nanoparticles (NPs) that were synthesized in an aqueous environment via the reduction of HAuCl4 by ascorbic acid (AC) with a sodium citrate (SC) surfactant. Highly monodispersed gold particles with sizes ranging from 123 to 184 nm were prepared in high-yield by a surfactant concentration. The structural and optical properties of the synthesized gold nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV-vis spectroscopy. The prepared nanoparticles exhibited efficient surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) properties that were dependent on their on size.

Road photovoltaic power generation is a technology that combines photovoltaic power generation while maintaining the function of the existing road by installing special photovoltaic modules on it. In this paper, we developed three types of modules and structures suitable for sidewalk blocks and element technology for the development of a solar road module for a sidewalk and bicycle road. The road solar potential in Korea is 10 GW. After analyzing the daily data obtained after the construction of a 10 kW solar road testbed, it was found that its utilization rate compared to the general photovoltaic energy is 80%.

We have proposed a novel planar lightwave circuit (PLC) optical sensor to monitor the contamination in a flow-cell where water is continuously supplied through a water quality measurement system. We designed a PLC chip with a V-shape waveguide and the simulated its function as a sensor for monitoring contamination in a flow-cell using a numerical the FDTD (finite-difference time-domain) analysis. A novel cross type of waveguide was introduced to make the PLC chip of the V-shaped waveguide. The fabricated PLC was cut into the cross waveguide. A change in the optical propagation loss of the PLC sensor was observed after immersing the PLC sensor into city water. It was determined that the propagation loss of the PLC sensor was 3 dB at a wavelength of 1.55 μm in the city water for 15 days.

This study investigated the influence of the viscoelastic property of slag when producing glass fiber, MFS631 with 60% of manganese slag, 30% of steel slag, and 10% of silica stone. To fabricate the MFS631 glass bulk, slag materials were placed in an alumina crucible, melted at 1,550℃ for 2 h, and then annealed at 600℃ for 2 h. It was found that glass is non-crystalline through X-ray diffraction analysis. MFS631 fiber was produced at speed in the range of 100~300 rpm at 1,150℃. The loss modulus (G″) and storage modulus (G′) of the produced glass fiber were evaluated at high temperatures. G′ and G″ of MFS631 were greater than 893℃, and the modulus value was 136,860 pa. This is similar to the results of a general E-glass fiber graph. Therefore, it was concluded that its spinnability is similar to that of E-glass fiber; therefore, it can be commercialized.

For machine learning techniques, a large amount of high-quality material property data should be accumulated. In this study, several data for an alumina tape casting process were produced with the variables of slurry viscosity, gap size, and coating speed. The alumina tapes were manufactured in the range of 1,000~6,000 cps for slurry viscosity, 300~1,000 ㎛ for gap size, and 0.5~2.0 m/min for coating speed. As a result, the lower the viscosity, coating speed, and gap size, the more pore-free tapes could be manufactured. The viscosity of the slurry limited the minimum thickness of the tape. Green sheets with high packing density were manufactured from the slurry of 100~6,000 cps slurry viscosity, coating speed of 0.5 m/min, and a 300~500 ㎛ gap size.

This study performs the thermal aging of chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSPE) for 807.36 and 1,614.48 hours at 110℃, which is equivalent to 40 and 80 years of aging at 50℃ in nuclear power plants, respectively. Flat-type CSPEs were soaked in seawater for five days and then dried for five days at room temperature. Furthermore, the soaked CSPEs were cleaned for 5 days with fresh water and dried for 1,100 days at room temperature. Through this process, the log IV of the CSPEs decreases, whereas the dissipation factor of the CSPEs increases as thermally accelerated aged years increase at the measured frequency. Although the phase degree of the response voltage versus excitation voltage of the CSPEs increases, that of the response current versus excitation voltage decreases with the thermally accelerated aging. The thermal conductivity of the CSPEs increases slightly, but the thermal diffusivity does not vary with the thermally accelerated aged year increase. The displacement of the compressive strength of the CSPEs decreases gradually as the thermally accelerated aged years increase.

In this study, we investigate the effect of an Sb-deficiency on the thermoelectric properties of double-filled n-type skutterudite (In_0.05Yb_0.15Co₄Sb_12-x). Samples were prepared by encapsulated induction melting, consecutive long-time annealing, and finally spark plasma sintering processes. The Sb-deficient sample contained a CoSb₂ secondary phase. Both the double-filled n-type skutterudite pristine and Sb-deficient samples showed metallic behavior in electrical conductivity with increasing temperature. The carrier concentration of the Sb-deficient sample decreased compared with that of the pristine sample. Due to a decrease in carrier concentration, the Sb deficient sample showed decreased electrical conductivity and an increased Seebeck coefficient compared with the conductivity and coefficient of the pristine sample. Furthermore, the Sb deficient sample showed an increase in the power factor (σ·S²); the power factor maximum shifted to athe lower temperature side than ones of the pristine sample. As a result, the Sb-deficient sample represents an improved average figure of merit (ZT) and a ZT_max temperature lower than that of the pristine sample. Therefore, we propose that Sb-deficient double-filled n-type skutterudite thermoelectric material (In_0.05Yb_0.15Co₄Sb_12-x) be used in the 573~673 K temperature range.

To overcome the limitations of the conventional Ni anode-supported SOFCs, various types of ceramic anodes have been studied. However, these ceramic anodes are difficult to commercialize because of their low cell performances and difficulty in manufacturing anode-support typed SOFCs. Therefore, in this study, to use these ceramic anodes and take advantage of anode-supported SOFC, which can minimize ohmic loss from the thin electrolyte, we fabricated cathode support-typed SOFC. The cathode-support of LSCF-YSZ was prepared by the acid treatment of conventional Ni-YSZ (Yttria-stabilized Zirconia) anode-support, followed by the infiltration of LSCF to YSZ scaffold. The composite of La(Sr)Ti(Ni)O₃ and Ce(Mn, Fe)O₂ was used as the ceramic anode. The fabricated cathode-supported button cell showed a relatively low power density of 0.207 Wcm^-2 at 850℃; however, it is expected to show better performance through the optimization of the infiltration rate and thickness of LSCF-YSZ cathode-support layer.

The purpose of an electric railway system contact wire is to supply electric energy to trains through a contacted pantograph. This energy is then converted into mechanical energy. Recent developments in overhead contact lines include the increase in the tension force up to 34 kN according to train speeds that reach up to 400 km/h with a verified safety. Rigid conductor catenary (R-Bar) for high speeds of up to 250 km/h have been developed in tunnels to save on construction costs. This is significant because minor defects in R-bars in aspects, such as height and stagger affect installation conditions. In this study, we propose the use of a detector that measures the static characteristics to reduce the R-bar installation errors. This detector has been developed to measure the height and stagger of the contact wire using video images.

Overhead contact systems (OCS) consist of contact and messenger wires, in which the contact wire supplies electric energy to the railway vehicle by contacting a pantograph. However, this mechanical contact is interrupted during frosts or temperatures below 0℃ in the winter. In these conditions, railway vehicle accidents can occur during operation because of the low energy efficiency that results from the increase in the arcing between the contact wire and pantograph. Therefore, the detection of frost or freezing temperatures is necessary to maintain the stable operation of these trains. In this study, we proposed the development of a frost or freezing condition monitoring system on the OCSs that utilizes wireless communication.

The top seeded solution growth (TSSG) method is an alternative technique to grow high-quality SiC crystals that has been actively studied for the last two decades. However, the TSSG method has different issues that need to be resolved when compared to the commercial SiC crystal growing method, i.e., physical vapor transport (PVT). A particular issue of the TSSG method of results from the presence of liquid droplets on the grown crystal that can remain even after crystal growth; this induces residual stress on the crystal surface. Hence, the residual droplet causes several unwanted effects on the crystal such as the initiation of micro-cracks, micro-pipes, and polytype inclusions. Therefore, this study investigated the formation of the residual droplet through multiphysics simulations and lead to the development of a liquid droplet removal method. As a result, we found that although residual liquid droplets significantly apply residual stress on the grown crystal, these could be vaporized by adopting thermal annealing processes after the relevant crystal growing steps.

In order to fabricate high-quality SiC substrates for power electronic devices, various single crystal growing methods were prepared. These include the physical vapor transport (PVT) and top seeded solution growth (TSSG) methods. All the suggested SiC growth methods generally use induction-heating furnaces. The temperature distribution in this system can be easily adjusted by changing the hot-zone design. Moreover, precise temperature control in the induction-heating furnace is favorably required to grow a high-quality crystal. Therefore, in this study, we analyzed the heat transfer in these furnaces to grow SiC crystals. As the growth temperature of SiC crystals is very high, we evaluated the effect of radiation heat transfer on the temperature distribution in induction-heating furnaces. Based on our simulation results, a heat transfer strategy that controls the radiation heat transfer was suggested to obtain the optimal temperature distribution in the PVT and TSSG methods.

We investigated the growth of Al_xGa_1-x)₂O₃ thin films on c-plane sapphire substrates that were grown by mist chemical vapor deposition (mist CVD). The precursor solution was prepared by mixing and dissolving source materials such as gallium acetylacetonate and aluminum acetylacetonate in deionized water. The [Al]/[Ga] mixing ratio (MR) of the precursor solution was adjusted in the range of 0~4.0. The Al contents of (Al_xGa_1-x)₂O₃ thin films were increased from 8 to 13% with the increase of the MR of Al. As a result, the optical bandgap of the grown thin films changed from 5.18 to 5.38 eV. Therefore, it was determined that the optical bandgap of grown (Al_xGa_1-x)₂O₃ thin films could be effectively engineered by controlling Al content.