This study investigates the effect of mask material and thickness on the silicon etching profile using a high-density plasma (HDP) etching system, aiming to reduce optical loss in silicon-based optical waveguides. As the mask thickness increased, the etching sidewall angle became steeper. An etching profile angle of 87° was obtained when tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) was used as the mask material, while 80° was obtained for photoresist (PR). This is attributed to electron charging on the mask surface in the plasma. The charged mask modifies the distribution and strength of the electric field depending on its thickness, thereby affecting the trajectory of positive ions accelerated toward the substrate by the bias voltage. Furthermore, Plasma diagnostics using optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and surface composition analysis using field emission Auger electron spectroscopy (FE-AES) revealed that changes in the mask material also alter the reaction pathways and formation characteristics of active species and silicon by-products in the plasma. These results suggest that the mask material influences the overall plasma characteristics, including electron density and ion energy, and plays a critical role in the precise control of silicon etching profiles for high-performance optical device fabrication.

AlGaN/GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs) are emerging as next-generation semiconductors optimized for high-power and high-frequency applications, with their performance highly dependent on the surface and interface quality of the AlGaN/GaN structure. In particular, the 2-Dimensional Electron Gas (2DEG) formed in the AlGaN layer is susceptible to trapping by surface defects, which degrades electrical characteristics and makes the device vulnerable to degradation. In this study, we propose an approach to enhance device reliability and performance by forming a gallium oxynitride (GaON) interfacial layer through O₂ plasma treatment on the AlGaN surface. This method effectively suppresses interface defects, resulting in improved electrical properties such as reduced interface trap density (Dit), threshold voltage (Vth) shift, increased drain current density (Id), and enhanced transconductance density (gm). Furthermore, this surface treatment demonstrates the potential for process simplification by improving the electrical characteristics of power semiconductor devices without the need for complex deposition steps.

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) is a promising 2D semiconductor material for low-power electronics due to its excellent electrical properties and compatibility with conventional processes. In this study, MoS₂ thin films deposited by RF sputtering were etched using Cl₂/Ar plasma in an ICP system. The effects of Cl₂ gas ratio, RF power, and process pressure on etch rate and MoS₂/SiO₂ selectivity were investigated. Optimal results were obtained at 25% Cl₂, achieving ~38 nm/min etch rate and selectivity of 3.0. Increased source power improved both etch rate and selectivity, while higher bias power enhanced etching but reduced selectivity due to stronger ion bombardment. XPS analysis confirmed Mo－Cl and S－Cl bond formation after etching, indicating chemical reactions and some by-product residue. These results provide insights into optimized plasma etching of sputtered MoS₂ films for advanced 2D device fabrication

The characteristics of each address discharge were investigated when the voltages of the scan and common electrodes were lowered simultaneously during an address period under the same address voltage conditions in an AC plasma display panel. It was confirmed that the delay time of address discharge shortened as the voltage decreased. However, the background light increased because the low scanning voltage generated more discharge between the electrodes of the upper and lower plates in the reset period. To lower the background light, a positive voltage was applied to the address electrode of the lower panel during the period when the rising ramp wave was applied, and a floating voltage was applied to the address electrode during the period when the falling ramp wave was applied during the reset period. As a result, the background light could be lowered by about 30%.

Recently, oxide semiconductors have assumed a pivotal role in electronic displays and transparent electronic devices such as amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO), characterized by high electron mobility and excellent stability. a- IGZO is very suitable for next-generation applications such as flexible displays because it is possible to manufacture highperformance transistors even at low temperatures. However, since the electrical properties tend to deteriorate in hightemperature environments, research aimed at improving thermal stability is needed. In this study, a low-temperature plasma annealing process was introduced to improve the high-temperature stability of the a-IGZO thin film. This process enhances electron mobility by reducing defects in the a-IGZO film and provides stable device performance even under high-temperature conditions. As a result of the experiments of 5 min, 10 min, 15 min, and 20 min, the a-IGZO TFT, which was subjected to plasma annealing at 160℃ for 5 min, showed the best electrical performance, especially in charge mobility and current-voltage characteristics. The technical potential for improving the performance of a-IGZO-based display device was emphasized, and the foundation for applying this power generation to flexible displays and next-generation electronic devices was laid. Future research will focus on determining the optimal annealing conditions by exploring various temperature ranges and plasma parameters to integrate these results into the actual device manufacturing process. These efforts are expected advance significantly to advancing next-generation high-performance display technology.

The display industry has recently been at the forefront of innovative advancements in modern electronic devices. Technological progress such as flexible display holds significant potential across various application fields, particularly in wearable devices and rollable displays. A low-temperature process is essential for fabricating such displays. One of the key technologies in displays is the thin film transistor (TFT), with amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) receiving particular attention. a-IGZO is widely applied in high-performance displays due to its high charge mobility and stability. While a thermal treatment above 350℃ is typically required to maximize the electrical performance of a-IGZO TFTs, such high temperatures pose challenges for utilizing polymer substrates like plastics. Here, we thesis investigates the simultaneous lowtemperature plasma annealing process to develop next-generation high-performance flexible display devices. To define the optimal temperature, devices were fabricated and analyzed at varying temperatures of 40℃, 80℃, 120℃, and 160℃. Experimental results indicated that devices fabricated at 160℃ and 80℃ exhibited superior performance, with those at 160℃ demonstrating better performance in terms of current ratio, threshold voltage, and subthreshold swing. These findings confirm that the simultaneous low-temperature plasma annealing process is effective for next-generation high-performance displays.

This paper introduces an optimized oxygen (O₂) plasma surface treatment technique to enhance sphere lithography on hydrophobic photoresist surfaces. The focus is on semiconductor manufacturing, particularly the creation of finer structures beyond the capabilities of traditional photolithography. The key breakthrough is a method that makes substrate surfaces hydrophilic without altering photoresist patterns. This is achieved by meticulously controlling the O₂ plasma treatment duration. The result is the consistent formation of nano and microscale patterns across large areas. From an academic perspective, the study deepens our understanding of surface treatments in pattern formation. Industrially, it heralds significant progress in semiconductor and precision manufacturing sectors, promising enhanced capabilities and efficiency.

In this study, the praseodymium-doped yttrium phosphate (YPO₄:Pr³⁺) powder, which is well known for its high luminescent efficiency, and long life in the UV range, was synthesized with various content ratios of Pr₆O₁₁ and calcination temperature. Crystal structure and luminescent properties of various phosphor powders based on different concentrations and calcination conditions were characterized by XRD (X-Ray Diffraction) and PL (photoluminescence) spectrometers. From the XRD analysis, the structure of YPO₄:Pr³⁺ which is calcinated at 1,200℃ was stable tetragonal phase and crystal size was calculated about 25 nm by Scherrer equation. PL emission of YPO4:Pr3+ with a different content ratio of Pr6O11 by excitation λexc=250 nm shows that 0.75 mol% phosphor powder has maximum PL intensity and PL decreases with the increase of the ratio of Pr₆O₁₁ up to 1.25 mol% which is caused by changes of crystallinity of phosphor powders. With increasing dopant ratio, photoluminescence Emission decreases due to Concentration quenching, which is commonly observed in phosphors. Currently, 0.75 mol% is considered the optimal doping concentration. A hybrid ultraviolet-emitting device incorporating YPO4:Pr3+ fluorescent material with plasma discharge was fabricated to enhance UV germicidal effects while minimizing ozone generation. UV emission from the plasma discharge device was shown at about 200 nm and 350 nm which caused additional emission of the regions of 250 nm, 315 nm, and 370 nm from the YPO₄:Pr³⁺ phosphor.

The characteristics of write discharge were investigated when the conventional driving method with the unipolar sustain voltages, and the single sustain driving method applying the bipolar sustain voltage were applied in an AC plasma display. In the case of having a single sustain waveform, the strength of the write discharge is weakened compared to the conventional driving method during the address period, because the wall charge inside the panel is more dissipated by the lower scanning voltage. In the driving method with a single sustain waveform, the bias voltage of the other electrodes was changed to improve the write discharge characteristics. As a result, the intensity of the discharge was enhanced by 32% and the delay time was shortened by 60 μs.

Inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching (ICP-RIE) of copper thin films patterned with SiO₂ hard masks was carried out using piperidine/O₂/Ar gas mixture. The etch rate, etch selectivity, and etch profile of copper thin films were investigated by varying gas concentration in piperidine/O₂/Ar gas mixture. In addition, the etch parameters including ICP RF power, DC-bias voltage to substrate, and process pressure were varied to examine the etch characteristics. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and optical emission spectroscopy were employed to elucidate the etch mechanism under piperidine/O₂/Ar gas chemistry. Finally, 150 nm-line patterned copper thin films were successfully etched using piperidine/ O₂/Ar etch gas under the optimized etch conditions.

High reliability thin film transistors are important factors for next-generation displays. The reliability of transparent a-IGZO semiconductors is being actively studied for display applications. A plasma treatment can fill the oxygen vacancies in the channel layer and the channel layer/insulating layer interface so that the device can work stably under a bias voltage. This paper studies the effect of plasma treatment on the performance of a-IGZO TFT devices. The influence of different plasma gases on the electrical parameters of device and its working reliability are reviewed. The article mentions argon, fluorine, hydrogen and several ways of processing in the atmosphere. Among these methods, F (fluorine) plasma treatment can maximize equipment reliability. It is expected that the presented results will form a basis for further research to improve the reliability of a-IGZO TFT.

Single-layer graphene is grown directly on Ti-buffered SiO₂ at 100℃. As a result of the AFM measurement of the Ti buffer layer, the roughness of approximately 0.2 nm has been improved. Moreover, the Raman measurement of graphene grown on it shows that the D/G intensity ratio is extremely small, approximately 0.01, and there are no defects. In addition, the 2D/G intensity ratio had a value of approximately 2.1 for single-layer graphene. The sheet resistance is also 89 Ω/□, demonstrating excellent characteristics. The problem was solved by using graphene and a lift-off patterning method. Low-temperature direct-grown graphene does not deteriorate after the patterning process and can be used for device and micro-patterning research.

In this study, we created a DBD plasma device and a MnO₂ catalyst mesh filter for evaluating ozone reduction of devices via the catalyst method. The DBD plasma device was manufactured by applying MnO₂ paste to soda lime glass via the screen-printing method. The MnO₂ catalyst mesh filter was manufactured by mixing MnO₂ powder with binder with a 10% difference in concentration from 10% to 50% and then applying it using the dip-coating method. Finally, we sintered a MnO₂ catalyst mesh filter in an electric furnace. We evaluated the characteristics of ozone generation according to the MnO₂ gas flow of DBD plasma devices, the opening ratio, and ozone reduction performance of the MnO₂ catalyst filters. Ozone reduction performance was approximately 20.4% at MnO₂10 wt%, 37.8% at MnO₂ 30 wt% and 50% at MnO₂ 50 wt%.

In this study, a TiO₂/TiO_2-x-based resistance variable memory was fabricated using a DC/RF magnetron sputtering system and ALD. In order to analyze the effect of oxygen plasma treatment on the performance of resistance random access memory (ReRAM), the TiO₂/TiO_2-x-based ReRAM was evaluated by applying RF power to the TiO_2-x oxygen-holding layer at 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 W, respectively. The ReRAM was fabricated, and the electrical and surface area performances were compared and analyzed. In the case of ReRAM without oxygen plasma treatment, the I-V curve had a hysteresis curve shape, but the width was very small, with a relatively high surface roughness of the oxygen-retaining layer. However, in the case of oxygen plasma treatment, the HRS/LRS ratio for the I-V curve improved as the applied RF power increased; stable improvement was also noted in the surface roughness of the oxygen-retaining layer. It was confirmed that the low voltage drive was not smooth due to charge trapping in the oxygen diffusion barrier layer owing to the high intensity ReRAM applied with an RF power of approximately 150 W.

Modern thin film deposition processes require high deposition rates, low costs, and high-quality films. Atmospheric pressure plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (AP-PECVD) meets these requirements. AP-PECVD causes little damage on thin film deposition surfaces compared to conventional PECVD. Moreover, a higher deposition rate is expected due to the surface heating effect of atomic hydrogens in AP-PECVD. In this study, polycrystalline silicon thin film was deposited at a low temperature of 100℃ and then AP-PECVD experiments were performed with various plasma powers and hydrogen gas flow rates. A deposition rate of 15.2 nm/s was obtained at the VHF power of 400 W. In addition, a metal foam showerhead was employed for uniform gas supply, which provided a significant improvement in the thickness uniformity.

An 80 nm thick zinc aluminate thin film was deposited on a glass substrate via radio-frequency (rf) magnetron sputtering and heat treated to analyze changes in the wetting angles due to a surface modification. The thin films were modified from hydrophilic to hydrophobic by a simple thermal treatment. The surface modification from a heat treatment increased the wetting angles up to 111°, which was explained by the relationship with the excess surface area. The wetting angles of the annealed thin films decreased with increasing exposure time under ambient conditions, which was attributed to the oxygen vacancies in the films that were introduced during deposition. The annealed thin films were treated by ionized oxygen via oxygen plasma. After the oxygen plasma treatment, the decreased wetting angles were maintained at ~95° for 11 days.

In this study, the sterilization property of E. coli was established using a plasma generator with a flexible electrode structure. The bacterial suspension was prepared based on the McFarland standard 0.50 (1.5×10⁸ CFU/mL) concentration and a specific amount was inoculated on the plate medium. After the plasma was discharged 3 cm away from the plasma generator in the range of 30s to 5 min and the results compared to the control group, the observed colonies that were formed decreased significantly as the plasma discharge time increased.

Recently, the application of atmospheric plasma technology in air filtration is increasing. Sterilization by an atmospheric plasma device is very effective. However, ozone gas, which is generated during atmospheric plasma formation, poses a hazard to human health. To reduce the ozone gas during plasma discharge, we fabricated a one-plate hybrid plasma discharge device with a heating element, which can decompose ozone gas effectively by a simple heating action. In this study, we evaluated the plasma discharge characteristics and ozone concentrations with various Ar flow rates and temperatures. With increasing Ar gas flow rate, the ozone concentration and spectrum intensity increased till an Ar gas flow rate of 60 sccm, and decreased thereafter. When discharged in high temperature, the ozone concentration and spectrum intensity decreased. Further, to evaluate the state of the treated surface under various plasma discharge and heating conditions, we measured the variation in the contact angles on the surface. Regardless of the temperature, the contact angle increased with increasing discharge voltage. However, the contact angle increased when discharged at high temperature.

There is a need for the development of transparent conductive materials that are economical and environmentally friendly with exhibit low resistivity and high transmittance in the visible spectrum. In this study, the deposition rate and uniformity of Al-doped ZnO-thin films were improved by changing the Z-motion of the sputtering system. The deposition rate and the uniformity were determined to be 3.44 nm/min and 1.23%, respectively, under the 10 mm Z-motion condition. During O2 plasma treatment, the intrusion-type metal elements in the thin film were reduced, which contributed to an oxygen vacancy reduction in addition to structural stabilization. Moreover, the sheet resistance was more easily saturated.

We propose a method for improving the reliability of a solar cell by applying a fluorinated surface coating to protect the cell from the outdoor environment using an atmospheric pressure plasma (APP) treatment. An APP source is operated by radio frequency (RF) power, Ar gas, and O₂gas. APP treatment can remove organic contaminants from the surface and improve other surface properties such as the surface free energy. We determined the optimal APP parameters to maximize the surface free energy by using the dyne pen test. Then we used the scratch test in order to confirm the correlation between the APP parameters and the surface properties by measuring the surface free energy and adhesive characteristics of the coating. Consequently, an increase in the surface free energy of the cover glass caused an improvement in the adhesion between the coating layer and the cover glass. After treatment, adhesion between the coating and cover glass was improved by 35%.

Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) treatment with argon and a mixture of argon and oxygen gases has been used to modify the surface of polycarbonate (PC) substrates. The results showed that the surface contact angle was inversely proportional to the plasma discharge power and that the mixed-gas plasma (gas flow 10:10 sccm, discharge power 60 W) decreased the surface contact angle as low as 18.3°, indicating a large increase in the surface hydrophilicity. In addition, SnO₂ thin films deposited on the PC substrate effectively enhanced the ICP plasma treatment, and could also enhance the usefulness of PC in the inner parts of automobiles.

In this study, we investigated plasmon effects to maximize the sterilization of dielectric discharge. We predicted the effect using the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method as a function of electrode shape, size, and period. The structure of the electrode was designed with a thickness of 100 nm of silver nanoparticles on a glass substrate, and was varied according to the shape, size, and period of the electrode hole. Based on the results, it was confirmed that the effect of plasmons was independent of the shape of the electrode hole. It was thus confirmed that the plasmon effect depended only on the size and period of the holes. Further, the plasmon effect was affected by the size rather than period of the holes. Because the absorption of light by the metal varied according to the size of the hole, the plasmon effect generated by the absorption of light also varied. The best results were obtained when the radius and period of the electrode holes were 0.1 μm and 0.4 μm, respectively.

Electrical behaviors of plasma-sprayed Al₂O₃-TiO₂ coatings have been investigated in terms of their TiO₂ content. On increasing the TiO₂ content from 6 to 30 wt%, the DC electrical conductivity increased by several orders of magnitude. From impedance spectroscopy analysis, the total conductivity of the grains and grain boundaries and their respective activation energies were determined without the electrode effects that could impede ionic transfer. An electron transference number was also estimated, ranging between 6.5% and 7.3% for 13 wt% TiO₂ and between 0.4% and 0.7% for 30 wt% TiO₂ in the coating. Because of the high electronic contribution to the total conductivity, the Al₂O₃-TiO₂ coating could be a new candidate material to obtain superior electrical conductivity as well as corrosion and wear resistances.

The effect of NH₃ plasma treatment on device characteristics was confirmed for an optimized thin film transistor of poly-Si formed by ELA. When C-V curve was checked for MIS (metal-insulator-silicon), Dit of NH₃ plasma treated and MIS was 2.7×10¹⁰ cm^-2eV^-1. Also in the TFT device case, it was decreased to the sub-threshold slope of 0.5 V/decade, 1.9 V of threshold voltage and improved in 26 cm²V^-1S^-1 of mobility. Si-N and Si-H bonding reduced dangling bonding to each interface. When gate bias stress was applied, the threshold voltage`s shift value of NH₃ plasma treated device was 0.58 V for 1,000s, 1.14 V for 3,600s, 1.12 V for 7,200s. As we observe from this quality, electrical stability was also improved and NH3 plasma treatment was considered effective for passivation.

TiN (titanium nitride) films were prepared using the RF magnetron sputtering technique. The films were deposited by pure N₂ plasma sputtering. Their mechanical properties, such as nano-indentation hardness, friction coefficient, and surface wettability, have been investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies revealed that the orientation of TiN_X films changed towards the (111) orientation with decreasing working pressure due to a strong compressive stress during deposition. The strongest TiN (111) orientation was found when the film was deposited at a working pressure of 1 Pa. This film showed the largest hardness (16 GPa) and smallest friction coefficient (0.17) among the studied samples. Moreover, this film was found to be accompanied by a water-repellent surface with water contact angle more than 100°.

Zinc sulphide (ZnS) nanoparticles were fabricated by hydrothermal synthesis at 180℃ for 12 h. Two kinds of ZnS powder (hydrothermal synthesized ZnS and commercial ZnS) were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for phase and microstructure, respectively. The XRD patterns showed that all ZnS nanoparticles have a sphalerite (cubic) structure. The nanoparticles of two different ZnS powders were sintered by spark plasma sintering. The sintered ZnS were analyzed by XRD, SEM, and FT-IR. We found that the transmittance of the infrared region is highly dependent on the density and crystal structure of sintered ZnS and the purity of the starting ZnS powder.

The Ag thin film of YBCO (yttrium barium copper oxide) CC (coated conductor) protect the YBCO layer and, at the same time, affects the electrical characteristics of the YBCO CC. Therefore, YBCO CC with the commercialization of the Ag thin film layers makes it easy to establish a process, it can lead to a variety of characteristic changes in YBCO CC. In this paper, plasma surface treatment was carried out to facilitate the deposition of the Ag thin film and the deposition process of YBCO CC. Surface roughness from the test results was increased as the time of the plasma surface treatment increased from 5 to 20 minutes. On the other hand, the surface roughness was decreased for the time of the plasma surface treatment over 20 minutes. Furthermore, after depositing, the increasing of deposit amount and reduced lifting phenomenon showed a similar tendency with the rise time of surface roughness.

We have investigated the characteristics of amorphous silicon (a-Si) thin-film solar cell by inserting barrier layer. The conversion efficiency of a-Si thin-film solar cells on graphite substrate shows nearly zero because of the surface roughness of the graphite substrate. To enhance the performance of solar cells, the surface morphology of the back side were modified by changing the barrier layer on graphite. The surface roughness of graphite substrate with the barrier layer grown by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) reduced from ~2 um to ~75 nm. In this study, the combination of the barrier layer on graphite substrate is important to increase solar cell efficiency. We achieved ~ 7.8% cell efficiency for an a-Si thin-film solar cell on graphite substrate with SiNx/SiOx stack barrier layer.

Mo-Cu alloys have been widely used for heat sink materials, vacuum technology, automobile, and many other applications due to their excellent physical and electric properties. Especially, Mo-Cu composites with 5 ~ 20 wt.% copper are widely used for the heavy duty service contacts due to their excellent properties like low coefficient of thermal expansion, wear resistance, high temperature strength, and prominent electrical and thermal conductivity. In most of the applications, highly-dense Mo-Cu materials with homogeneous microstructure are required for better performance. In this study, Mo-Cu alloys were prepared by PBM (planetary ball milling) and SPS (spark plasma sintering). The effect of Cu with contents of 5~20 wt.% on the microstructure and thermal properties of Mo-Cu alloys was investigated.

Minimizing the carrier recombination and electrical loss through surface passivation is required for high efficiency c-Si solar cell. Usually, SiN_{X}, SiO_{X}, SiON_{X} and AlO_{X} layers are used as passivation layer in solar cell application. Silicon oxide layer is one of the good passivation layer in Si based solar cell application. It has good selective carrier, low interface state density, good thermal stability and tunneling effect. Recently tunneling based passivation layer is used for high efficiency Si solar cell such as HIT, TOPCon and TRIEX structure. In this paper, we focused on silicon oxide grown by various the method (thermal, wet-chemical, plasma) and passivation effect in c-Si solar cell.