Thermal conductivity of unidirectionally oriented Si3N4w/Si3N4 composites

-silicon nitride whiskers were aligned unidirectionally in silicon nitride sintered with 2 wt% Al₂O₃ and 6 wt% Y₂O₃. It was be densified by the Gas Pressure Sintering (GPS) method. Thermal conductivity of the sintered body with different amount of - silicon nitride whiskers was measured by the direct contact method from 298 K to 373 K. This unidirectionally oriented -silicon nitride whiskers grew into the large elongated grains, and improved also the thermal conductivity. The amount of -silicon nitride whiskers changed the microstrcuture, which changed the thermal conductivity.     

Etch characteristics of magnetic tunnel junction stack with nanometer-sized patterns for magnetic random access memory

Etch characteristics of magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) stack masked with TiN films were investigated using an inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etcher in Cl₂/Ar and BCl₃/Ar gases for magnetic random access memory. The effect of etch gas on the etch profile of MTJ stacks was examined. As Cl₂ and BCl₃ concentrations increased, the etch slope of etched MTJ stack became slanted and the dimensional shrinkage was observed. A high degree of anisotropic etching of MTJ stacks was achieved using Cl₂/Ar gas at the optimized etch conditions.     

Synthesis and electrical property of indium tin oxide nanofibers using electrospinning method

In this study indium tin oxide (ITO) nanofibers were synthesized using an electrospinning method. The morphological properties of the ITO nanofibers were considered and their specific resistances were measured to determine their applicability as filler for a transparent conducting film. ITO/PVP composite nanofibers were successfully obtained by electrospinning using a precursor solution containing indium nitrate, tin chloride, and poly(vinlypyrrolidone). After the heat treatment of ITO/PVP composite nanofibers at 600 degrees C and 1000 degrees C, ITO nanofibers with an average diameter of about 168 nm and 165 nm were synthesized, respectively.     

Hydrogen gettering of titaniumpalladium/palladium nanocomposite films synthesized by cosputtering and vacuum-annealing

Nano-engineered composite film, prepared by the combination of titanium (Ti) nanoparticles with surrounding layers of palladium (Pd), has been suggested as a high performance hydrogen (H₂) getter. Uniform TiPd film covered by a 35-nm-thick Pd layer was deposited on a silicon wafer via cosputtering and post-vacuum-annealing. As the annealing temperature increased from 200 to 400 °C, amorphous alloy and nano-aggregates were observed, and efficient structural modulation occurred at 400 °C, where dewetting of Pd cover layer from the getter surface was observed. This led to the enhancement of the chemisorption capacity of the 400^oC-annealed sample, two-times higher than that of the 300^oC-annealed sample. Abrupt change in residual gases, which typically come from a bonding process, can be mitigated by minimizing the gas transfer distance through the dewetting of the cover layer; since Ti nanoparticles surrounded by Pd exist independently of each other in the gettering layer, external H₂ gas molecules can be continuously adsorbed onto still-unreacted Ti particles by passing through the dewetted channels in the Pd cover layer. This concept demonstrates a pathway towards a useful synthetic approach for high-performance thin-film getters with high adsorption capacity, fast gettering rate and good device compatibility.     

Reliability of composite solder bumps produced by an in-situ process

In an attempt to develop a thermally stable solder system, an in-situ Pb-Sn solder composite reinforced with Cu₆Sn₅ dispersoids was investigated for its thermal stability. The stability was evaluated mainly by measuring the growth rate of intermetallics at in-situ composite solder/BLM interface as a function of the number of reflow soldering cycles and aging time. The rates were compared with those of the eutectic Pb-Sn and Sn-Ag solders. After the thermal treatments, the solder joints were tested for their shear strengths. The results indicated that the in-situ composite solder has a higher shear strength and better thermal stability than the eutectic Pb-Sn solder. Jointly appointed by CAAM at POSTECH     

Effects of Self-Assembled Monolayer and PFPE Lubricant on Wear Characteristics of Flat Silicon Tips

The effects of self-assembled monolayer (SAM) and perfluoropolyether (PFPE) lubricant on the wear characteristics of flat silicon tips were investigated. The wear test consisted of sliding the silicon tips fabricated on a flat silicon specimen against SAM and PFPE (Z-tetraol) coated silicon (100) wafer. The tips were slid at a low speed for about 15 km under an applied load of 39.2 μN. The wear volume of the tip was obtained by measuring the tip profile using an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). It was found that the coatings were effective in reducing the wear of the tips by an order of magnitude from 10⁻⁶ to 10⁻⁷.     

Robust slab-coupled buried-rib semiconductor laser with high fibre coupling efficiency

A robust, single transverse mode slab-coupled buried-rib waveguide laser by combining the concept of slab-coupled waveguide and the technique of diluted waveguide is demonstrated. The large mode size and near-circular mode profile result in high fibre coupling efficiency and improved alignment tolerance.     

Junctional Modulation of Round Window Membrane Enhances Dexamethasone Uptake into the Inner Ear and Recovery after NIHL

Delivery of substances into the inner ear via local routes is increasingly being used in clinical treatment. Studies have focused on methods to increase permeability through the round window membrane (RWM) and enhance drug diffusion into the inner ear. However, the clinical applications of those methods have been unclear and few studies have investigated the efficacy of methods in an inner ear injury model. Here, we employed the medium chain fatty acid caprate, a biologically safe, clinically applicable substance, to modulate tight junctions of the RWM. Intratympanic treatment of sodium caprate (SC) induced transient, but wider, gaps in intercellular spaces of the RWM epithelial layer and enhanced the perilymph and cochlear concentrations/uptake of dexamethasone. Importantly, dexamethasone co–administered with SC led to significantly more rapid recovery from noise-induced hearing loss at 4 and 8 kHz, compared with the dexamethasone-only group. Taken together, our data indicate that junctional modulation of the RWM by SC enhances dexamethasone uptake into the inner ear, thereby hastening the recovery of hearing sensitivity after noise trauma.     

Silicon/Silicon Carbide Composites Fabricated by Infiltration of a Silicon Melt into Charcoal

Dense Si/SiC composites were fabricated via a conventional reaction-bonding process, using oak charcoal that exhibited a honeycomb structure. The silicon melt was infiltrated into the porous oak charcoal (density of ~0.6 g/cm³) while the sample was heated to 1700°C under vacuum (10^-3 torr (~0.133 Pa)), which resulted in in situ silicon-fiber/SiC composites. The reaction product had an average density of 2.8 g/cm³ and showed three-point flexural strengths of 330 MPa at room temperature and 280 MPa at 1300°C. Good oxidation resistance also was observed at temperatures up to 1300°C in flowing air. This process provided excellent shape-making capability, because the charcoal that was used as a preform was readily machinable.