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2020 Microelectronics International
The purpose of this paper is to report on fabrication procedure and present microstructure and dielectric behavior of willemite ceramic material with addition of 5% Li2CO3 as a sintering aid.Design/methodology/approachThe samples were fabricated by ball milling of the ceramic powders, preparation of granulate and pressing and co-firing using temperature profile based on heating microscope observation. The dielectric properties of the material were measured by impedance spectroscopy (Hz-MHz), transmission method (GHz) and time domain spectroscopy (THz). The composition and microstructure of the material were investigated using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectroscopy analysis. Ceramic powder was used to fabricate a green tape and low temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) multilayer structures, which in the next steps of the research were examined at the angle of cooperation with conductive pastes, strength and geometric repeatability.FindingsThe fabricated material showed low sintering temperature (920°C–960°C), low dielectric constant 6.2–6.34 and low dissipation factor at the level of 0.004–0.007. As LTCC material, willemite with 5% Li2CO3 addition showed good compatibility with AgPd conductive paste.Originality/valueSearch for new materials with low dielectric constant, applicable in LTCC technology, and development of their fabrication procedure are important tasks for the progress in modern microwave circuits.
Bartsch, Heike; Thiele, Sebastian; Mueller, Jens; Schabbel, Dirk; Capraro, Beate; Reimann, Timmy; Grund, Steffen; Töpfer, Jörg
2020 Microelectronics International
This paper aims to investigate the usability of the nickel copper zinc ferrite with the composition Ni0.4Cu0.2Zn0.4Fe1.98O3.99 for the realization of high-temperature multilayer coils as discrete components and integrated, buried function units in low temperature cofired ceramics (LTCC).Design/methodology/approachLTCC tapes were cast and test components were produced as multilayer coils and as embedded coils in a dielectric tape. Different metallization pastes are compared. The properties of the components were measured at room temperature and higher temperature up to 250°C. The results are compared with simulation data.FindingsThe silver palladium paste revealed the highest inductance values within the study. The measured characteristics over a frequency range from 1 MHz to 100 MHz agree qualitatively with the measurements obtained from toroidal test samples. The inductance increases with increasing temperature and this influence is lower than 10%. The characteristic of embedded coils is comparable with this of multilayer components. The effective permeability of the ferrite material reaches values around 130.Research limitations/implicationsThe research results based on a limited number of experiments; therefore, the results should be verified considering higher sample sizes.Practical implicationsThe results encourage the further investigation of the material Ni0.4Cu0.2Zn0.4Fe1.98O3.99 for the use as high-temperature ferrite for the design of multilayer coils with an operation frequency in the range of 5-10 MHz and operation temperatures up to 250°C.Originality/valueIt is demonstrated for the first time, that the material Ni0.4Cu0.2Zn0.4Fe1.98O3.99 is suitable for the realization of high-temperature multilayer coils and embedded coils in LTCC circuit carriers with high performance.
Nawrot, Witold; Malecha, Karol
2020 Microelectronics International
The purpose of this paper is to review possibilities of implementing ceramic additive manufacturing (AM) into electronic device production, which can enable great new possibilities.Design/methodology/approachA short introduction into additive techniques is included, as well as primary characterization of structuring capabilities, dielectric performance and applicability in the electronic manufacturing process.FindingsCeramic stereolithography (SLA) is suitable for microchannel manufacturing, even using a relatively inexpensive system. This method is suitable for implementation into the electronic manufacturing process; however, a search for better materials is desired, especially for improved dielectric parameters, lowered sintering temperature and decreased porosity.Practical implicationsRelatively inexpensive ceramic SLA, which is now available, could make ceramic electronics, currently restricted to specific applications, more available.Originality/valueCeramic AM is in the beginning phase of implementation in electronic technology, and only a few reports are currently available, the most significant of which is mentioned in this paper.
Drygała, Aleksandra; Szindler, Marek; Szindler, Magdalena; Jonda, Ewa
2020 Microelectronics International
The purpose of this paper is to improve the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) which present promising low-cost alternative to the conventional silicon solar cells mainly due to comparatively low manufacturing cost, ease of fabrication and relatively good efficiency. One of the undesirable factor in DSSCs is the electron recombination process that takes place at the transparent conductive oxide/electrolyte interface, on the side of photoelectrode. To reduce this effect in the structure of the solar cell, a TiO2 blocking layer (BL) by atomic layer deposition (ALD) was deposited.Design/methodology/approachScanning electron microscope, Raman and UV-Vis spectroscopy were used to evaluate the influence of BL on the photovoltaic properties. Electrical parameters of manufactured DSSCs with and without BL were characterized by measurements of current-voltage characteristics under standard AM 1.5 radiation.FindingsThe TiO2 BL prevents the physical contact of fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) and the electrolyte and leads to increase in the cell’s overall efficiency, from 5.15 to 6.18%. Higher density of the BL, together with larger contact area and improved adherence between the TiO2 layer and FTO surface provide more electron pathways from TiO2 to FTO which facilitates electron transfer.Originality/valueThis paper demonstrates that the introduction of a BL into the photovoltaic device structure is an important step in technology of DSSCs to improve its efficiency. Moreover, the ALD is a powerful technique which allows for the highly reproducible growth of pinhole-free thin films with excellent thickness accuracy and conformality at low temperature.
Górecki, Krzysztof; Górecki, Paweł
2020 Microelectronics International
The purpose of this paper is to propose a simple electrothermal model of GaN Schottky diodes, and its usefulness for circuit-level electrothermal simulation of laboratory-made devices is proved.Design/methodology/approachThe compact electrothermal model of this device has the form of a subcircuit for simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis. This model takes into account influence of a change in ambient temperature in a wide range as well as influence of self-heating phenomena on dc characteristics of laboratory-made GaN Schottky diodes. The method of model parameters estimation is described.FindingsIt is shown that temperature influences fewer characteristics of GaN Schottky diodes than classical silicon diodes. The discussed model accurately describes properties of laboratory made GaN Schottky diodes. Additionally, the measured and computed characteristics of these diodes are shown and discussed.Research limitations/implicationsThe presented model together with the results of measurements and computations is dedicated only to laboratory-made GaN Schottky diodes.Originality/valueThe presented investigations show that characteristics of laboratory-made GaN Schottky diodes visibly change with temperature. These changes can be correctly estimated using the compact electrothermal model proposed in this paper. The correctness of this model is proved for four structures of such diodes characterised by different values of structure area and a different assembly process.
Firek, Piotr; Szarafiński, Jakub; Głuszko, Grzegorz; Szmidt, Jan
2020 Microelectronics International
The purpose of this study is to directly measure and determine the Si/SiO2/AlOxNy interface state density on metal insulator semiconductor field effect transistor (MISFET) structures. The primary advantage of using aluminum oxynitride (AlOxNy) is the perfectly controlled variability of the properties of these layers depending on their stoichiometry, which can be easily controlled by the parameters of the magnetron sputtering process. Therefore, a continuous spectrum of properties can be achieved from the specific values for oxide to the specific ones for nitride, thus opening a wide range of applications in high power, high temperature and high frequency electronics, optics and sensors and even acoustic devices.Design/methodology/approachThe basic subject of this study is n-channel transistors manufactured using silicon with 50-nm-thick AlOxNy films deposited on a silicon dioxide buffer layer via magnetron sputtering in which the gate dielectric was etched with wet solutions and/or dry plasma mixtures. Furthermore, the output, transfer and charge pumping (CP) characteristics were measured and compared for all modifications of the etching process.FindingsAn electrical measurement of MISFETs with AlOxNy gate dielectrics was conducted to plot the current-voltage and CP characteristics and examine the influence of the etching method on MISFET parameters.Originality/valueIn this report, a flat band and threshold voltage and the density of interface traps were determined to evaluate and improve an AlOxNy-based MISFET performance toward highly sensitive field effect transistors for hydrogen detection by applying a Pd-based nanocrystalline layer. The sensitivity of the detectors was highly correlated with the quality of the etching process of the gate dielectrics.
Gierczak, Mirosław Gracjan; Prociów, Eugeniusz; Dziedzic, Andrzej
2020 Microelectronics International
This paper aims to focus on the fabrication and characterization of mixed thin-/thick-film thermoelectric microgenerators, based on magnetron sputtered constantan (copper–nickel alloy) and screen-printed silver. To improve the adhesion of the constantan layer to the applied substrates, the additional chromium sublayer was used. The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of chromium sublayer on the electrical and thermoelectric properties of such hybrid microgenerators.Design/methodology/approachFabrication of such structures consisted of several steps – magnetron sputtering of the chromium and then constantan layer, exposing the first arms of thermocouples, applying the second arms by screen-printing technology and firing the prepared structures in a belt furnace. The structures were made both on Al2O3 (alumina) and low temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) substrates.FindingsTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, for the first time, laser ablation process was applied to fabricate the first arms of thermocouples from a layer of constantan only or constantan with a chromium sublayer. Geometric measurements have shown that the mapping of mask pattern by laser ablation technique is very accurate.Originality/valueThe determined Seebeck coefficient of the realized structures was about 40.4 µV/K. After firing the exemplary structures at 850°C peak temperature, Seebeck coefficient is increased to an average value of 51 µV/K.