We fabricated 10 nm-TiO2 thin films for DSSC (dye sensitized solar cell) electrode application using ALD (atomic layer deposition) method at the low temperatures of 150˚ and 250˚. We characterized the crosssectional microstructure, phase, chemical binding energy, and absorption of the TiO2 using TEM, HRXRD, XPS, and UV-VIS-NIR, respectively. TEM analysis showed a 10 nm-thick flat and uniform TiO2 thin film regardless of the deposition temperatures. Through XPS analysis, it was found that the stoichiometric TiO2 phase was formed and confirmed by measuring main characteristic peaks of Ti 2p1, Ti 2p3, and O 1s indicating the binding energy status. Through UV-VIS-NIR analysis, ALD-TiO2 thin films were found to have a band gap of 3.4 eV resulting in the absorption edges at 360 nm, while the conventional TiO2 films had a band gap of 3.0 eV (rutile)~3.2 eV (anatase) with the absorption edges at 380 nm and 410 nm. Our results implied that the newly proposed nano-thick TiO2 film using an ALD process at 150˚ had almost the same properties as thsose of film at 250˚. Therefore, we confirmed that the ALD-processed TiO2 thin film with nano-thickness formed at low temperatures might be suitable for the electrode process of flexible devices.

Thermally evaporated 10 nm-Ni/1 nm-Au/(30 nm-poly)Si structures were fabricated in order to investigate the thermal stability of Au-inserted nickel silicide. The silicide samples underwent rapid thermal annealing at 300~1100˚C for 40 seconds. The sheet resistance was measured using a four-point probe. A scanning electron microscope and a transmission electron microscope were used to determine the cross-sectional structure and surface image. High-resolution X-ray diffraction and a scanning probe microscope were employed for the phase and surface roughness. According to sheet resistance and XRD analyses, nickel silicide with Au had no effect on widening the NiSi stabilization temperature region. Au-inserted nickel silicide on a single crystal silicon substrate showed nano-dots due to the preferred growth and a self-arranged agglomerate nano phase due to agglomeration. It was possible to tune the characteristic size of the agglomerate phase with silicidation temperatures. The nano-thick Au-insertion was shown to lead to self-arranged microstructures of nickel silicide.