In this study, we report significant improvements in lithium-ion battery anodes cost and performance, by fabricating nano porous silicon (Si) particles from Si wafer sludge using the metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) process. To solve the problem of volume expansion of Si during alloying/de-alloying with lithium ions, a layer was formed through nitric acid treatment, and Ag particles were removed at the same time. This layer acts as a core-shell structure that suppresses Si volume expansion. Additionally, the specific surface area of Si increased by controlling the etching time, which corresponds to the volume expansion of Si, showing a synergistic effect with the core-shell. This development not only contributes to the development of high-capacity anode materials, but also highlights the possibility of reducing manufacturing costs by utilizing waste Si wafer sludge. In addition, this method enhances the capacity retention rate of lithium-ion batteries by up to 38 %, marking a significant step forward in performance improvements.

In this study, we designed and manufactured a large angular contact ball bearing (LACBB) with low deformation using JIS-SUJ2 steel and analyzed changes in its structural characteristics and chemical composition upon heat treatment. The bearing was produced by hot forging and heat treatment including a quenching and tempering (Q/T) process, and its properties were analyzed using 4 mm thick specimens. A difference in the size distribution of the carbide in the outer and inner parts of the bearing was observed and it was confirmed that large and non-uniform carbide was distributed in the inner part of the bearing. After heat treatment, the hardness value of the outer part increased from 13.4 HRC to 61 HRC and the inner part increased from 8.0 HRC to 59.7 HRC. As a result of X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements, the volume fraction of the retained austenite contained in the outer part was calculated to be 3.5~4.8 % and the inner part was calculated to be 3.6~5.0 %. The surface chemical composition and the content of chemical bonds were quantified through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and a decrease in C=C bonds and an increase in Fe-C bonds were confirmed.

In this study, surface roughness and interfacial defect characteristics were analyzed after forming a high-k oxide film on the surface of a prime wafer and a test wafer, to study the possibility of improving the quality of the test wafer. As a result of checking the roughness, the deviation in the test after raising the oxide film was 0.1 nm, which was twice as large as that of the Prime. As a result of current-voltage analysis, Prime after PMA was 1.07 × 10 A/cm2 and Test was 5.61 × 10 A/cm2, which was about 5 times lower than Prime. As a result of analyzing the defects inside the oxide film using the capacitancevoltage characteristic, before PMA Prime showed a higher electrical defect of 0.85 × 1012 cm2 in slow state density and 0.41 × 1013 cm2 in fixed oxide charge. However, after PMA, it was confirmed that Prime had a lower defect of 4.79 × 1011 cm2 in slow state density and 1.33 × 1012 cm2 in fixed oxide charge. The above results confirm the difference in surface roughness and defects between the Test and Prime wafer.

A spin coating process for RRAM, which is a TiN/TiO2/FTO structure based on a PTC sol solution, was developed in this laboratory, a method which enables low-temperature and eco-friendly manufacturing. The RRAM corresponds to an OxRAM that operates through the formation and extinction of conductive filaments. Heat treatment was selected as a method of controlling oxygen vacancy (VO), a major factor of the conductive filament. It was carried out at 100 oC under moisture removal conditions and at 300 oC and 500 oC for excellent phase stability. XRD analysis confirmed the anatase phase in the thin film increased as the heat treatment increased, and the Ti3+ and OH- groups were observed to decrease in the XPS analysis. In the I-V analysis, the device at 100 oC showed a low primary SET voltage of 5.1 V and a high ON/OFF ratio of 104. The double-logarithmic plot of the I-V curve confirmed the device at 100 oC required a low operating voltage. As a result, the 100 oC heat treatment conditions were suitable for the low voltage driving and high ON/OFF ratio of TiN/TiO2/FTO RRAM devices and these results suggest that the operating voltage and ON/OFF ratio required for OxRAM devices used in various fields under specific heat treatment conditions can be compromised.

Here, we report the development of a new and low-cost core-shell structure for lithium-ion battery anodes using silicon waste sludge and the Ti-ion complex. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the raw waste silicon sludge powder to be pure silicon without other metal impurities and the particle size distribution is measured to be from 200 nm to 3 μm by dynamic light scattering (DLS). As a result of pulverization by a planetary mill, the size of the single crystal according to the Scherrer formula is calculated to be 12.1 nm, but the average particle size of the agglomerate is measured to be 123.6 nm. A Si/TiO2 core-shell structure is formed using simple Ti complex ions, and the ratio of TiO2 peaks increased with an increase in the amount of Ti ions. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations revealed that TiO2 coating on Si nanoparticles results in a Si-TiO2 core-shell structure. This result is expected to improve the stability and cycle of lithium-ion batteries as anodes.