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국립부경대-KIST, 차세대 AI 비전 센서 구현 앞당긴다(PKNU and KIST Accelerate Development of Next-Generation AI Vision Sensors)
작성자 대외홍보센터 작성일 2026-06-05
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작성자,작성일,첨부파일,조회수로 작성된 표
국립부경대-KIST, 차세대 AI 비전 센서 구현 앞당긴다(PKNU and KIST Accelerate Development of Next-Generation AI Vision Sensors)
대외홍보센터 2026-06-05 340

국립부경대·한국과학기술연구원, 차세대 AI 비전 센서 구현 앞당길 2차원 금속 전극 기술 개발
- 국립부경대 장지수 교수·KIST 황도경·문효원 박사 공동연구팀 성과
- 국제학술지 'Materials Science and Engineering R: Reports' 논문 게재

△  공동연구팀 사진. 위 왼쪽부터 연응선 KIST 및 KU-KIST 융합대학원 학생연구원(제1저자), 이윤정 KIST 인턴연구원(제1저자), 한성준 KIST 및 KU-KIST 융합대학원 학생연구원(제1저자), 아래 왼쪽부터 문효원 KIST 선임연구원(교신저자), 황도경 KIST 책임연구원 및 KU-KIST 융합대학원 학연교수(교신저자), 장지수 국립부경대 교수(교신저자).

 

국립부경대학교와 한국과학기술연구원(KIST) 공동 연구진이 차세대 반도체인 2차원(2D) 반도체의 성능을 좌우하는 핵심 요소가 2차원 금속 전극임을 규명하고, 이를 활용해 고성능 광전자 소자와 인-센서 컴퓨팅(In-sensor Computing) 기능을 구현했다.


이번 연구 결과는 차세대 인공지능(AI) 비전 센서(인간의 시각처럼 이미지를 포착하는 센서)의 실현에도 새로운 해법이 될 것으로 보인다.

국립부경대 장지수 교수(디스플레이반도체공학전공), 한국과학기술연구원 차세대반도체연구소 양자기술연구단 황도경 박사(고려대 KU-KIST 융합대학원 학연교수)·문효원 박사 공동연구팀은 ‘2차원 금속을 활용한 새로운 광전자 소자 구조 설계’ 기술을 개발했다. 이 연구 성과는 세계적인 재료공학 분야 학술지인 'Materials Science and Engineering R: Reports' (IF=26.8)>에 6월 1일 온라인으로 게재됐다.

2차원 반도체는 원자 몇 층 두께의 초박막 구조를 갖는 신소재로, 차세대 저전력 전자소자와 인공지능 비전 시스템 등에 활용될 것으로 기대된다. 그러나 2차원 반도체와 전극이 접촉하는 계면에서 발생하는 결함과 페르미 준위 고정(Fermi-level pinning) 현상은 소자 성능을 제한하는 대표적인 문제로 지적돼 왔다.

연구팀은 이러한 한계를 극복하기 위해 다양한 2차원 금속 전극을 활용한 광전자 소자 구조를 설계하고, 전극 특성이 광전자 성능에 미치는 영향을 체계적으로 비교·분석했다. 

연구 결과, 2차원 금속은 기존 벌크 금속 전극과 달리 2차원 반도체 표면에 손상을 유발하지 않으며, 결함이 거의 없는 이상적인 계면을 형성하는 것을 확인했다. 또한 광발광(photoluminescence), 온도 의존 전기적 특성 분석을 통해 2차원 금속과 WS2 반도체 사이에서 계면 결함과 페르미 준위 고정 현상이 효과적으로 억제되는 것도 확인했다.

이와 함께 연구진은 여러 종류의 2차원 금속을 광전소자에 적용해 실험한 결과, 전극의 일함수가 광검출 특성을 결정하는 핵심 인자라는 사실을 밝혔다. 특히 높은 일함수를 갖는 염소(Cl)가 도핑된 2차원 금속 셀렌늄화주석(Cl-SnSe2)을 전극으로 적용한 경우, 광검출기의 선형 동적 범위(Line Dynamic Range)가 135 dB에 달하고 광전변환효율(Power Conversion Efficiency)은 13.6%에 이르는 우수한 성능을 달성했다.

더 나아가 연구팀은 개발된 고효율의 광전 소자를 활용해 센서 내부에서 영상 정보를 직접 처리하는 ‘인-센서 컴퓨팅(In-sensor Computing)’ 기능을 구현했다. 그 결과, 기존 금속 전극을 사용한 소자보다 2차원 금속 전극을 적용한 소자의 이미지 처리 기능이 훨씬 우수한 것으로 나타났다.

연구책임자인 장지수 교수는 “이번 연구는 2차원 금속 전극의 일함수가 소자의 광전 특성을 어떻게 결정하는지 체계적으로 규명한 것으로, 향후 인공지능 비전 시스템, 차세대 저전력 광센서 및 엣지 컴퓨팅 시스템 등 다양한 분야에 활용될 수 있을 것으로 기대한다”고 밝혔다.

한편, 이번 연구는 국립부경대 신임교수 학술연구비 지원사업과 과학기술정보통신부 KIST 주요 사업 및 중견연구사업의 지원을 받아 수행됐다. <부경투데이>

 

△ 2차원 금속 전극이 적용된 광전자 소자의 모식도와 광전 특성, 그리고 인-센서 컴퓨팅 구현 결과 이미지. (상, 좌측) 2차원 금속 전극의 반데르발스(vdW) 전사 공정 모식도. (상, 우측) 2차원 금속 전극이 적용된 WS2 다이오드의 에너지 밴드 구조. (하, 좌측) Cl-SnSe2 전극이 적용된 WS2 광검출기의 광전 특성. (하, 중앙) Cl-SnSe2 전극이 적용된 WS2 광전지(Photovoltaic cell)의 광전 특성. (하, 우측) 다양한 전극 소재가 적용된 인-센서 컴퓨팅 소자의 이미지 처리 성능 비교.

 

PKNU and Korea Institute of Science and Technology Develop Two-Dimensional Metal Electrode Technology to Accelerate Next-Generation AI Vision Sensor Implementation

- Research Achievement by Professor Ji-Soo Jang of Pukyong National University and Drs. Do-Kyung Hwang and Hyo-Won Moon of KIST

- Paper Published in International Journal  'Materials Science and Engineering R: Reports'

 

A joint research team from Pukyong National University and the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) has identified two-dimensional (2D) metal electrodes as a key factor determining the performance of next generation 2D semiconductor devices. Leveraging this discovery, the team successfully demonstrated both high-performance optoelectronic devices and In-sensor computing functionality.

 

The findings are expected to provide a new technological pathway toward the realization of next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) vision sensors, which are designed to capture and process visual information in a manner similar to the human visual system.

 

A joint research team consisting of Professor Ji-Soo Jang of the Department of Display and Semiconductor Engineering at Pukyong National University, and Dr. Do-Kyung Hwang (a faculty-affiliated professor at the KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University) and Dr. Hyo-Won Moon of the Quantum Technology Research Center, Center for Next-Generation Semiconductor Research, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), has developed a technology for designing a new optoelectronic device architecture utilizing two-dimensional (2D) metal electrodes. The research findings were published online on June 1 in a leading international journal in the field of materials science, Advanced Materials  'Materials Science and Engineering R: Reports' (IF=26.8).

 

Two-dimensional semiconductors are emerging materials composed of ultrathin structures, only a few atomic layers thick and are considered promising candidates for applications in next-generation low-power electronic devices and artificial intelligence vision systems. However, defects formed at the interface where 2D semiconductors come into contact with electrodes, along with the phenomenon known as Fermi-level pinning, have long been recognized as major obstacles limiting device performance.

 

To overcome these limitations, the research team designed a variety of optoelectronic device architectures incorporating different two-dimensional metal electrodes and systematically compared and analyzed how electrode characteristics influence optoelectronic performance.

 

The study demonstrated that, unlike conventional bulk metal electrodes, 2D metal electrodes do not damage the surface of 2D semiconductors and instead form an almost defect-free, ideal interface. Furthermore, through photoluminescence measurements and temperature-dependent electrical characterization, the researchers confirmed that both interface defects and Fermi-level pinning effects between the 2D metal electrodes and WS(tungsten disulfide) semiconductor were effectively suppressed.

 

In addition, by applying various types of 2D metal electrodes to optoelectronic devices and conducting systematic experiments, the researchers identified the work function of the electrode as a critical factor governing photodetection performance. In particular, when chlorine (Cl)-doped two-dimensional tin diselenide (Cl-SnSe), a 2D metal with a high work function, was used as the electrode material, the photodetector achieved outstanding performance, exhibiting a linear dynamic range (LDR) of 135 dB and a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 13.6%.

 

Building on these results, the team further demonstrated In-sensor Computing, a technology that enables image information to be processed directly within the sensor itself, using the newly developed high-efficiency optoelectronic devices. Experimental results showed that devices employing 2D metal electrodes delivered significantly superior image-processing capabilities compared with conventional devices based on traditional bulk metal electrodes.

 

Professor Ji-Soo Jang, the principal investigator of the study, stated, “This research systematically demonstrates how the work function of two-dimensional metal electrodes determines the optoelectronic characteristics of devices. We expect the findings to be widely applicable to a range of future technologies, including artificial intelligence vision systems, next-generation low-power optical sensors, and edge computing platforms.”

 

Meanwhile, the research was supported by the New Faculty Research Grant Program of Pukyong National University, as well as the KIST Institutional Program and the Mid-Career Researcher Program funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT.