Search Results (9)

As the typical representative of amorphous oxide semiconductors (AOS), quaternary indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) has been applied as the active layer of thin-film transistors (TFTs), but their mobility is still low (usually ~10 cm²/Vs). IGTO is reported to have larger mobility owing to the addition of Tin (Sn) in IZO. So, whether Sn doping can increase the optoelectronic properties of IGZO is a new topic worth studying. In this study, four series of quinary InGaZnSnO (IGZTO) oxide thin films were deposited on glass substrates using a high-purity IGZTO (In:Ga:Zn:Sn:O = 1:0.5:1.5:0.25:x, atomic ratio) ceramic target by RF magnetron sputtering. The effects of fabrication parameters (sputtering power, argon gas flow, and target-to-substrate distance) and film thickness on the microstructure, optical, and electrical properties of IGZTO thin films were investigated. The results show that all IGZTO thin films deposited at room temperature (RT) are amorphous and have a smooth and uniform surface with a low roughness (RMS of 0.441 nm, RA of 0.332 nm). They exhibit good average visible light transmittance (89.02~90.69%) and an optical bandgap of 3.47~3.56 eV. When the sputtering power is 90 W, the argon gas flow rate is 50 sccm, and the target-to-substrate distance is 60 mm, the IGZTO films demonstrate optimal electrical properties: carrier concentration (3.66 × 10¹⁹ cm⁻³), Hall mobility (29.91 cm²/Vs), and resistivity (0.54 × 10⁻² Ω·cm). These results provide a valuable reference for the property modulation of IGZTO films and the potential application in optoelectronic devices such as TFTs. Full article

The indium-free amorphous oxide semiconductor thin film transistor (AOS-TFT) with aluminum (Al) electrodes shows broad application prospects in new-generation display technologies, such as ultra-high definition large-screen display, OLED display and 3D display. In this work, the thin film transistor (TFT) with a zinc-aluminum-tin-oxide (ZATO) semiconductor as the active layer and an Al electrodes as the source and drain (S/D) was investigated. The optical, electrical and semiconductive properties of the ZATO films were evaluated by atomic force microscopy (AFM), ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry and microwave photoconductivity decay (μ-PCD), respectively. The result shows that the film is smooth and transparent and has low localized states and defects at a moderate oxygen concentration (~5%) and a low sputtering gas pressure (~3 mTorr). After the analysis of the transfer and output characteristics, it can be concluded that the device exhibits an optimal performance at the 623 K annealing temperature with an I_on/I_off ratio of 5.5 × 10⁷, an SS value of 0.15 V/decade and a saturation mobility (μ_sat) of 3.73 cm²·V⁻¹·s⁻¹. The ZATO TFT at the 623 K annealing has a −8.01 V negative shift under the −20 V NBS and a 2.66 V positive shift under the 20 V PBS. Full article

Amorphous oxide semiconductors (AOSs) are interesting materials which combine optical transparency with high electron mobility. AOSs can be prepared at low temperatures by high throughput deposition techniques such as magnetron sputtering and are thus suitable for flexible transparent electronics such as flexible displays, thin-film transistors, and sensors. In magnetron sputtering the energy input into the growing film can be controlled by the plasma conditions instead of the substrate temperature. Here, we report on magnetron sputtering of InGaZnO (IGZO) and ZnSnO (ZTO) with a focus on the effect of deposition conditions on the film properties. IGZO films were deposited by radio-frequency (RF) sputtering from an oxide target while for ZTO, reactive sputtering from an alloy target was used. All films were deposited without substrate heating and characterized with respect to microstructure, electron mobility, and resistivity. The best as-deposited IGZO films exhibited a resistivity of about 2 × 10⁻² Ohm∙cm and an electron mobility of 18 cm²∙V⁻¹∙s⁻¹. The lateral distribution of the electrical properties in such films is mainly related to the activity and amount of oxygen reaching the substrate surface as well as its spatial distribution. The lateral uniformity is strongly influenced by the composition and energy of the material flux towards the substrate. Full article

The thermoelectric properties of In−Sn−O (ITO) thin films were estimated in relation to microstructures with various zinc concentrations. The zinc-doped ITO (ITO:Zn) thin films were amorphized with increasing zinc concentration. The carrier density (n) of the thin films decreased as the zinc content increased, which could be attributed to a decline in oxygen vacancies. The highest Seebeck coefficient (S, 64.91 μV/K) was obtained with an ITO film containing 15.33 at.% of Zn due to the low n value, which also exhibited the highest power factor (234.03 μW K⁻² m⁻¹). However, the highest thermoelectric figure of merit value (0.0627) was obtained from the film containing 18.26 at.% of Zn because of both low n and the lowest thermal conductivity (κ) (1.085 W m⁻¹·K⁻¹). The total κ decreased as increasing zinc concentration in the thin films. It was confirmed that the decrease of total κ was dominated by electron κ rather than lattice κ. Full article

The limited choice of materials for large area electronics limits the expansion of applications. Polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) and indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) lead to thin-film transistors (TFTs) with high field-effect mobilities (>10 cm²/Vs) and high current ON/OFF ratios (I_On/I_Off > ~10⁷). But they both require vacuum processing that needs high investments and maintenance costs. Also, IGZO is prone to the scarcity and price of Ga and In. Other oxide semiconductors require the use of at least two cations (commonly chosen among Ga, Sn, Zn, and In) in order to obtain the amorphous phase. To solve these problems, we demonstrated an amorphous oxide material made using one earth-abundant metal: amorphous tin oxide (a-SnO_x). Through XPS, AFM, optical analysis, and Hall effect, we determined that a-SnO_x is a transparent n-type oxide semiconductor, where the SnO₂ phase is predominant over the SnO phase. Used as the active material in TFTs having a bottom-gate, top-contact structure, a high field-effect mobility of ~100 cm²/Vs and an I_On/I_Off ratio of ~10⁸ were achieved. The stability under 1 h of negative positive gate bias stress revealed a Vth shift smaller than 1 V. Full article

Solution-processed metal oxides have been investigated as an alternative to vacuum-based oxides to implement low-cost, high-performance electronic devices on flexible transparent substrates. However, their electrical properties need to be enhanced to apply at industrial scale. Amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide (a-IGZO) is the most-used transparent semiconductor metal oxide as an active channel layer in thin-film transistors (TFTs), due to its superior electrical properties. The present work evaluates the influence of composition, thickness and ageing on the electrical properties of solution a-IGZO TFTs, using solution combustion synthesis method, with urea as fuel. After optimizing the semiconductor properties, low-voltage TFTs were obtained by implementing a back-surface passivated 3-layer In:Ga:Zn 3:1:1 with a solution-processed high-к dielectric; AlO_x. The devices show saturation mobility of 3.2 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹, I_On/I_Off of 10⁶, SS of 73 mV dec⁻¹ and V_On of 0.18 V, thus demonstrating promising features for low-cost circuit applications. Full article

Amorphous In−Ga−Zn−O (a-IGZO) has been studied as a channel layer in thin-film transistors (TFTs). To improve the bias-induced instability of a-IGZO TFTs, we introduced yttrium with high bond enthalpy by magnetron co-sputtering system. The Y-doped a-IGZO (a-IGZO:Y) films show relatively lower carrier concentration and higher Hall mobility, which is due to the suppression of oxygen vacancies caused by Y doping. The a-IGZO:Y showed a relatively higher transmittance in the visible light region compared to non-doped IGZO, which could be due to the decrease of shallow defect levels caused by oxygen vacancy in the band gap. The a-IGZO without Y doping showed dramatic changes in electrical properties as times progressed (over 240 h); however, the a-IGZO:Y showed no significant changes. The a-IGZO:Y TFTs demonstrated a more stable driving mode as exhibited in the positive gate bias stress test even though the values of V_TH and SS were slightly degraded. Full article

The properties of Al-doped SnO_x films deposited via reactive co-sputtering were examined in terms of their potential applications for the fabrication of transparent and flexible electronic devices. Al 2.2-atom %-doped SnO_x thin-film transistors (TFTs) exhibit improved semiconductor characteristics compared to non-doped films, with a lower sub-threshold swing of ~0.68 Vdec⁻¹, increased on/off current ratio of ~8 × 10⁷, threshold voltage (V_th) near 0 V, and markedly reduced (by 81%) V_th instability in air, attributable to the decrease in oxygen vacancy defects induced by the strong oxidizing potential of Al. Al-doped SnO_x films maintain amorphous crystallinity, an optical transmittance of ~97%, and an adhesive strength (to a plastic substrate) of over 0.7 kgf/mm; such films are thus promising semiconductor candidates for fabrication of transparent flexible TFTs. Full article

It is demonstrated that transparent amorphous oxide semiconductors (TAOS) can be excellent thermoelectric (TE) materials, since their thermal conductivity (κ) through a randomly disordered structure is quite low, while their electrical conductivity and carrier mobility (μ) are high, compared to crystalline semiconductors through the first-principles calculations and the various measurements for the amorphous In−Zn−O (a-IZO) thin film. The calculated phonon dispersion in a-IZO shows non-linear phonon instability, which can prevent the transport of phonon. The a-IZO was estimated to have poor κ and high electrical conductivity compared to crystalline In₂O₃:Sn (c-ITO). These properties show that the TAOS can be an excellent thin-film transparent TE material. It is suggested that the TAOS can be employed to mitigate the heating problem in transparent display devices. Full article