Effects of annealing temperature and Ga content on properties of solution-processed InGaZnO thin film

Abstract

Oxide thin film transistor with an oxide channel layer is investigated to cater to the requirements of transparent electronics for the high mobility, good uniformity, and large band gap. Owing to its special conduction mechanism, high carrier mobility can be realized even in the amorphous phase. Oxide-based thin films have been prepared by using a number of methods, such as pulsed laser deposition, chemical vapor deposition, radio-frequency sputtering and solution-derived process. Solution processing is commonly used in TFT applications because of its simplicity and potential application in printed device fabrication. In the solution process, the conductivity of multicomponent oxide films can be controlled by incorporating charge-controlling cations. In this paper, bottom-gat topcontact thin film transistors are fabricated by using solution processed InGaZnO channel layers. The effects of annealing temperature and Ga content on the properties of thin film transistor are examined. Optical transmittance of InGaZnO thin film is greater than 80% in the visible region. Electrical characteristics of InGaZnO thin film transistor are improved by increasing annealing temperature. The threshold voltage of solution-processed InGaZnO transistor decreases from 6.74 to -0.62 V with annealing temperature increasing from 250 to 400 ℃, owing to the increase in electron concentration in the active layer. A lower annealing temperature suppresses the generation of carriers outside of the control of Ga cations. X-ray photoelectron spectrum measurement shows that the electron concentration increases because oxygen vacancies generate electrons. The incorporation of Ga into a InZnO compound system results in reducing the carrier concentration of the film and an off-current of thin film transistor. As the Ga ratio is increased at an identical In and Zn content, the carrier concentration of the film decreases and the threshold voltage of thin film transistor shifts towards the positive direction. As the content of Ga is increased in the oxide active layer of transistor, the subthreshold amplitude decreases, and the on/off ratio is improved. This is a consequence of the Ga ions forming strong chemical bonds with oxygen as compared with the Zn and In ions, acting as a carrier suppressor. The performances of thin film transistor with an atomic ratio of In: Ga: Zn=5:1.3:2 are optimized as follows: saturation mobility of 0.43 cm2/(Vs), threshold voltage of -1.22 V, on/off current ratio of 4.7104, subthreshold amplitude of 0.78 V/decade.