Oxide Semiconductor Thin‐Film Transistors: A Review of Recent Advances
TL;DR: The recent progress in n- and p-type oxide based thin-film transistors (TFT) is reviewed, with special emphasis on solution-processed andp-type, and the major milestones already achieved with this emerging and very promising technology are summarizeed.
Abstract: Transparent electronics is today one of the most advanced topics for a wide range of device applications. The key components are wide bandgap semiconductors, where oxides of different origins play an important role, not only as passive component but also as active component, similar to what is observed in conventional semiconductors like silicon. Transparent electronics has gained special attention during the last few years and is today established as one of the most promising technologies for leading the next generation of flat panel display due to its excellent electronic performance. In this paper the recent progress in n- and p-type oxide based thin-film transistors (TFT) is reviewed, with special emphasis on solution-processed and p-type, and the major milestones already achieved with this emerging and very promising technology are summarizeed. After a short introduction where the main advantages of these semiconductors are presented, as well as the industry expectations, the beautiful history of TFTs is revisited, including the main landmarks in the last 80 years, finishing by referring to some papers that have played an important role in shaping transparent electronics. Then, an overview is presented of state of the art n-type TFTs processed by physical vapour deposition methods, and finally one of the most exciting, promising, and low cost but powerful technologies is discussed: solution-processed oxide TFTs. Moreover, a more detailed focus analysis will be given concerning p-type oxide TFTs, mainly centred on two of the most promising semiconductor candidates: copper oxide and tin oxide. The most recent data related to the production of complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices based on n- and p-type oxide TFT is also be presented. The last topic of this review is devoted to some emerging applications, finalizing with the main conclusions. Related work that originated at CENIMAT|I3N during the last six years is included in more detail, which has led to the fabrication of high performance n- and p-type oxide transistors as well as the fabrication of CMOS devices with and on paper.
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TL;DR: The role of defects and impurities on the transport and optical properties of bulk, epitaxial, and nanostructures material, the difficulty in p-type doping, and the development of processing techniques like etching, contact formation, dielectrics for gate formation, and passivation are discussed in this article.
Abstract: Gallium oxide (Ga2O3) is emerging as a viable candidate for certain classes of power electronics, solar blind UV photodetectors, solar cells, and sensors with capabilities beyond existing technologies due to its large bandgap. It is usually reported that there are five different polymorphs of Ga2O3, namely, the monoclinic (β-Ga2O3), rhombohedral (α), defective spinel (γ), cubic (δ), or orthorhombic (e) structures. Of these, the β-polymorph is the stable form under normal conditions and has been the most widely studied and utilized. Since melt growth techniques can be used to grow bulk crystals of β-GaO3, the cost of producing larger area, uniform substrates is potentially lower compared to the vapor growth techniques used to manufacture bulk crystals of GaN and SiC. The performance of technologically important high voltage rectifiers and enhancement-mode Metal-Oxide Field Effect Transistors benefit from the larger critical electric field of β-Ga2O3 relative to either SiC or GaN. However, the absence of clear demonstrations of p-type doping in Ga2O3, which may be a fundamental issue resulting from the band structure, makes it very difficult to simultaneously achieve low turn-on voltages and ultra-high breakdown. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent advances in the growth, processing, and device performance of the most widely studied polymorph, β-Ga2O3. The role of defects and impurities on the transport and optical properties of bulk, epitaxial, and nanostructures material, the difficulty in p-type doping, and the development of processing techniques like etching, contact formation, dielectrics for gate formation, and passivation are discussed. Areas where continued development is needed to fully exploit the properties of Ga2O3 are identified.
1,535 citations
TL;DR: This Review surveys the uniqueness and universality of MOs versus other unconventional electronic materials in terms of materials chemistry and physics, electronic characteristics, thin-film fabrication strategies and selected applications in thin- film transistors, solar cells, diodes and memories.
Abstract: Optical transparency, tunable conducting properties and easy processability make metal oxides key materials for advanced optoelectronic devices. This Review discusses recent advances in the synthesis of these materials and their use in applications. Metal oxides (MOs) are the most abundant materials in the Earth's crust and are ingredients in traditional ceramics. MO semiconductors are strikingly different from conventional inorganic semiconductors such as silicon and III–V compounds with respect to materials design concepts, electronic structure, charge transport mechanisms, defect states, thin-film processing and optoelectronic properties, thereby enabling both conventional and completely new functions. Recently, remarkable advances in MO semiconductors for electronics have been achieved, including the discovery and characterization of new transparent conducting oxides, realization of p-type along with traditional n-type MO semiconductors for transistors, p–n junctions and complementary circuits, formulations for printing MO electronics and, most importantly, commercialization of amorphous oxide semiconductors for flat panel displays. This Review surveys the uniqueness and universality of MOs versus other unconventional electronic materials in terms of materials chemistry and physics, electronic characteristics, thin-film fabrication strategies and selected applications in thin-film transistors, solar cells, diodes and memories.
1,098 citations
TL;DR: This Review focuses on the analysis of new approaches and results in the field of solution combustion synthesis (SCS) obtained during recent years, emphasizing the chemical mechanisms that are responsible for rapid self-sustained combustion reactions.
Abstract: Solution combustion is an exciting phenomenon, which involves propagation of self-sustained exothermic reactions along an aqueous or sol–gel media. This process allows for the synthesis of a variety of nanoscale materials, including oxides, metals, alloys, and sulfides. This Review focuses on the analysis of new approaches and results in the field of solution combustion synthesis (SCS) obtained during recent years. Thermodynamics and kinetics of reactive solutions used in different chemical routes are considered, and the role of process parameters is discussed, emphasizing the chemical mechanisms that are responsible for rapid self-sustained combustion reactions. The basic principles for controlling the composition, structure, and nanostructure of SCS products, and routes to regulate the size and morphology of the nanoscale materials are also reviewed. Recently developed systems that lead to the formation of novel materials and unique structures (e.g., thin films and two-dimensional crystals) with unusual...
841 citations
TL;DR: In this review, recent progress in materials and devices for future wearable sensor technologies for bio and medical applications are reported.
Abstract: Printable electronics present a new era of wearable electronic technologies. Detailed technologies consisting of novel ink semiconductor materials, flexible substrates, and unique processing methods can be integrated to create flexible sensors. To detect various stimuli of the human body, as well as specific environments, unique electronic devices formed by "ink-based semiconductors" onto flexible and/or stretchable substrates have become a major research trend in recent years. Materials such as inorganic, organic, and hybrid semiconductors with various structures (i.e., 1D, 2D and 3D) with printing capabilities have been considered for bio and medical applications. In this review, we report recent progress in materials and devices for future wearable sensor technologies.
589 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the recent progress in n-and p-type oxide based thin-film transistors (TFT) is reviewed, with special emphasis on solution-processed and p type, and the major milestones already achieved with this emerging and very promising technology are summarized.
Abstract: Transparent electronics is today one of the most advanced topics for a wide range of device applications. The key components are wide bandgap semiconductors, where oxides of different origins play an important role, not only as passive component but also as active component, similar to what is observed in conventional semiconductors like silicon. Transparent electronics has gained special attention during the last few years and is today established as one of the most promising technologies for leading the next generation of flat panel display due to its excellent electronic performance. In this paper the recent progress in n- and p-type oxide based thin-film transistors (TFT) is reviewed, with special emphasis on solution-processed and p-type, and the major milestones already achieved with this emerging and very promising technology are summarizeed. After a short introduction where the main advantages of these semiconductors are presented, as well as the industry expectations, the beautiful history of TFTs is revisited, including the main landmarks in the last 80 years, finishing by referring to some papers that have played an important role in shaping transparent electronics. Then, an overview is presented of state of the art n-type TFTs processed by physical vapour deposition methods, and finally one of the most exciting, promising, and low cost but powerful technologies is discussed: solution-processed oxide TFTs. Moreover, a more detailed focus analysis will be given concerning p-type oxide TFTs, mainly centred on two of the most promising semiconductor candidates: copper oxide and tin oxide. The most recent data related to the production of complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices based on n- and p-type oxide TFT is also be presented. The last topic of this review is devoted to some emerging applications, finalizing with the main conclusions. Related work that originated at CENIMAT|I3N during the last six years is included in more detail, which has led to the fabrication of high performance n- and p-type oxide transistors as well as the fabrication of CMOS devices with and on paper.
529 citations
References
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyzed electrical characteristics of amorphous indium-gallium-zincoxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistor (TFT) with plasma-exposed source-drain (S/D) bulk region.
Abstract: In this paper, we analyzed electrical characteristics of amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistor (TFT) with plasma-exposed source-drain (S/D) bulk region. The parasitic resistance and effective channel length characteristics exhibit similar behavior with that of crystalline silicon metal oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (c-Si MOSFET) that has doped S/D bulk region. The transfer curves little changed with gate overlap variation, and the width-normalized parasitic resistance obtained from transmission line method was as low as 3 to 6 Omegamiddotcm. The effective channel length was shorter than the mask channel length and showed gate-to-source (VGS) voltage dependency that is frequently observed for lightly doped drain (LDD) MOSFET. Experimental and simulation results showed that the plasma exposure caused an LDD-like doping effect in the S/D bulk region by inducing oxygen vacancy in the a-IGZO layer.
42 citations
TL;DR: High-resolution electron microscopy studies reveal a monolayer of particles for the low temperature spin coating approach and larger crystalline domains for the spray pyrolysis technique for zinc oxide thin-films.
Abstract: Zinc oxide thin-films are prepared either by spin coating of an ethanolic dispersion of nanoparticles (NP, diameter 5 nm) or by spray pyrolysis of a zinc acetate dihydrate precursor. High-resolution electron microscopy studies reveal a monolayer of particles for the low temperature spin coating approach and larger crystalline domains of more than 30 nm for the spray pyrolysis technique. Thin-film transistor devices (TFTs) based on spray pyrolysis films exhibit higher electron mobilities of up to 24 cm2 V−1s−1 compared to 0.6 cm2 V−1s−1 for NP based TFTs. These observations were dedicated to a reduced number of grain boundaries within the transistor channel.
42 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the effects of ultraviolet (UV) light and the electrical properties of solution-based indium gallium zinc oxide single-walled carbon nanotube thin-film transistors (SB-IGZO/SWNT TFT), compared with those of solution based IGZO TFT, were studied.
41 citations
TL;DR: The result suggests that various electronic devices can be prepared using metal oxide nanomaterials, which exhibit various properties including magnetism, ferroelectronics and catalysis as well as stability and safety in air and water.
Abstract: Nickel oxide nanoplates were continuously synthesized by hydrothermal reaction using a flow-type reactor The products had a thickness of ~ 10 nm and a lateral size of 100–500 nm The nanoplates were purified and drop-cast on a bottom-gate substrate and used as the channel material in a field-effect transistor after annealing at 300 °C The Id–Vd profile showed that the NiO nanoplates worked as the p-type semiconductor This result suggests that various electronic devices can be prepared using metal oxide nanomaterials, which exhibit various properties including magnetism, ferroelectronics and catalysis as well as stability and safety in air and water
41 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a double-active-layer TFT with a gallium indium zinc oxide (a-GIZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) has been fabricated by using the double active layers.
Abstract: High reliable bottom gate amorphous gallium indium zinc oxide (a-GIZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) have been fabricated by using the double active layers. Top and bottom layers were CuGaInZnO (CGIZO) and GIZO, respectively. When the plasma-enhanced processes were introduced during fabrication of the TFTs, the TFT with a-GIZO single active layer did not exhibit electrically reliable performance due to forming the conducting surface layer from the plasma damages. The double-active-layer TFT with a CGIZO layer had the reliable performance (μ FE of 5.1 cm 2 /V s, V th of 3.25 V, subthreshold gate swing value of 0.68 V/decade, I off of 3.8 X 10 -12 A) even under the same processes. This suggested that the Cu atom of CGIZO layer suppressed the carrier concentration during plasma-enhanced processes. The TFTs with double active layer showed excellent stability, which has the threshold voltage shift of <0.6 V at 3 μA drain current under 60°C for 100 h.
40 citations