Investigation of the Electrical Characteristics of Bilayer ZnO/In<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> Thin-Film Transistors Fabricated by Solution Processing

oleh: Hyeonju Lee, Xue Zhang, Jung Won Kim, Eui-Jik Kim, Jaehoon Park

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2018-10-01

Deskripsi

Metal-oxide thin-film transistors (TFTs) have been developed as promising candidates for use in various electronic and optoelectronic applications. In this study, we fabricated bilayer zinc oxide (ZnO)/indium oxide (In<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>) TFTs by using the sol-gel solution process, and investigated the structural and chemical properties of the bilayer ZnO/In<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> semiconductor and the electrical properties of these transistors. The thermogravimetric analysis results showed that ZnO and In<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> films can be produced by the thermal annealing process at 350 &#176;C. The grazing incidence X-ray diffraction patterns and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy results revealed that the intensity and position of characteristic peaks related to In<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> in the bilayer structure were not affected by the underlying ZnO film. On the other hand, the electrical properties, such as drain current, threshold voltage, and field-effect mobility of the bilayer ZnO/In<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> TFTs obviously improved, compared with those of the single-layer In<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> TFTs. Considering the energy bands of ZnO and In<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>, the enhancement in the TFT performance is explained through the electron transport between ZnO and In<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> and the formation of an internal electric field in the bilayer structure. In the negative gate-bias stress experiments, it was found that the internal electric field contributes to the electrical stability of the bilayer ZnO/In<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> TFT by reducing the negative gate-bias-induced field and suppressing the trapping of holes in the TFT channel. Consequently, we suggest that the bilayer structure of solution-processed metal-oxide semiconductors is a viable means of enhancing the TFT performance.