Above-threshold drain current model including band tail states in nanocrystalline silicon thin-film transistors for circuit implementation

Abstract

A simple analytical expression for the above threshold voltage drain current is derived in nanocrystalline silicon thin-film transistors (TFTs), based on an exponential energy distribution of band tail states. When the characteristic temperature distribution of the band tails is equal to 1.5 times the lattice temperature, the derived expression leads to the basic “quadratic” metal-oxide-semiconductor current expression. By including the impact ionization effect and using the same trap distribution parameters, the model describes adequately the output characteristics of TFTs with different channel dimensions, making the proposed model suitable for the design of circuits with nc-Si TFTs.