Bias-illumination stress effect in thin film transistors with a nitrogen low-doped IZO active layer

Abstract

The effect of ZnO and IZO moderate nitridation on the performance of thin film transistors (TFTs) has been studied by methods of transfer and capacitance–voltage characteristics, isochronal annealing and computer modeling. Layers of ZnO:N and IZO:N were prepared by reactive sputtering. It is shown that nitridation of the ZnO matrix up to a concentration of 9 at.% results in the deterioration of transistor parameters. However, nitridation of the IZO matrix does not impair a transistor’s static parameters and also provides enhanced performance reproducibility. An additional positive effect is manifested in the electrical stress stability of transistor characteristics at negative bias and positive bias in darkness. Negative bias illumination stress (NBIS) of IZO:N structures also causes TFTs’ degradation similar to that for IGZO devices. However, our observations of the NBIS effect have revealed the following important features. Holes trapped under NBIS could not be neutralized by electrons in the channel in the accumulation regime, thus indicating negligible interaction between positively-charged defects and the conduction band. In addition, trapped holes’ depopulation was performed by thermal activation with an isochronal annealing method. An activation energy of ∼0.8 eV was revealed which is interpreted as the energy level of defects above the valence-band maximum. The specified features do not correlate with the assumption of the key role of oxygen vacancies in NBIS that is extensively presented in literature.