Bilayer channel structure to improve the stability of solution-processed metal oxide transistors under AC stress

Abstract

In this work, we report solution-processed bilayer channel thin film transistors (TFTs) based on solution-processed amorphous oxide semiconductors (AOSs) that fulfill both superb electrical performance and device stability against applied alternating current (AC) drain bias stress. Acceptor-like states generation via hot carrier effect (HCE) is a representative device degradation mechanism suggested for AOS-based TFTs when subjected to AC bias stress, featuring threshold voltage (Vth) shift and on-current (Ion) lowering. As excess electric field and accumulated carriers in the AOS channel cause HCE, alleviating carrier accumulation is a key solution for mitigating HCE. Bilayer channel TFTs comprising two different AOSs could work as a countermeasure to overcome HCE since proper energy band alignment of two channels creates a conduction band difference that act as the energy barrier for carriers. In this regard, we employed amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide (IGZO) and zinc-tin oxide (ZTO) as bottom and top layer, respectively, for bilayer channel TFT. Designed bilayer channel showed a conduction band difference of 0.18 eV, and fabricated TFT based on this architecture exhibited high mobility over to 5.9 cm2/Vs with slight Vth shift of 0.1 V and Ion lowering of 1.7% for 1000 s against applied AC stress, demonstrating device stability under AC drain bias stress.