Leakage Current Suppression on Metal-Induced Laterally Crystallized Polycrystalline Silicon Thin-Film Transistors by Asymmetrically Deposited Nickel

Abstract

The electrical performance of low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) thin-film transistors (TFTs) fabricated by metal-induced lateral crystallization (MILC) is greatly affected by metal catalyst contaminations, such as Ni and Ni silicide trapped in the channel, since they concentrate in front of laterally grown crystallites. In the present work, the effect of the MILC/MILC boundary (MMB) on MILC polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) TFTs is investigated by the comparison of MILC poly-Si TFTs with MMB at the center of the channel, and equivalent TFTs with MMB at a position ejected from the channel. The MMB location was controlled by the Ni catalyst position. Both a low off-state leakage current and a free from short channel effect (kink effect) were observed in high electric-field conditions. Furthermore, the field-effect mobility and drain current noise were drastically improved by ejecting the MILC boundary in the source direction.