Performance Improvement of p-Channel Tin Monoxide Transistors With a Solution-Processed Zirconium Oxide Gate Dielectric

Abstract

This letter reports the fabrication of p-channel tin monoxide (SnO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) with a high-permittivity zirconium oxide (ZrO2) gate insulator film, which were prepared by a low-cost spin-cast method. The spin-cast ZrO2 dielectrics exhibit a low leakage current density of $4.5 \times 10^{{\textsf {-8}}}$ A/cm2 at 1 MV/cm. Introducing the ZrO2 dielectric in top-type SnO TFTs allows for a reduction in the driving gate voltage range from 80 to 10 V, as compared with devices with a thermal SiO2 gate insulator. Additionally, a high field-effect mobility of 2.5 cm2/Vs and an $I_{{ \mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle ON} / \mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle OFF}}}$ of $3 \times 10^{{\textsf {3}}}$ were preserved.