Abstract
Thin-film transistors using metal oxides have been investigated extensively because of their high transparency, large area, and mass production of metal oxide semiconductors. Compatibility with conventional semiconductor processes, such as photolithography of the metal oxide offers the possibility to develop integrated circuits on a larger scale. In addition, combinations with other materials have enabled the development of sensor applications or neuromorphic devices in recent years. Here, this paper provides a timely overview of metal-oxide-based thin-film transistors focusing on emerging applications, including flexible/stretchable devices, integrated circuits, biosensors, and neuromorphic devices. This overview also revisits recent efforts on metal oxide-based thin-film transistors developed with high compatibility for integration to newly reported applications.
Highlights
Metal-oxide semiconductors have attracted considerable attention over the past few decades because of their high transparency [1,2,3,4], large area [5,6,7], and mass production [8], and compatibility with conventional device fabrication processes
Because conventional silicon-based transistors suffer from a limited form-factor, difficulty of the large-area process, and high-cost complex-to-fabricate process, metal oxide-based transistors have attracted interest for next-generation thin-film transistors (TFTs) in foldable, flexible, and stretchable displays and other electronic products [13,14,15]
This paper provides an overview of metal-oxide TFTs-based applications and summarizes recent developments
Summary
Metal-oxide semiconductors have attracted considerable attention over the past few decades because of their high transparency [1,2,3,4], large area [5,6,7], and mass production [8], and compatibility with conventional device fabrication processes. Synthesis methods of metal-oxide semiconductors are divided into a vacuum-based process including sputtering method, thermal evaporation method, and atomic layer deposition (ALD) method (Figure 1a–c) [22,23,24] and solution-based process (Figure 1d–g) [25,26,27,28]. A solution-based process for metal-oxide semiconductor thin film has been actively studied. Most solution-based processes have advantages for manufacturing flexible and printable devices because of the low annealing temperature. Yarali et al demonstrated high-k dielectrics Al2O3/ZrO2 bilayer and In2O3/ZnO heterojunction channel layers-based transistor using spin coating and photonic process (Figure 1d) [37]. Leppäniemi et al used a flexographic printing process and in-nitrate precursor solution to form a nanocrystalline In2O3 semiconductor layer (Figure 1f) [27].
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