Synergy effect of microwave annealing and high-pressure hydrogen annealing on Poly-Si thin-film transistor

Abstract

Grain boundary (GB) is a significant factor that deteriorates the transfer characteristics of poly-Si thin-film transistors (TFTs). In this study, we utilized the synergistic effect of microwave annealing (MWA) and high-pressure hydrogen annealing (HPHA) to effectively reduce grain boundary trap (GBT) density, resulting in improved field-effect mobility (μ) and subthreshold swing (SS). To investigate the synergistic effect of MWA and HPHA, the transfer characteristics of rapid thermal annealing and forming gas annealing devices were compared and analyzed as control devices. Furthermore, the mechanism of SS and mobility enhancement can be quantitatively understood by lowering the GB barrier height. In addition, Raman spectroscopy proved that poly-Si crystallinity was improved during MWA. Our results showed that MWA and HPHA play a vital role in reducing GBT density and improving poly-Si TFT characteristics.