Effect of modifying a methyl siloxane-based dielectric by a polymer thin film for pentacene thin-film transistors

We report on the fabrication of pentacene thin-film transistors (TFTs) utilizing a spun methyl siloxane-based spin-on-glass (SOG) dielectric and show that these devices can give a similar electrical performance as achieved by using pentacene TFTs with a silicon dioxide (SiO₂) dielectric. To improve the electrical performance of pentacene TFTs with the SOG dielectric, we employed a hybrid dielectric of an SOG/cross-linked poly-4-vinylphenol (PVP) polymer. The PVP film was deposited onto the spun SOG dielectric prior to pentacene evaporation, resulting in an improvement of the saturation field effect mobility (μ_sat) from 0.01 cm²/(V s) to 0.76 cm²/(V s). The good surface morphology and the matching surface energy of the SOG dielectric that was modified with the polymer thin film allow the optimized growth of crystalline pentacene domains whose nuclei are embedded in an amorphous phase.     

Enhancement of carrier mobility in pentacene thin-film transistor on SiO2 by controlling the initial film growth modes

Pentacene thin-film transistors (TFTs) were fabricated on thermally grown SiO₂ gate insulator under the conditions of various pre-cleaning treatments. Initial nucleation and growth of the material films on treated substrates were observed by atomic force microscope. The performance of fabricated TFT devices with different surface cleaning approaches was found to be highly related to the initial film morphologies. In contrast to the three-dimensional island-like growth mode on SiO₂ under an organic cleaning process, a layer-by-layer initial growth occurred on the SiO₂ insulator cleaned with ammonia solution, which was believed to be the origination of the excellent electrical properties of the TFT device. Field effect mobility of the TFT device could achieve as high as 1.0 cm²/Vs on the bared SiO₂/Si substrate and the on/off ratio was over 10⁶.     

Growth, Antimony Incorporation Behaviour and Beryllium Doping of GaAs1-ySby Grown on GaAs by Molecular Beam Epitaxy

A series of GaAs1-ySby epilayers are grown on GaAs substrates under antimony compositions of samples with beryllium doping are obtained different growth conditions. Different A non-equilibrium thermodynamics model is used to calibrate and fit the Sb composition. Activation energy of 0.37 eV for the dissociation process of Sb4 molecules is obtained. Carrier mobility and concentration of samples are influenced by the Sb composition. Quasi-qualitative analysis of mobility is used to explain the relations among Sb composition, carrier mobility and concentration. High resolution x-ray diffraction （HRXRD） rocking curves and Hall effects measurements are used to determine the crystal quality, carrier mobility and concentration.     

Oxygen Recovery in Hf Oxide Films Fabricated by Sputtering

The chemical structure of ultrathin Hf oxide films （〈 10 nm） fabricated by a standard sputtering method is investigated using x-ray spectroscopy and Rutherford backseattering spectroscopy. According to the experiments, oxygen species are impacted to the HfO2/Si interface during the initial sputtering, and then released back to the upper HfO2 region driven by the oxygen concentration grads. A vacuum annealing can greatly enhance this recovery process. Additionally, significant SiO2 reduction in the interface is observed after the vacuum annealing for the thick HfO2 films in our experiment. It might be an effective method to confine the interracial layer thickness by sputtering thick HfO2 in no-oxygen ambient.     

Effects of Different Dispersion Methods on the Microscopical Morphology of TiO2 Film

Nanocrystalline porous TiO2 films were prepared on conducting glass supports （ITO） by processed commercial TiO2 nanometre powder （P25）. Three methods of physical dispersing for TiO2 powder, i.e. grinding, magnetic stirring, sonicleaning, were used to disperse TiO2 nanometre powder. Surface morphologies of TiO2 films were observed by optic-microscope and SEM. It is found that the surface morphologies of TiO2 films are determined not only by the dispersing methods but also by the percentage of TiO2 powder in the dispersing system. Different film morphologies can be obtained under the same preparation condition but with different dispersing methods. A lot of cracks exist on the film surface for which the TiO2 slurry is dispersed by grinding. Magnetic stirring leads to some white points and micro-holes on the film surface. Only a few of micro-holes can be observed on the film surface, in which the TiO2 slurry is dispersed by sonicleaning. Different surface morphologies can also be found with different thicknesses of TiO2 films. Different film thicknesses are due to different percentages of TiO2 powder in the slurry. The related mechanism leading to different features of the surface morphologies for the TiO2 films is discussed.     

合成金刚石与合成体系之关系

 通过各种材料的试验和压机设备因素的测定，总结了金刚石生长过程的特性：金刚石晶体是在石墨（G）-触媒（Me）界面上生长；因电阻R_(G)>R_(Me)、温度T_(G)>T_(Me)以及与外界热交换等原因，使合成腔内产生压力、温度梯度，成为金刚石生长之驱动力。梯度过大过小对金刚石生长均不利；金刚石晶体在G-Me界面两侧是非对称性生长；每个晶粒表面有一特殊结构约20 μm左右厚的金属薄膜，它起到运载碳源和催化的双重作用。要合成粗粒高强金刚石，需要有一个稳定的合成体系。本文分析了该体系状态的性质及稳定的必要性与稳定的具体方法。     

Effect of modification of S-terminated Ge(1 0 0) surface on ALD HfO2 gate stack

When S-termination on a Ge(1 0 0) surface was desorbed at an elevated temperature and an atomic layer deposition (ALD) HfO₂ film was deposited, interfacial thickness was less than 1 nm. As a result, the equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) of the stack on the initially S-terminated surface was thinner than that deposited on the O₃-oxidized surface, while HfO₂ film thickness was almost identical on both surfaces. Nevertheless, the HfO₂ stack on the initially S-terminated surface exhibited improved leakage current characteristics due to an increase in barrier height. Its thinner but robust interface will contribute to the scaling down of gate oxide integrity.     

Diffusion-limited electrodeposition of ultrathin Au films on Pt(1 1 1)

The electrodeposition of Au on Pt(1 1 1) from electrolytes containing μM concentrations of was studied by in situ scanning tunneling microscopy. Under these conditions the Au flux is limited by diffusion in the electrolyte over a wide potential range, which allows to assess the effect of the electrochemical environment on the growth kinetics. Similar to gas phase metal deposition Au film growth proceeds via nucleation and lateral growth of Au monolayer islands, with the saturation island density strongly depending on the deposition potential and on the anion species in the electrolyte. For deposition in H₂SO₄ solution the saturation island density continuously increases with increasing potential between −0.2 and 0.5 V (SCE), whereas in Cl-containing H₂SO₄ it first decreases and then increases again. Following nucleation and growth theories this behavior can be attributed to potential-induced changes of the Au surface mobility, caused by changes in the density and structure of coadsorbed sulfate/bisulfate and chloride adlayers. Under conditions of high Au surface mobility multilayer growth proceeds via a typical Stranski-Krastanov growth mode, with layer-by-layer growth of a pseudomorphic Au film up to 2 ML and 3D growth of structurally relaxed islands at higher coverage, indicating thermodynamic control under these conditions.     

Flexible Cu（In,Ga）Se2 Thin-Film Solar Cells on Polyimide Substrate by Low-Temperature Deposition Process

The electrical and structural properties of polycrystalline Cu（In, Ga）Se2 films grown on polyimide （PI） substrates below 400℃ via one-stage and three-stage co-evaporation process have been investigated by x-ray diffraction spectra （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and Hall effect measurement. As shown by XRD spectra, the stoichiometric CIGS films obtained by one-stage process exhibit the characteristic diffraction peaks of the （In0.68Ga0.32）2Se3 and Cu（In0.7Ga0.3）2Se. It is also found that the film structures indicate more columnar and compact than the three-stage process films from SEM images. The stoichiometric CIGS films obtained by three-stage process exhibit the coexistence of the secondary phase of （In0.68Ga0.32）2Se3, Cu2-xSe and Cu（In0.7Ga0.3）2Se. High net carrier concentration and sheet conductivity are also observed for this kind of film, related to the presence of Cu2-xSe phase. As a result, when the CIGS film growth temperature is below 400℃, the three-stage process is inefficient for solar cells. By using the one-stage co-evaporation process, the flexible CIGS solar cell on a PI substrate with the best conversion efficiency of 6.38% is demonstrated （active area 0.16cm^2）.     

Electrical Characterization of Deep Trap Properties in High-k Thin-Film HfO2 Dielectric

Deep-trap properties of high-dielectric-constant （k） HfO2 thin films are investigated by deep-level transient spectroscopy and capacitance-voltage methods. The hole traps of the HfO2 dielectric deposited on a p-type Si substrate by sputtering are investigated in a metal-oxide-semiconductor structure over a temperature range of 300-500K. The potential depth, cross section and concentration of hole traps are estimated to be about 2.5eV, 1.8 ×10^-16 cm^2 and 1.0 × 10^16 cm^-3, respectively.     

Laser crystallization for large-area electronics

Laser crystallization is reviewed for the purpose of fabrication of polycrystalline silicon thin film transistors (poly-Si TFTs). Laser-induced rapid heating is important for formation of crystalline films with a low thermal budget. Reduction of electrically active defects located at grain boundaries is essential for improving electrical properties of poly-Si films and achieving poly-Si TFTs with high performances. The internal film stress is attractive to increase the carrier mobility. Recent developments in laser crystallization methods with pulsed and continuous-wave lasers are also reviewed. Control of heat flow results in crystalline grain growth in the lateral direction, which is important for fabrication of large crystalline grains. We also report an annealing method using a high-power infrared semiconductor laser. High-power lasers will be attractive for rapid formation of crystalline films over a large area and activation of silicon with impurity atoms.     

Improvement of Field Emission Characteristics of Copper Nitride Films with Increasing Copper Content

A copper nitride （Cu3N） thin film is deposited on a Si substrate by the reactive magnetron sputtering method. The XPS measurements of the composite film indicate that the Cu content in the film is increased to 80.82 at. % and the value of the Cu/N ratio to 4.2：1 by introducing 4% 112 into the reactive gas. X-ray diffraction measurements show that the film is composed of Cu3N crystallites with an anti-ReO3 structure. The effects of the increase of copper content on the field emission characteristics of the Cu3N thin film are investigated. Significant improvement in emission current density and emission repeatability could be attributed to the geometric field enhancement, caused by numerous surface nanotips, and the decrease of resistivity of the film.     

Influence of Grain Size on Electrical and Optical Properties of InP Films

InP film samples were prepared by spray pyrolysis technique using aqueous solutions of InCl₃ and Na₂HPO₄, which were atomized with compressed air as carrier gas onto glass substrates at 500°C with different thicknesses of the films. It is found that the resistivity of the polycrystalline films strongly depends on the grain size. It is observed that the grain size of the films increase with the decrease of the energy band gap and strain of the film. The changes observed in the energy band gap and strain related to the film grain size of the films are discussed in detail.     

Oxygen plasma and high pressure H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O vapor heat treatments used to fabricate polycrystalline silicon thin film transistors

Oxygen plasma and high pressure H₂O vapor heat treatment were applied to fabrication of n-channel polycrystalline silicon thin film transistors (poly-Si TFTs). 13.56 MHz-oxygen-plasma treatment at 250 °C, 100 W for 5 min effectively reduced defect states of 25-nm-thick silicon films crystallized by 30 ns-pulsed XeCl excimer laser irradiation. 1.3×10⁶-Pa-H₂O vapor heat treatment at 260 °C for 3 h was carried out in order to improve electrical properties of SiO_x gate insulators and SiO_x/Si interfaces. A carrier mobility of 470 cm²/V s and a low threshold voltage of 1.8 V were achieved for TFTs fabricated with crystallization at 285 mJ/cm². Received: 18 November 2002 / Accepted: 25 November 2002 / Published online: 11 April 2003 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +81-42/388-7109, E-mail: tsamesim@cc.tuat.ac.jp     

High-performance Zinc-Tin-Oxide thin film transistors based on environment friendly solution process

Zinc-Tin-Oxide (ZTO) thin films were fabricated using a simple and eco-friendly sol-gel method and their application in thin film transistors (TFTs) was investigated. Annealing temperature has a crucial influence on the structure and electrical properties of sol-gel ZTO thin films. The ZTO thin films annealed at 300–600?°C revealed smooth and uniform surfaces with amorphous state, in addition, a high optical transparency over 90% of the ZTO films in the visible range was obtained. The electrical performance of ZTO TFTs showed obvious dependence on annealing temperature. The ZTO TFTs annealed at 500?°C showed a high carrier mobility of 5.9?cm²/V, high on/off current ratio (I_on/off) of 10⁶-10⁷, and threshold voltage (V_th) of 1.03?V. To demonstrate the application of sol-gel ZTO films in low-power display fields, we also fabricated ZTO TFTs with a solution-processed high-permittivity (high-k) ZrTiO_x dielectric layer. The ZTO/ZrTiO_x TFTs showed high mobility of 17.9?cm²/V and I_on/off of 10⁵-10⁶?at a low operation voltage of 3?V, indicating that Indium-free ZTO thin films would be potential candidates for low cost, high performance oxide TFT devices.     

源漏电极的制备对氧化物薄膜晶体管性能的影响

本文采用钼-铝-钼(Mo/Al/Mo)叠层结构作为源漏电极,制备氧化铟锌(IZO)薄膜晶体管(TFT).研究了Mo/Al/Mo源漏电极中与IZO接触的Mo层溅射功率对TFT器件性能的影响.随着Mo层溅射功率的增加,器件开启电压(Von)负向移动,器件均匀性下降.通过X射线光电子能谱(XPS)深度剖析发现IZO/Mo界面有明显的扩散;当Mo层溅射功率减小时,扩散得到了抑制.制备的器件处于常关状态(开启电压为0.5 V,增强模式),不仅迁移率高(～13 cm2·V-1·s-1),而且器件半导体特性均匀.     

Amorphous IZO TTFTs with saturation mobilities exceeding 100 cm2/Vs

In this paper we demonstrate the use of amorphous binary In₂O₃–ZnO oxides simultaneously as active channel layer and as source/drain regions in transparent thin film transistor (TTFT), processed at room temperature by rf sputtering. The TTFTs operate in the enhancement mode and their performances are thickness dependent. The best TTFTs exhibit saturation mobilities higher than 10² cm²/Vs, threshold voltages lower than 6 V, gate voltage swing of 0.8 V/dec and an on/off current ratio of 10⁷. This mobility is at least two orders of magnitude higher than that of conventional amorphous silicon TFTs and comparable to or even better than other polycrystalline semiconductors. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Transmission electron microscopy studies of HfO2 thin films grown by chloride-based atomic layer deposition

Detailed transmission electron microscopy characterization of HfO₂ films deposited on Si(1 0 0) using atomic layer deposition has been carried out. The influence of deposition temperature has been investigated. At 226 °C, a predominantly quasi-amorphous film containing large grains of cubic HfO₂ (a₀ = 5.08 Å) was formed. Grain morphology enabled the nucleation sites to be determined. Hot stage microscopy showed that both the cubic phase and the quasi-amorphous phase were very resistant to thermal modification up to 500 °C. These observations suggest that nucleation sites for the growth of the crystalline cubic phase form at the growing surface of the film, rather homogeneously within the film. The films grown at higher temperatures (300-750 °C) are crystalline and monoclinic. The principal effects of deposition temperature were on: grain size, which coarsens at the highest temperature; roughness with increases at the higher temperatures due to the prismatic faceting, and texture, with texturing being strongest at intermediate temperatures. Detailed interfacial characterization shows that interfacial layers of SiO₂ form at low and high temperatures. However, at intermediate temperatures, interfaces devoid of SiO₂ were formed.     

Pulsed laser deposition of ZnO grown on glass substrates for realizing high-performance thin-film transistors

We report characterization of ZnO thin-film transistors (TFTs) on glass substrates fabricated by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). ZnO films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy and Hall effect measurements. The XRD results showed high c-axis-oriented ZnO(0002) diffraction corresponding to the wurtzite phase. Moreover, the crystallization and the electrical properties of ZnO thin films grown at room temperature are controllable by PLD growth conditions such as oxygen gas pressure. The ZnO films are very smooth, with a root-mean-square roughness of 1 nm. From the Hall effect measurements, we have succeeded in fabricating ZnO films on glass substrates with an electron mobility of 21.7 cm²/V s. By using the ZnO thin film grown by two-step PLD and a HfO₂ high-k gate insulator, a transconductance of 24.1 mS/mm, a drain current on/off ratio of 4.4×10⁶ and a subthreshold gate swing of 0.26 V/decade were obtained for the ZnO TFT.     

Investigation of the chemical state of ultrathin Hf-Al-O films during high temperature annealing

Al₂O₃ incorporated HfO₂ films grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) were investigated by high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HRXPS). The core level energy state of a 15 Å thick film showed a shift to higher binding energy, as the result of a silicate formation and Al₂O₃ incorporation. The incorporation of Al₂O₃ into the HfO₂ film had no effect on silicate formation at the interface between the film and Si, while the ionic bonding characteristics and hybridization effects were enhanced compared to a pure HfO₂ film. The dissociation of the film in an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) is effectively suppressed compared to a pure HfO₂ film, indicating an enhanced thermal stability of Hf-Al-O. Any dissociated Al₂O₃ on the film surface was completely removed into the vacuum by vacuum annealing treatment over 850 °C, while HfO₂ contributed to Hf silicide formation on the film surface.