Developing high-performance
p-channel oxide thin-film transistor
(TFT) and practical oxide TFT-based complementary circuits is the
most persistent challenge for oxide electronics and a major hurdle
for future oxide device technology to overcome. Tin monoxide, SnO,
is known as one of the promising candidates for an active layer of
p-channel oxide TFT, owing to its reasonably high hole carrier mobility
(over 1 cm2 V–1 s–1) and low-cost processability. However, high-density subgap defect
spoils its high potential for electronic devices and hinders the development
of SnO-based high-performance p-channel oxide TFTs. Here, we present
hydrogen-defect termination for SnO to improve the device performance
of p-channel oxide TFT. Thermal annealing in hydrogen ambient using
a pure NH3 at 360 °C offers good TFT characteristics
with the saturation mobilities of ∼1.4–1.8 cm2 V–1 s–1 and an on-to-off current
ratio of ∼105 because of the hydrogen termination
of the subgap hole trap originating from the oxygen vacancy. A complementary
inverter comprising p-channel SnO and n-channel a-IGZO TFTs was demonstrated
with a maximum voltage gain of ∼50. This present achievement
is an important step toward building low-cost next-generation oxide
electronics.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.