Influence of Grain Boundary Scattering on the Field-Effect Mobility of Solid-Phase Crystallized Hydrogenated Polycrystalline In2O3 (In2O3:H)

Abstract

Hydrogenated polycrystalline In2O3 (In2O3:H) thin-film transistors (TFTs) fabricated via the low-temperature solid-phase crystallization (SPC) process with a field-effect mobility (μFE) exceeding 100 cm2 V−1 s−1 are promising candidates for future electronics applications. In this study, we investigated the effects of the SPC temperature of Ar + O2 + H2-sputtered In2O3:H films on the electron transport properties of In2O3:H TFTs. The In2O3:H TFT with an SPC temperature of 300 °C exhibited the best performance, having the largest µFE of 139.2 cm2 V−1 s−1. In contrast, the µFE was slightly degraded with increasing SPC temperature (400 °C and higher). Extended X-ray absorption fine structure analysis revealed that the medium-range ordering in the In2O3:H network was further improved by annealing up to 600 °C, while a large amount of H2O was desorbed from the In2O3:H films at SPC temperatures above 400 °C, resulting in the creation of defects at grain boundaries. The threshold temperature of H2O desorption corresponded well with the carrier transport properties; the µFE of the TFTs started to deteriorate at SPC temperatures of 400 °C and higher. Thus, it was suggested that the hydrogen remaining in the film after SPC plays an important role in the passivation of electron traps, especially for grain boundaries, resulting in an enhancement of the µFE of In2O3:H TFTs.

Insight into the High Mobility and Stability of In2O3:H Film

“…[60] Most of the studies attribute the enhanced mobility to the passivation of hydrogen and the promotion of grain growth, although direct evidence and characterization at the atomic scale are lacking. In 2 O 3 :H films have been widely used in various fields such as thin-film transistors, [61,62] silicon solar cells, [63] perovskite solar cells, [64,65] and quantum dot solar cells. [66] Despite a large number of studies on high mobility In 2 O 3 :H film applications, the exact processes involved in hydrogen doping and scattering remain unclear, and the specific mechanism of the high mobility of In 2 O 3 :H film is still uncertain.…”