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Top-gate ZnO-based TFTs by RF Sputtering

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Shahrukh Khan
Affiliation:
sak406@lehigh.edu, Lehigh University, Electrical Engineering, 16 A, Memorial Drive East, Sherman Fairchild Center of Solid State Studies, Bethlehem, PA, 18015, United States
Abbas jamshidi-Roudbari
Affiliation:
abj2@lehigh.edu, Lehigh University, Department of Electrical Engineering, Bethlehem, PA, 18015, United States
Miltiadis Hatalis
Affiliation:
mkh1@lehigh.edu, Lehigh University, Department of Electrical Engineering, Bethlehem, PA, 18015, United States
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Abstract

This work emphasizes room temperature deposition and fabrication of top-gated staggered structure ZnO-TFTs and integration of ZnO-TFT based simple logic circuits. We synthesized ZnO thin films by RF sputtering in an Ar/Oxygen ambience with no intentional heating of the substrates. The electrical, optical and structural properties of the ZnO thin films can be well-controlled by altering process parameters such as RF power density and relative Oxygen partial pressure. Typical deposition was carried out at a chamber pressure of 15 mTorr, Ar/Oxygen flow rates of 15 sccm/1 sccm and RF power density of 3W/cm2. The resistivity of the as-deposited films was between 104-106 Ù-cm with high optical transparency (>80%) in the visible spectrum and minimal surface roughness as detected by high-resolution AFM imaging. Gated van der Pauw and Kelvin-bridge structures were lithographically patterned to asses ZnO channel resistance. In the completed devices, a dual-stack (Ta2O5/SiO2) dielectric layer was effective in suppressing gate-leakage current below 10 pA and enabled depletion-mode ZnO-TFT operation exhibiting hard saturation. A Ti/Au metallization scheme was adopted to provide good ohmic contact to ZnO. TFTs retained well-behaved transfer characteristics down to a channel length of 4 ìm with on/off drain current ratio exceeding 105, threshold voltage between -15 V to -5 V and inverse sub-threshold slope of around 1.75 V/decade.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2008

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