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A New Narrow Width Effect in Amorphous Silicon Thin Film Transistors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2011

Russel A. Martin*
Affiliation:
Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, 3333 Coyote Hill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304
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Abstract

A new narrow width effect is described for a-Si thin film transistor, TFT, having the inverted staggered structure with source and drain contacts overlapping the edge of the island passivation nitride. In this structure, where the source and drain contacts overlap the edge of the island they contact the a-Si and make a segment of channel effectively shorter. The edges thereby contribute a greater amount to the total drive current, and as width decreases, that fraction increases; what is therefore seen is a channel length effect masquerading as a width effect.

The results of measurements down to a width of 3um are given and the effective region of enhanced current is estimated. A SPICE model is presented that allows a simple representation of this effect.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1992

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References

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