Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 January 2011
This study examined the degradation of the device performance of InGaZnO4 (IGZO)-based thin-film transistors after annealing at high temperatures in air ambient. Using various characterization methods including scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy, we were able to disclose the details of a two-stage phase transformation that led to the device performance degradation. The Mo electrodes first succumbed to oxidation at moderate temperatures (400∼500 °C) and then the Mo oxide further reacted with IGZO to produce an In–Mo–O compound with some Ga at higher temperatures (600∼700 °C). We analyzed our results based on the thermodynamics and kinetics data available in the literature and confirmed that our findings are in agreement with the experimental results.