• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.1-6
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• 2011

A transparent oxide thin film transistors (Transparent Oxide-TFT) have been fabricated by RF magnetron sputtering at room temperature using amorphous indium zinc oxide (a-IZO) as both of active channel and source/drain, gate electrodes and co-sputtered $HfO_2-Al_2O_3$ (HfAIO) as gate dielectric. In spite of its high dielectric constant > 20), $HfO_2$ has some drawbacks including high leakage current and rough surface morphologies originated from small energy band gap (5.31eV) and microcrystalline structure. In this work, the incorporation of $Al_2O_3$ into $HfO_2$ was obtained by co-sputtering of $HfO_2$ and $Al_2O_3$ without any intentional substrate heating and its structural and electrical properties were investigated by x-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and spectroscopic ellipsometer (SE) analyses. The XRD studies confirmed that the microcrystalline structures of $HfO_2$ were transformed to amorphous structures of HfAIO. By AFM analysis, HfAIO films (0.490nm) were considerably smoother than $HfO_2$ films (2.979nm) due to their amorphous structure. The energy band gap ($E_g$) deduced by spectroscopic ellipsometer was increased from 5.17eV ($HfO_2$) to 5.42eV (HfAIO). The electrical performances of TFTs which are made of well-controlled active/electrode IZO materials and co-sputtered HfAIO dielectric material, exhibited a field effect mobility of more than $10cm^2/V{\cdot}s$, a threshold voltage of ~2 V, an $I_{on/off}$ ratio of > $10^5$, and a max on-current of > 2 mA.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.02a
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• pp.153-153
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• 2011

유리나 폴리머를 기판으로 하는 TFT(Thin film transistor), solar cell에서는 낮은 공정 온도에서($200{\sim}500^{\circ}C$) amorphous semiconductor thin film을 poly-crystal semiconductor thin film으로 결정화 시키는 기술이 매우 중요하게 대두 되고 있다. Ge은 Si에 비해 높은 carrier mobility와 낮은 녹는점을 가지므로, 비 저항이 낮을 뿐만 아니라 더 낮은 온도에서 결정화 할 수 있다. 하지만 일반적으로 쓰이는 Ge의 결정화 방법은 비교적 높은 열처리 온도를 필요로 하거나, 결정화된 원소에 남아있는 metal이 불순물 역할을 한다는 문제점, 그리고 불균일한 결정크기를 만든다는 단점이 있었다. 그 중에서도 현재 가장 많이 쓰이고 있는 MIC, MILC는 metal과 a-Ge이 접촉되는 interface나, grain boundary diffusion에 의해 핵 생성이 일어나고, 결정이 성장하는 메커니즘을 가지고 있으므로 단순 증착과 열처리 만으로는 앞서 말한 단점을 극복하는데 한계를 가지고 있다. 이에 PIII&D 장비를 이용하면, 이온 주입된 원소들이 모재와 반응 할 수 있는 표면적이 커짐으로 핵 생성을 조절 할 수 있을 뿐만 아니라, 이온 주입 시 발생하는 self annealing effect로 결정 크기까지도 조절할 수 있다. 또한 이러한 모든 process가 한 진공 장비 내에서 이루어지므로 장비의 단순화와, 공정간 단계별로 발생하는 불순물과 표면산화를 막을 수 있으므로 절연체 위에 저항이 낮고, hall mobility가 높은 poly-crystalline Ge thin film을 만들 수 있다. 본 연구에서는, 주로 핵 생성과정에서 seed를 만드는 이온주입 조건과, 결정 성장이 일어나는 증착 조건에 따라서 Ge의 결정방향과 크기가 많은 차이를 보이는데, 이는 HR-XRD(High resolution X-ray Diffractometer)와 Raman spectroscopy를 이용하여 측정 하였으며, SEM과 AFM으로 결정의 크기와 표면 거칠기를 측정하였다. 또한 Hall effect measurement를 통해 poly-crystalline thin film 의 저항과 hall mobility를 측정하였다.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.08a
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• pp.169-169
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• 2010

As display industry requires various applications for future display technology, which can guarantees high level of flexibility and transparency on display panel, oxide semiconductor materials are regarded as one of the best candidates. $InGaZnO_4$(IGZO) has gathered much attention as a post-transition metal oxide used in active layer in thin-film transistor. Due to its high mobility fabricated at low temperature fabrication process, which is proper for application to display backplanes and use in flexible and/or transparent electronics. Electrical performance of amorphous oxide semiconductors depends on the resistance of the interface between source/drain metal contact and active layer. It is also affected by sheet resistance on IGZO thin film. Controlling contact/sheet resistance has been a hot issue for improving electrical properties of AOS(Amorphous oxide semiconductor). To overcome this problem, post-annealing has been introduced. In other words, through post-annealing process, saturation mobility, on/off ratio, drain current of the device all increase. In this research, we studied on the relation between device's resistance and post-annealing temperature. So far as many post-annealing effects have been reported, this research especially analyzed the change of electrical properties by increasing post-annealing temperature. We fabricated 6 main samples. After a-IGZO deposition, Samples were post-annealed in 5 different temperatures; as-deposited, $100^{\circ}C$, $200^{\circ}C$, $300^{\circ}C$, $400^{\circ}C$ and $500^{\circ}C$. Metal deposition was done on these samples by using Mo through E-beam evaporation. For analysis, three analysis methods were used; IV-characteristics by probe station, surface roughness by AFM, metal oxidation by FE-SEM. Experimental results say that contact resistance increased because of the metal oxidation on metal contact and rough surface of a-IGZO layer. we can suggest some of the possible solutions to overcome resistance effect for the improvement of TFT electrical performances.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.02a
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• pp.334-334
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• 2012

Transparent oxide semiconductors have recently attracted much attention as channel layer materials due to advantageous electrical and optical characteristics such as high mobility, high stability, and good transparency. In addition, transparent oxide semiconductor can be fabricated at low temperature with a low production cost and it permits highly uniform devices such as large area displays. A variety of thin film transistors (TFTs) have been studied including ZnO, InZnO, and InGaZnO as the channel layer. Recently, there are many studies for substitution of Ga in InGaZnO TFTs due to their problem, such as stability of devices. In this work, new quaternary compound materials, tantalum-indium-tin oxide (TaInSnO) thin films were fabricated by using co-sputtering and used for the active channel layer in thin film transistors (TFTs). We deposited TaInSnO films in a mixed gas (O2+Ar) atmosphere by co-sputtering from Ta and ITO targets, respectively. The electric characteristics of TaInSnO TFTs and thin films were investigated according to the RF power applied to the $Ta_2O_5$ target. The addition of Ta elements could suppress the formation of oxygen vacancies because of the stronger oxidation tendency of Ta relative to that of In or Sn. Therefore the free carrier density decreased with increasing RF power of $Ta_2O_5$ in TaInSnO thin film. The optimized characteristics of TaInSnO TFT showed an on/off current ratio of $1.4{\times}108$, a threshold voltage of 2.91 V, a field-effect mobility of 2.37 cm2/Vs, and a subthreshold swing of 0.48 V/dec.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.158-158
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• 2009

This paper focuses on improving organic thin film transistor (OTFT) characteristics by controlling the self-organization of pentacene molecules with an alignable high-dielectric-constant film. The process, based on the growth of pentacene film through high-vacuum sublimation, is a method of self-organization using ion-beam (IB) bombardment of the $HfO_2/Al_2O_3$ surface used as the gate dielectric layer. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicates that the IB raises the rate of the structural anisotropy of the $HfO_2/Al_2O_3$film, and X-ray diffraction patterns show the possibility of increasing the anisotropy to create the self-organization of pentacene molecules in the first polarized monolayer. An effective mobility of $2.3{\times}10^{-3}cm^2V^{-1}s^{-1}$ was achieved, which is significantly different from that of pentacene films that are not aligned. The proposed OTFT devices with an ultrathin $HfO_2$ structure as the gate dielectric layer were operated at a gate voltage lower than 5 V.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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• pp.497-497
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• 2013

Semiconducting amorphous InGaZnO (a-IGZO) has attracted significant research attention as improved deposition techniques have made it possible to make high-quality a-IGZO thin films. IGZO thin films have several advantages over thin film transistors (TFTs) based on other semiconducting channel layers.The electron mobility in IGZO devices is relatively high, exceeding amorphous Si (a-Si) by a factor of 10 and most organic devices by a factor of $10^2$. Moreover, in contrast to other amorphous semiconductors, highly conducting degenerate states can be obtained with IGZO through doping, yet such a state cannot be produced with a-Si. IGZO thin films are capable of mobilities greaterthan 10 $cm^2$/Vs (higher than a-Si:H), and are transparent at visible wavelengths. For oxide semiconductors, carrier concentrations can be controlled through oxygen vacancy concentration. Hence, adjusting the oxygen partial pressure during deposition and post-deposition processing provides an effective method of controlling oxygen concentration. In this study, we deposited IGZO thinfilms at optimized conditions and then analyzed the film's electrical properties, surface morphology, and crystal structure. Then, we explored how to generate IGZO thin films using DC magnetron sputtering. We also describe the construction and characteristics of a bottom-gate-type TFT, including the output and transfer curves and bias stress instability mechanism.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.600-604
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• 2011

Solution processed IGO thin films were prepared using a general chemical solution route by spin coating. The effect of the annealing temperature of IGO thin films based on the ratio of 2:1 of indium to gallium on crystallization was investigated with varying annealing temperature from $300^{\circ}C$ to $600^{\circ}C$. The electronic device characteristic of IGO thin film was investigated. The solution-processed IGO TFTs annealed at 300 and $600^{\circ}C$ in air for 1 h exhibited good electronic performances with field effect mobilities as high as 0.34 and 3.83 $cm^2/V{\cdot}s$, respectively. The on/off ratio of the IGO TFT in this work was $10^5$ with 98% transmittance.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.615-620
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• 2020

Oxide semiconductor, represented by a-IGZO, has been commercialized in the market as active layer of TFTs of display backplanes due to its various advantages over a-Si. a-IGZO can be deposited at room temperature by RF magnetron sputtering process; however, additional thermal annealing above 300℃ is required to obtain good semiconducting properties and stability. These temperature are too high for common flexible substrates like PET, PEN, and PI. In this work, effects of microwave annealing time on IGZO thin film and associated thin-film transistors are demonstrated. As the microwave annealing time increases, the electrical properties of a-IGZO TFT improve to a degree similar to that during thermal annealing. Optimal microwave annealed IGZO TFT exhibits mobility, SS, V_th, and V_H of 6.45 ㎠/Vs, 0.17 V/dec, 1.53 V, and 0.47 V, respectively. PBS and NBS stability tests confirm that microwave annealing can effectively improve the interface between the dielectric and the active layer.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.469-473
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• 2017

We investigated the effect of different thin-film thicknesses (25, 30, and 40 nm) on the electrical performance of solution-processed indium-zinc-oxide (IZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs). The structural properties of the IZO thin films were investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). AFM images revealed that the IZO thin films with thicknesses of 25 and 40 nm exhibit an uneven distribution of grains, which deforms the thin film and degrades the performance of the IZO TFT. Further, the IZO thin film with a thickness of 30 nm exhibits a homogeneous and smooth surface with a low RMS roughness of 1.88 nm. The IZO TFTs with the 30-nm-thick IZO film exhibit excellent results, with a field-effect mobility of $3.0({\pm}0.2)cm^2/Vs$, high Ion/Ioff ratio of $1.1{\times}10^7$, threshold voltage of $0.4({\pm}0.1)V$, and subthreshold swing of $0.7({\pm}0.01)V/dec$. The optimization of oxide semiconductor thickness through analysis of the surface morphologies can thus contribute to the development of oxide TFT manufacturing technology.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.08a
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• pp.242-242
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• 2012

Transparent oxide semiconductors are increasingly becoming one of good candidates for high efficient channel materials of thin film transistors (TFTs) in large-area display industries. Compare to the conventional hydrogenated amorphous silicon channel layers, solution processed ZnO-TFTs can be simply fabricated at low temperature by just using a spin coating method without vacuum deposition, thus providing low manufacturing cost. Furthermore, solution based oxide TFT exhibits excellent transparency and enables to apply flexible devices. For this reason, this process has been attracting much attention as one fabrication method for oxide channel layer in thin-film transistors (TFTs). But, poor electrical characteristic of these solution based oxide materials still remains one of issuable problems due to oxygen vacancy formed by breaking weak chemical bonds during fabrication. These electrical properties are expected due to the generation of a large number of conducting carriers, resulting in huge electron scattering effect. Therefore, we study a novel technique to effectively improve the electron mobility by applying environmental annealing treatments with various gases to the solution based Li-doped ZnO TFTs. This technique was systematically designed to vary a different lithium ratio in order to confirm the electrical tendency of Li-doped ZnO TFTs. The observations of Scanning Electron Microscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy, and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy were performed to investigate structural properties and elemental composition of our samples. In addition, I-V characteristics were carried out by using Keithley 4,200-Semiconductor Characterization System (4,200-SCS) with 4-probe system.