Polymer Doping Enables a Two‐Dimensional Electron Gas for High‐Performance Homojunction Oxide Thin‐Film Transistors

High‐performance solution‐processed metal oxide (MO) thin‐film transistors (TFTs) are realized by fabricating a homojunction of indium oxide (In2O3) and polyethylenimine (PEI)‐doped In2O3 (In2O3:x% PEI, x = 0.5–4.0 wt%) as the channel layer. A two‐dimensional electron gas (2DEG) is thereby achieved by creating a band offset between the In2O3 and PEI‐In2O3 via work function tuning of the In2O3:x% PEI, from 4.00 to 3.62 eV as the PEI content is increased from 0.0 (pristine In2O3) to 4.0 wt%, respectively. The resulting devices achieve electron mobilities greater than 10 cm2 V−1 s−1 on a 300 nm SiO2 gate dielectric. Importantly, these metrics exceed those of the devices composed of the pristine In2O3 materials, which achieve a maximum mobility of ≈4 cm2 V−1 s−1. Furthermore, a mobility as high as 30 cm2 V−1 s−1 is achieved on a high‐k ZrO2 dielectric in the homojunction devices. This is the first demonstration of 2DEG‐based homojunction oxide TFTs via band offset achieved by simple polymer doping of the same MO material.

[1]  Jae Hyuck Jang,et al.  Field-Effect Device Using Quasi-Two-Dimensional Electron Gas in Mass-Producible Atomic-Layer-Deposited Al2O3/TiO2 Ultrathin (<10 nm) Film Heterostructures. , 2018, ACS nano.

[2]  Yong‐Young Noh,et al.  Solution Processed Metal Oxide High‐κ Dielectrics for Emerging Transistors and Circuits , 2018, Advanced materials.

[3]  Lifeng Chi,et al.  High- k Gate Dielectrics for Emerging Flexible and Stretchable Electronics. , 2018, Chemical reviews.

[4]  A. Facchetti,et al.  Nitroacetylacetone as a Cofuel for the Combustion Synthesis of High-Performance Indium–Gallium–Zinc Oxide Transistors , 2018 .

[5]  A. Facchetti,et al.  Metal Composition and Polyethylenimine Doping Capacity Effects on Semiconducting Metal Oxide-Polymer Blend Charge Transport. , 2018, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[6]  D. Yan,et al.  Organic High Electron Mobility Transistors Realized by 2D Electron Gas , 2017, Advanced materials.

[7]  H. Katz,et al.  High Conductivity and Electron‐Transfer Validation in an n‐Type Fluoride‐Anion‐Doped Polymer for Thermoelectrics in Air , 2017, Advanced materials.

[8]  Ruipeng Li,et al.  Modulation‐Doped In2O3/ZnO Heterojunction Transistors Processed from Solution , 2017, Advanced materials.

[9]  V. Subramanian,et al.  Low‐Temperature‐Processed Printed Metal Oxide Transistors Based on Pure Aqueous Inks , 2017 .

[10]  A. Amassian,et al.  Heterojunction oxide thin-film transistors with unprecedented electron mobility grown from solution , 2017, Science Advances.

[11]  A. Regoutz,et al.  The impact of post-deposition annealing on the performance of solution-processed single layer In2O3 and isotype In2O3/ZnO heterojunction transistors , 2017 .

[12]  Jong-Heon Yang,et al.  Solution-processed indium-free ZnO/SnO2 bilayer heterostructures as a low-temperature route to high-performance metal oxide thin-film transistors with excellent stabilities , 2016 .

[13]  Xinge Yu,et al.  Metal Oxide Transistors via Polyethylenimine Doping of the Channel Layer: Interplay of Doping, Microstructure, and Charge Transport , 2016 .

[14]  M. Fei,et al.  Effect of Sputtering Pressure on Surface Roughness, Oxygen Vacancy and Electrical Properties of a-IGZO Thin Films , 2016 .

[15]  Xinge Yu,et al.  Solution‐Processed All‐Oxide Transparent High‐Performance Transistors Fabricated by Spray‐Combustion Synthesis , 2016 .

[16]  Xinge Yu,et al.  Metal oxides for optoelectronic applications. , 2016, Nature materials.

[17]  V. Subramanian,et al.  Mobility Enhancement in Solution‐Processed Transparent Conductive Oxide TFTs due to Electron Donation from Traps in High‐k Gate Dielectrics , 2016 .

[18]  A. Alastalo,et al.  Flexography‐Printed In2O3 Semiconductor Layers for High‐Mobility Thin‐Film Transistors on Flexible Plastic Substrate , 2015, Advanced materials.

[19]  T. Anthopoulos,et al.  Exploring Two-Dimensional Transport Phenomena in Metal Oxide Heterointerfaces for Next-Generation, High-Performance, Thin-Film Transistor Technologies. , 2015, Small.

[20]  J. Shyue,et al.  Stable and High-Performance Flexible ZnO Thin-Film Transistors by Atomic Layer Deposition. , 2015, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[21]  Yong-Young Noh,et al.  Large‐Scale Precise Printing of Ultrathin Sol–Gel Oxide Dielectrics for Directly Patterned Solution‐Processed Metal Oxide Transistor Arrays , 2015, Advanced materials.

[22]  Y. Rim,et al.  Hexaaqua Metal Complexes for Low-Temperature Formation of Fully Metal Oxide Thin-Film Transistors , 2015 .

[23]  Yong‐Young Noh,et al.  Facile Routes To Improve Performance of Solution-Processed Amorphous Metal Oxide Thin Film Transistors by Water Vapor Annealing. , 2015, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[24]  E. Kymakis,et al.  High Electron Mobility Thin‐Film Transistors Based on Solution‐Processed Semiconducting Metal Oxide Heterojunctions and Quasi‐Superlattices , 2015, Advanced science.

[25]  Xinge Yu,et al.  Ultra‐Flexible, “Invisible” Thin‐Film Transistors Enabled by Amorphous Metal Oxide/Polymer Channel Layer Blends , 2015, Advanced materials.

[26]  H. Sirringhaus,et al.  Electronic Structure of Low-Temperature Solution-Processed Amorphous Metal Oxide Semiconductors for Thin-Film Transistor Applications , 2015, Advanced functional materials.

[27]  Stuart R. Thomas,et al.  Indium oxide thin-film transistors processed at low temperature via ultrasonic spray pyrolysis. , 2015, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[28]  Pedro Barquinha,et al.  Aqueous combustion synthesis of aluminum oxide thin films and application as gate dielectric in GZTO solution-based TFTs. , 2014, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[29]  H. Sirringhaus,et al.  High Performance, Low Temperature Solution-Processed Barium and Strontium Doped Oxide Thin Film Transistors , 2013, Chemistry of materials : a publication of the American Chemical Society.

[30]  Xinge Yu,et al.  Synergistic approach to high-performance oxide thin film transistors using a bilayer channel architecture. , 2013, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[31]  Wei Zhao,et al.  Oxygen "getter" effects on microstructure and carrier transport in low temperature combustion-processed a-InXZnO (X = Ga, Sc, Y, La) transistors. , 2013, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[32]  Jong-Hyun Ahn,et al.  Load‐Controlled Roll Transfer of Oxide Transistors for Stretchable Electronics , 2013 .

[33]  Jian-Zhang Chen,et al.  MgZnO/ZnO Heterostructure Field-Effect Transistors Fabricated by RF-Sputtering , 2013 .

[34]  H. Fujikake,et al.  Influence of Oxide Semiconductor Thickness on Thin-Film Transistor Characteristics , 2013 .

[35]  Yong-Young Noh,et al.  Flexible metal-oxide devices made by room-temperature photochemical activation of sol–gel films , 2012, Nature.

[36]  M. Kanatzidis,et al.  Exploratory combustion synthesis: amorphous indium yttrium oxide for thin-film transistors. , 2012, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[37]  Talha M. Khan,et al.  A Universal Method to Produce Low–Work Function Electrodes for Organic Electronics , 2012, Science.

[38]  M. Hersam,et al.  Reduced contact resistance in inkjet printed high-performance amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide transistors. , 2012, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[39]  Sunho Jeong,et al.  Low-temperature, solution-processed metal oxide thin film transistors , 2012 .

[40]  M. Kawasaki,et al.  Magnesium Doping Controlled Density and Mobility of Two-Dimensional Electron Gas in MgxZn1-xO/ZnO Heterostructures , 2011 .

[41]  U-In Chung,et al.  Trap-limited and percolation conduction mechanisms in amorphous oxide semiconductor thin film transistors , 2011 .

[42]  M. Kanatzidis,et al.  Low-temperature fabrication of high-performance metal oxide thin-film electronics via combustion processing. , 2011, Nature materials.

[43]  Y. Wang,et al.  Influence of Channel Layer Thickness on the Electrical Performances of Inkjet-Printed In-Ga-Zn Oxide Thin-Film Transistors , 2011, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[44]  H. Sirringhaus,et al.  Low-temperature, high-performance solution-processed metal oxide thin-film transistors formed by a ‘sol–gel on chip’ process. , 2011, Nature materials.

[45]  I-Chun Cheng,et al.  Two dimensional electron gases in polycrystalline MgZnO/ZnO heterostructures grown by rf-sputtering process , 2010 .

[46]  A. Facchetti,et al.  Role of Gallium Doping in Dramatically Lowering Amorphous‐Oxide Processing Temperatures for Solution‐Derived Indium Zinc Oxide Thin‐Film Transistors , 2010, Advances in Materials.

[47]  T. Kamiya,et al.  Electronic Structures Above Mobility Edges in Crystalline and Amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O: Percolation Conduction Examined by Analytical Model , 2009, Journal of Display Technology.

[48]  A. Yamada,et al.  Band profiles of ZnMgO/ZnO heterostructures confirmed by Kelvin probe force microscopy , 2009 .

[49]  Atsuo Yamada,et al.  Polarization-induced two-dimensional electron gases in ZnMgO/ZnO heterostructures , 2008 .

[50]  Tobin J. Marks,et al.  High performance solution-processed indium oxide thin-film transistors. , 2008, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[51]  H. Ohta,et al.  Room-temperature fabrication of transparent flexible thin-film transistors using amorphous oxide semiconductors , 2004, Nature.

[52]  R. McLean,et al.  Transparent ZnO thin-film transistor fabricated by rf magnetron sputtering , 2003 .