Effects of high-pressure H2O-annealing on amorphous IGZO thin-film transistors

The effects of high-pressure annealing were investigated using amorphous InGaZnO (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs). The fabricated device annealed at 5 atm in H2O ambient showed the best electrical characteristics and stability under positive bias temperature stress (PBTS). This was attributed to mainly a reduction in the band bending at the overlap between the source drain (S/D) electrodes and the etch stop layer (ESL). This is originated from the recovery of charge-trapping sites at in- and bottom-ESLs due to defect passivation with the aid of high-pressure thermal annealing at 5 atm in H2O ambient. (C) 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim