Origin of major donor states in In–Ga–Zn oxide

To clarify the origin of the major donor states in indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO), we report measurement results and an analysis of several physical properties of IGZO thin films. Specifically, the concentration of H atoms and O vacancies (VO), carrier concentration, and conductivity are investigated by hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectroscopy, thermal desorption spectroscopy, and Hall effect measurements. The results of these experiments suggest that the origin of major donor states is H occupancy of VO sites. Furthermore, we use first-principles calculations to investigate the influence of the coexistence of VO and H in crystalline InGaO3(ZnO)m (m = 1). The results indicate that when H is trapped in VO, a stable complex is created that serves as a shallow-level donor.