High performance p-type NiOx thin-film transistor by Sn doping

Major obstacles towards power efficient complementary electronics employing oxide thin-film transistors (TFTs) lie in the lack of equivalent well performing p-channel devices. Here, we report a significant performance enhancement of solution-processed p-type nickel oxide (NiOx) TFTs by introducing Sn dopant. The Sn-doped NiOx (Sn-NiOx) TFTs annealed at 280 °C demonstrate substantially improved electrical performances with the increase in the on/off current ratio (Ion/Ioff) by ∼100 times, field-effect mobility (μlin) by ∼3 times, and the decrease in subthreshold swing by half, comparing with those of pristine NiOx TFTs. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction results confirm that Sn atoms tend to substitute Ni sites and induce more amorphous phase. A decrease in density of states in the gap of NiOx by Sn doping and the shift of Fermi level (EF) into the midgap lead to the improvements of TFT performances. As a result, Sn-NiOx can be a promising material for the next-generation, oxide-based electronics.