Distinguishing the Different Vth Shift Mechanisms in In₂O₃ TFTs Using Ultrafast On-the-Fly Reliability Measurements

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This study presents a comprehensive investigation of the threshold voltage (Vth) shift mechanisms in atomic-layer-deposited (ALD) In2O3thin-film transistors (TFTs), utilizing ultrafast On-the-Fly (UF-OTF) measurements. Two distinct degradation mechanisms are identified: electron trapping and donor trap generation at the HfO2/In2O3interface under positive bias stress (PBS), which conventional measure-stress-measure (MSM) techniques fail to effectively separate due to the inability to perform short-time measurements. Donor trap generation exhibits a strong dependence on measurement temperature, and stress degradation time, indicating a thermally activated process. Optimized oxygen annealing effectively passivates these defects, significantly reducing their impact on device instability. Temperature-dependent measurements reveal shallow electron trapping with an activation energy (Eτ,e) of 0.12 eV, whereas donor trap generation is characterized by an activation energy (Eτ,d) of 0.57 eV. These results emphasize the importance of oxygen annealing optimization, defect passivation, and self-heating mitigation to enhance the electrical performance, long-term stability, and overall reliability of high-performance In2O3TFTs for advanced electronic applications.