Improved stability of amorphous zinc tin oxide thin film transistors using molecular passivation

The role of back channel surface chemistry on amorphous zinc tin oxide (ZTO) bottom gate thin film transistors (TFTs) has been characterized by positive bias-stress measurements and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Positive bias-stress turn-on voltage shifts for ZTO-TFTs were significantly reduced by passivation of back channel surfaces with self-assembled monolayers of n-hexylphosphonic acid when compared to ZTO-TFTs with no passivation. These results indicate that adsorption of molecular species on the exposed back channel of ZTO-TFTs strongly influence observed turn-on voltage shifts, as opposed to charge injection into the dielectric or trapping due to oxygen vacancies.