In
an effort to fabricate In–Ga–Zn oxide (IGZO) thin-film
transistors (TFTs) that combine high performance and high stability,
we optimize sputtering conditions to create devices based on different
IGZO phases: amorphous, c-axis-aligned crystalline
(CAAC), and a transition between them, which is introduced here as
protocrystalline IGZO. For this, we study the performance of TFTs
based on thin films of IGZO sputtered at different substrate temperatures T
sub and oxygen flow ratios R
O2
. While T
sub is
the principal phase-determining parameter, R
O2
can be further optimized to enhance IGZO TFT
characteristics. For both amorphous IGZO and CAAC IGZO, the best TFT
performance and the best TFT bias stress stability are found under
different sputtering conditions. In contrast, the protocrystalline
IGZO shows a convergence of the highest TFT performance and the best
bias stress stability, observed for an IGZO film sputtered at T
sub = 200 °C and R
O2
= 20%.