Thin-film electronics by atomic layer deposition

Abstract

Articles you may be interested inEffect of Al concentration on Al-doped ZnO channels fabricated by atomic-layer deposition for top-gate oxide thin-film transistor applications Low temperature atomic layer deposited Al-doped ZnO thin films and associated semiconducting properties High performance thin film transistor with low temperature atomic layer deposition nitrogen-doped ZnO Atomic layer deposition (ALD) produces conformal films with low defects and a high degree of thickness control. Many applications leverage these properties to yield excellent dielectrics and barrier layers. In recent years, ALD has been exploited to produce thin-film transistors, in which the technique is capable of producing all of the layers required, including the semiconductor. This perspective will examine the state-of-the-art use of ALD to produce thin-film electronics, notably the zinc oxide-based thin-film transistor. It is critical that the ZnO-based semiconductor material have sufficiently high resistivity in order to yield transistors with low off current and good switching characteristics. The nature of this problem and the approaches used to address it will be discussed. The use of rapid deposition technologies, such as spatial ALD, also has a strong impact on the quality of the ZnO semiconductor. Finally, demonstrations of various thin film electronics devices and systems produced by ALD will be reviewed.

Growth of ∼5 cm2V−1s−1 mobility, p-type Copper(I) oxide (Cu2O) films by fast atmospheric atomic layer deposition (AALD) at 225°C and below

“…Our AALD uses a shower-head type of approach whereby the precursors are simultaneously distributed over the sample to be coated while kept apart by a inert N 2 flow. [25][26][27][28] As well as not requiring a vacuum, the new system is capable of large area coating, is at least an order of magnitude faster than conventional ALD and it is compatible with roll-to-roll processing. 22 By adjusting the deposition conditions, films can be grown either in ALD mode, in chemical vapour deposition (CVD) mode or in a quasi-ALD/CVD mode.…”

Research Update: Atmospheric pressure spatial atomic layer deposition of ZnO thin films: Reactors, doping, and devices

“…45,46 AP-SALD ZnO could be used as the semiconductor in TFTs. 9,20,40,41,47,48 This is particularly important because TFTs (acting as a switch) have become a crucial part of the electronics industry, especially for displays. Several million TFTs are produced each year for displays.…”

“…The precursor gases chemisorb only onto the areas without the poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) or PVP. 20,40 In this patterning approach, a polymeric inhibitor, such as PVP is printed, and the metal oxide films do not grow where the polymer coats the substrate. 20,40 In summary, ZnO (intrinsic and doped) produced by AP-SALD has similar properties to films produced by conventional ALD.…”

“…13,[19][20][21] ZnO is also an earth-abundant material, has a wide bandgap, and can be processed over large areas, making it suitable for next generation electronics, such as smart window layers, nanorod arrays, and transparent conductors in thin-film solar cells and as switching channels in thin-film transistor (TFT) circuits. 13,19,20,22 Producing ZnO by AP-SALD is very appealing because the high throughput of this technique makes it suitable for devices requiring high production rates, such as in excitonic solar cells. [22][23][24] Furthermore, the use of AP-SALD to control and tune the electronic properties of ZnO through doping is now recognized as a low-cost and scalable way to increase the performance of these devices.…”

“…[22][23][24] Furthermore, the use of AP-SALD to control and tune the electronic properties of ZnO through doping is now recognized as a low-cost and scalable way to increase the performance of these devices. 19,20,25 The controlled introduction of dopants by AP-SALD is an important challenge, and the recent progress made for a narrow group of dopants could pave the way for future developments, as the interest in AP-SALD and range of dopants used becomes broader to the level achieved with doped ZnO deposited by conventional ALD. 13 This research update focuses on the deposition of functional ZnO films using AP-SALD.…”