Ambipolar Performances of Novel Amorphous Silicon-Germanium Alloy Thin-Film Transistors

Abstract

The limitation of low hole mobility in hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin-film transistors (a-Si:H TFTs) was overcome in this present work by utilizing hydrogenated amorphous silicon-germanium (a-Si 1- x Ge x :H) alloys as the active channel of TFTs. The performance of hydrogenated amorphous silicon-germanium thin film transistors (a-SiGe:H TFTs) was optimized by switching the germane-to-silane flow ratio. The fabricated a-SiGe:H TFT with 12 at% germanium content was measured as possessing an electron mobility of 0.71 cm 2 /V·s and a hole mobility of 0.54 cm 2 /V·s. The on/off current ratio ranging over almost six orders of magnitude in both conduction modes was obtained. Thus a-SiGe:H TFT has offered the opportunity for upgrading of a-Si:H TFTs and would be feasible for application in [CMOS] circuits.