Scalable, High-Performance Printed InO_x Transistors Enabled by Ultraviolet-Annealed Printed High-k AlO_x Gate Dielectrics

Abstract

Inorganic transparent metal oxides represent one of the highest performing material systems for thin-film flexible electronics. Integrating these materials with low-temperature processing and printing technologies could fuel the next generation of ubiquitous transparent devices. In this work, we investigate the integration of UV-annealing with inkjet printing, demonstrating how UV-annealing of high- k AlO _x dielectrics facilitates the fabrication of high-performance InO _x transistors at low processing temperatures and improves bias-stress stability of devices with all-printed dielectrics, semiconductors, and source/drain electrodes. First, the influence of UV-annealing on printed metal-insulator-metal capacitors is explored, illustrating the effects of UV-annealing on the electrical, chemical, and morphological properties of the printed gate dielectrics. Utilizing these dielectrics, printed InO _x transistors were fabricated which achieved exceptional performance at low process temperatures (<250 °C), with linear mobility μ_lin ≈ 12 ± 1.6 cm²/V s, subthreshold slope <150 mV/dec, I_on/ I_off > 10⁷, and minimal hysteresis (<50 mV). Importantly, detailed characterization of these UV-annealed printed devices reveals enhanced operational stability, with reduced threshold voltage ( V_t) shifts and more stable on-current. This work highlights a unique, synergistic interaction between low-temperature-processed high- k dielectrics and printed metal oxide semiconductors.