Flexibility investigation of free-silicon organic–inorganic (ZrTiHfO2-PVP) hybrid films as a gate dielectric

• Published in: Applied physics. A, Materials science & processing Materials science & processing, 2021-04, Vol.127 (4), Article 217
• Main Authors: Najafi-Ashtiani, Hamed, Rahdar, Abbas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied physics; Atomic force microscopy; Bend radius; Bending machines; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Condensed Matter Physics; Fourier transforms; Infrared analysis; Leakage current; Low temperature; Machines; Manufacturing; Materials science; Mathematical analysis; Metal oxides; Nanotechnology; Optical and Electronic Materials; Optoelectronics; Photoelectrons; Physical vapor deposition; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Polyethylene terephthalate; Processes; Semiconductor devices; Spectrum analysis; Spin coating; Substrates; Surfaces and Interfaces; Thermogravimetric analysis; Thin film transistors; Thin Films; Threshold voltage; Zinc oxide
• ISSN: 0947-8396; 1432-0630
• DOI: 10.1007/s00339-021-04372-5

The current effort is aimed to introduce the organic–inorganic hybrid gate dielectric with potential application in flexible thin-film transistors. The organic–inorganic dielectrics could possess high-k dielectric constants with a remarkable difference in optical transparency as well as low-temperature process like the conventional metal oxides. By using spin coating technique, the targeted ZrTiHfO2-PVP composite with different organic–inorganic fractions was deposited on transparent and flexible substrates of the indium thin oxide layer-coated polyethylene terephthalate. After that, by using physical vapor deposition technique, nanometer-sized ZnO film (50 nm) as transistor channel and 100 nm Au pad as source and drain electrodes deposited, respectively. Thermal performance and structural classification of proposed composite studied by using thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques. The smooth surface materialization of these films confirmed by atomic force microscopy characterization. The supreme capacitance value of 1 kHz obtained for the film while it is calculated over a frequency interval from 1 to 1000 kHz. It was found that the leakage current could be engineered through increasing the amount of PVP ratio in composite. The transfer characteristics of the devices including Ion/off, mobility and threshold voltage calculated before bending and different bending radii for devices. Finally, the results highlighted that the proposed thin-film composite would have a promising aptitude for optoelectronic applications as the future transparent dielectric gate.