Visualization of Mesoscopic Conductivity Fluctuations in Amorphous Semiconductor Thin-Film Transistors

Yu, Jia; Zhou, Yuchen; Wang, Xiao; Dodabalapur, Ananth; Lai, Keji

doi:10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c03661

Title: Visualization of Mesoscopic Conductivity Fluctuations in Amorphous Semiconductor Thin-Film Transistors

Journal Article · 14 December 2023 · Nano Letters

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c03661 · OSTI ID:2339938

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^[2]; Lai, Keji ^[2]

University of Texas, Austin, TX (United States); University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)

Charge transport in amorphous semiconductors is considerably more complicated than the process in crystalline materials due to abundant localized states. In addition to device-scale characterization, spatially resolved measurements are important to unveiling electronic properties. Here, we report gigahertz conductivity mapping in amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors by microwave impedance microscopy (MIM), which probes conductivity without Schottky barrier’s influence. The difference between the dc and microwave conductivities reflects the efficacy of the injection barrier in an accumulation-mode transistor. The conductivity exhibits significant nanoscale inhomogeneity in the subthreshold regime, presumably due to trapping and release from localized states. The characteristic length scale of local fluctuations, as determined by the autocorrelation analysis, is about 200 nm. Using a random-barrier model, we can simulate the spatial variation of the potential landscape, which underlies the mesoscopic conductivity distribution. Furthermore, our work provides an intuitive way to understand the charge transport mechanism in amorphous semiconductors at the microscopic level.

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Research Organization:: University of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); National Science Foundation (NSF); Welch Foundation

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0019025

OSTI ID:: 2339938

Journal Information:: Nano Letters, Journal Name: Nano Letters Journal Issue: 24 Vol. 23; ISSN 1530-6984

Publisher:: American Chemical SocietyCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
conductivity fluctuation
amorphous semiconductor
percolation model
mesoscopic physics
microwave impedance microscopy
deposition
electrical conductivity
electromagnetic radiation
semiconductors
transistors

Title: Visualization of Mesoscopic Conductivity Fluctuations in Amorphous Semiconductor Thin-Film Transistors

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