Top: SCS process schematic. Bottom: Mobility statistics vs. processing temperature for conventional (red) and SCS (blue) IGZO TFTs with SiOx dielectric. Green: with an SCS ZrOx dielectric

Metal oxide (MO) semiconductors have recently emerged as contenders for next-generation transparent electronics. Impressive progress in solution-processed MO electronics has been achieved, however, due to incomplete lattice condensation and film densification, high-quality MO films having technologically-relevant thicknesses have not been realized.

Now a MRSEC team has invented a new low-temperature thickness-controlled film growth process to create high-performance solution-processed MO electronics, spray-combustion synthesis (SCS), demonstrating for the first time amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide (a-IGZO) transistors having densification, nanoporosity, electron mobility, trap densities, transistor bias stability, and film transport approaching those of sputtered films, and compatible with conventional FAB manufacture.