Effects of Environmental Water Absorption by Solution-Deposited Al₂O₃ Gate Dielectrics on Thin Film Transistor Performance and Mobility

In recent years, many solution-processed oxide transistors have been reported with mobility rivaling or exceeding their vacuum-deposited counterparts. Here, we show that water absorption from the environment by solution-processed dielectric materialsexplains this enhanced mobility. By monitoring the water content of Al2O3, ZrO2, and bilayer dielectric materials, we demonstrate how water absorption by the dielectric affects electrical characteristics in solution-processed metal oxide transistors. These effects, including capacitance–frequency dispersion, counterclockwise hysteresis in transfer curves, and high channel mobility, are elucidated by electron transfer between the gate/channel and trap states within the band gap of the dielectric created by the water.