Annealing effects of In2O3 thin films on electrical properties and application in thin film transistors

Abstract Considering practical applications in electronic devices, we studied the growth of In 2 O 3 thin films on amorphous glasses by magnetron sputtering at room temperature and annealing effect on the structural and electrical properties. The vacuum annealed In 2 O 3 thin films display a grain size enlargement and preferential orientation. Electrical characterization shows that the vacuum annealed In 2 O 3 thin films exhibit a significant enhancement of both electron density and mobility, while air ambient annealing leads to a remarkable drop. The mechanism of the electrical characteristic changes in In 2 O 3 thin films by annealing is explored by using different scattering mechanisms. Finally, a thin film transistor device using vacuum annealed In 2 O 3 nano-meter thin films as active channel material is demonstrated.