The exact direction, of the surface energy characterized functional group of self-assembled monolayer (SAM), is proposed for achieving the enhanced electrical stability of indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) semiconductor thin film transistor (TFT). The SAM treatment, particularly at the SAM functional group having lower surface energy, makes oxygen molecules difficult to be adsorbed onto IGZO. And such an effect much improves positive bias stability (PBS) and clockwise hysteresis stability to the same tendency. For NH2 and CF3 functional group SAMs with surface energies of 49.4 mJ/m2 and 23.5 mJ/m2, respectively, the IGZO TFT PBS was improved from 2.47 V to 0.32 V after the SAM treatment and the IGZO TFT clockwise hysteresis was also enhanced from 0.23 V to 0.11 V without any deterioration of TFT characteristics. Employing lower surface energy functional group to the SAM, of same head group and body group, does passivate and protect the IGZO backchannel region from oxygen molecules in the atmosphere. Consequently, the enhanced electrical stability of IGZO TFT can be achieved by the simple and economic SAM treatment.
Keywords: bias stress; hysteresis; oxide thin-film transistor; self-assembled monolayer; surface energy.
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