Low temperature fabrication of a ZnO nanoparticle thin-film transistor suitable for flexible electronics

A bottom-gate/top-drain/source contact ZnO nanoparticle thin-film transistor was fabricated using a low temperature annealing process (150 °C) suitable for flexible electronics. Additionally, a high-k resin filled with TiO2 nanoparticles was used as gate dielectric. After fabrication, the transistors presented almost no hysteresis in the I-V curve, a threshold voltage (VT) of 2.2 V, a field-effect mobility on the order of 0.1 cm2/V s and an ION/IOFF ratio of about 104. However, the transistor is sensitive to aging effects due to interactions with the ambient air, resulting in current level reduction caused by trapped oxygen at the nanoparticle surface, and an anti-clockwise hysteresis in the transfer curve. It was demonstrated, conjointly, the possible desorption of oxygen by voltage stress and UV light exposure.