Tellurium‐Induced Phase‐Orbital Coupling Enables High‐Mobility p‐Type Tin Oxide Transistor

ABSTRACT P‐type oxide semiconductors are intrinsically limited by the spatially localized O 2p orbitals at the valence band edge, which cause a large hole effective mass and sluggish carrier transport. Overcoming this long‐standing limitation demands not only defect passivation but, more fundamentally, reconstruction of the valence band topology and transport pathways. Here, we demonstrate a tellurium‐induced phase‐orbital coupling strategy in tin oxide (SnO x :Te) thin films that simultaneously delocalizes the valence states and establishes high‐mobility transport networks. Specifically, Te incorporation enhances Sn 5s‐O 2p hybridization, enhancing valence‐band dispersion and thereby reducing the hole effective mass. Concurrently, the stabilization of semimetallic Sn nanodomains creates an embedded heterophase network that activates highly efficient transport pathways. Moreover, Te‐mediated suppression of oxygen‐vacancy formation mitigates ionized impurity scattering, enabling stable hole conduction. As a result, the SnO x :Te thin‐film transistors exhibit a high field‐effect mobility of ∼62 cm 2 V −1 s −1 with improved operational stability. The transistor arrays show excellent uniformity, and complementary inverters based on these p‐type transistors deliver a voltage gain of 59.5 and a minimum static power consumption of 11.82 pW. The phase‐orbital coupling mechanism established here extends beyond SnO x , offering a generalizable route to activate dispersive valence states and transcend the intrinsic transport limitations of oxide semiconductors.