New Class of Amorphous Oxide Semiconductors from Amorphous Alloys

Both n- and p-type amorphous oxide semiconductors (AOSs) are essential for realizing new functions in emerging optoelectronic devices. Their conduction types are determined primarily by their local atomic configurations. However, their disordered amorphous structures pose significant challenges to the design of local atomic arrangements and, thus, hinder the development of AOSs with predetermined conduction types. To address this long-standing issue, we developed a new class of AOSs by adding oxygen to different amorphous alloy systems. These AOSs showed different conduction types, mainly depending on the compositions of the selected amorphous alloy systems. Integrated with the mainstream semiconductor Si, these AOSs showed potential for developing useful full-color filter devices. These findings may pave the way to create novel AOSs with promising optoelectronic properties for applications in thin film diodes, transistors, and solar cells.