Control of hydrogen concentration on InGaZnO thin film using cryopumping system

Amorphous InGaZnO thin film transistors (a-IGZO TFTs) have been extensively studied as driving transistors for large organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays due to its' exceptional uniformity. However, the positive bias stability (PBS) of a-IGZO TFT is not sufficiently acceptable to endure the long on-stress time. Here, the effect of hydrogen impurities in a-IGZO channels on the stability and performance of TFTs used in OLED displays are investigated. The hydrogen content in the a-IGZO film is reduced to limit the formation of trapping sites for charge carriers and improve TFT stability. This study uses a cryogenic pumping system to reduce the hydrogen impurity density during the deposition process and examines the electrical characteristics of bottom-gate a-IGZO TFTs. The threshold voltage shift (ΔVth) of the a-IGZO TFT fabricated using the cryogenic pumping system was found to be reduced by 3.4–6.9 V, compared to the TFT fabricated using the turbo molecular pump system. The hydrogen and oxygen concentrations in the oxide thin films are quantitatively analyzed, and the mechanism of OH bonding acting as an electron trap during positive bias stress is explained. Overall, this study provides insights into the impact of hydrogen impurities in a-IGZO TFT stability and performance, as well as proposes a method using cryopump for reducing hydrogen impurities to improve OLED display reliability.