Enhanced mobility of solution-processed polycrystalline zinc tin oxide thin-film transistors via direct incorporation of water into precursor solution

Phase transition and the consequent variation in crystalline orientation of metal oxides have profound impact on their transport properties. In this work, we report a simple method to enhance field-effect mobility of solution-processed zinc tin oxide (ZTO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) via direct incorporation of water into precursor solution. It is confirmed H2O molecules could effectively facilitate the conversion and alloying processes during ZTO film formation, characterized by the enhancement of spinel Zn2SnO4 phase and the reduction of cassiterite SnO2 phase. The preferred orientation of metal oxide crystallites varies according to the amount of water added into precursor solutions. Smooth and densely packed polycrystalline ZTO films with only a few organic residuals and moderate oxygen defects are fabricated from water-containing precursor solutions. With the incorporation of 1.67M H2O, the extracted field-effect mobility of TFT devices could be improved by a factor of 2.3, from 0.92 to 2.11 cm(2) V-1 s(-1). This work offers a facile and cost-effective route towards high-mobility TFTs based on solution-processed polycrystalline metal oxide thin films. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.