Transparent p-type SnOx thin film transistors produced by reactive rf magnetron sputtering followed by low temperature annealing

P-type thin-film transistors (TFTs) using room temperature sputtered SnOx (x < 2) as a transparent oxide semiconductor have been produced. The SnOx films show p-type conduction presenting a polycrystalline structure composed with a mixture of tetragonal beta-Sn and alpha-SnOx phases, after annealing at 200 degrees C. These films exhibit a hole carrier concentration in the range of approximate to 10(16)-10(18) cm(-3); electrical resistivity between 10(1)-10(2) Omega cm; Hall mobility around 4.8 cm(2)/V s; optical band gap of 2.8 eV; and average transmittance approximate to 85% (400 to 2000 nm). The bottom gate p-type SnOx TFTs present a field-effect mobility above 1 cm(2)/V s and an ON/OFF modulation ratio of 10(3). (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3469939]