Influence of Annealing on Solution-Processed Indium Oxide Thin-Film Transistors Under Ambient Air and Wet Conditions

Abstract

The effect of annealing on solution-processed indium oxide (In2O3) films was investigated under ambient air and wet conditions at 250 degrees C, 300 degrees C, and 350 degrees C, respectively. The air-annealed films exhibited excellent thin-film transistor characteristics including field-effect mobility of 0.11-3.53 cm(2)/Vs and subthreshold slope of 0.28-0.36 V/dec. Whereas the wet-annealed films showed a conductor-like behavior due to >100 times higher carrier concentration than the air-annealed films. The results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy supported the decrease of hydroxyl groups in the In2O3 films by wetannealing, reducing their electron trap states and leading to more charge carriers.