Rodrigo Martins

The application of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) to optoelectronic devices are now well established as a viable low cost technology and is presently receiving much interest. Taking advantage of the properties of a-Si:H based devices, single and dual axis large area (up to 80×80 mm 2) thin film position sensitive detectors (TFPSD) based on a-Si:H p-i-n diodes have been developed, produced by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. In this study, the main optoelectronic properties presented by the TFPSD as well as their behavior under operation conditions, concerning its linearity and signal to noise ratio, are reported. © 1994 American Institute of Physics.

In this paper we demonstrate the use of amorphous binary In2O3-ZnO oxides simultaneously as active channel layer and as source/drain regions in transparent thin film transistor (TTFT), processed at room temperature by rf sputtering. The TTFTs operate in the enhancement mode and their performances are thickness dependent. The best TTFTs exhibit saturation mobilities higher than 102 cm2/Vs, threshold voltages lower than 6 V, gate voltage swing of 0.8 V/dec and an on/off current ratio of 107. This mobility is at least two orders of magnitude higher than that of conventional amorphous silicon TFTs and comparable to or even better than other polycrystal-line semiconductors. © 2007 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

In this letter, we report for the first time the use of a sheet of cellulose-fiber-based paper as the dielectric layer used in oxide-based semiconductor thin-film field-effect transistors (FETs). In this new approach, we are using the cellulose-fiber-based paper in an "interstrate"structure since the device is built on both sides of the cellulose sheet. Such hybrid FETs present excellent operating characteristics such as high channel saturation mobility (> 30 cm2Vs), drain-source current on/off modulation ratio of approximately 104, near-zero threshold voltage, enhancement n-type operation, and subthreshold gate voltage swing of 0.8 V/decade. The cellulose-fiber-based paper FETs' characteristics have been measured in air ambient conditions and present good stability, after two months of being processed. The obtained results outpace those of amorphous Si thin-film transistors (TFTs) and rival with the same oxide-based TFTs produced on either glass or crystalline silicon substrates. The compatibility of these devices with large-scale/large-area deposition techniques and low-cost substrates as well as their very low operating bias delineates this as a promising approach to attain high-performance disposable electronics like paper displays, smart labels, smart packaging, RFID, and point-of-care systems for self-analysis in bioapplications, among others. © 2008 IEEE.

In this paper we report some of the recent advances in transparent thin film oxide semiconductors, specifically zinc oxide (ZnO), produced by rf magnetron sputtering at room temperature with multifunctional properties. By controlling the deposition parameters it is possible to produce undoped material with electronic semiconductor properties or by doping it to get either n-type or p-type semiconductor behavior. In this work we refer our experience in producing n-type doping ZnO as transparent electrode to be used in optoelectronic applications such as solar cells and position sensitive detectors while the undoped ZnO can be used as UV photodetector or ozone gas sensor or even as active layer of fully transparent thin film transistors.

In this paper we report on some of the recent advances in transparent thin film oxide semiconductors, specifically zinc oxide produced by radio frequency magnetron sputtering at room temperature, with multifunctional properties. By controlling the deposition parameters it is possible to produce undoped material with electronic semiconductor properties, or by doping it to get either n-type or p-type semiconductor behavior. In this work we refer to our experience in producing n-type doped zinc oxide as transparent electrode to be used in optoelectronic applications such as solar cells and position sensitive detectors, while the undoped zinc oxide can be used as active layer of fully transparent thin film transistors. © 2009 Springer-Verlag.

Large area thin film position sensitive detectors based on amorphous silicon technology have been prepared on polyimide substrates using the conventional plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition. The sensors have been characterized by spectral response, light intensity dependence and linearity measurements in a bent state in order to evaluate the properties in real working conditions. The obtained one-dimensional (1D) position sensors with 10 mm width and 20 mm length present a non-linearity of ±1% which are comparable to the ones produced on glass substrates.

We have developed a rectangular dual-axis large area Position Sensitive Detector (PSD), with 5 cm×5 cm detection area, based on PIN hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) technology, produced by Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD). The metal contacts are located in the four edges of the detected area, two of them located on the back side of the ITO/PIN/Al structure and the others two located in the front side. The key factors of the detectors resolution and linearity are the thickness uniformity of the different layers, the geometry and the contacts location. Besides that, edge effects on the sensor's corner disturb the linearity of the detector. In this paper we present results concerning the linearity of the detector as well as its optoelectronic characteristics and the role of the i-layer thickness on the final sensor performances.

High mobility bottom gate thin film transistors (TFTs) with an amorphous gallium tin zinc oxide (a-GSZO) channel layer have been produced by rf magnetron cosputtering using a gallium zinc oxide (GZO) and tin (Sn) targets. The effect of the post annealing temperatures (200 °C, 250 °C and 300 °C) was evaluated and compared with two series of TFTs produced at room temperature and 150 °C during the channel deposition. From the results it was observed that the effect ofpos annealing is crucial for both series of TFTs either for stability as well as for improving the electrical characteristics. The a-GSZO TFTs operate in the enhancement mode (n-type), present a high saturation mobility of 24.6 cm2/Vs, a subthreshold gate swing voltage of 0.38 V/decade, a turn-on voltage of -0.5 V, a threshold voltage of 4.6 V and an ION/IOFF ratio of 8x107, satisfying all the requirements to be used in active-matrix backplane.

Transparent conducting ZnO:Al thin films have been deposited on polyester (Mylar type D, 100 μm thickness) substrates at room temperature by r.f. magnetron sputtering. The structural, optical and electrical properties of the deposited films have been studied. The samples are polycrystalline with a hexagonal wurtzite structure and a strong crystallographic c-axis orientation (002) perpendicular to the substrate surface. As deposited ZnO:Al thin films have an 85% transmittance in the visible and infra-red region and a resistivity as low as 3.6×10-2 Ωcm. The obtained results are comparable to those ones obtained on glass substrates, opening a new field for low cost, light weight, small volume, flexible and unbreakable large area optoelectronic devices.

Large-area thin-film position-sensitive detectors (TFPSDs) using the hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) technology are presented. The detection accuracy of these devices (lengths of about 80 mm) is better than ±0.5% of the value of the full scale of the sensor, the spatial resolution is better than ±20 μm, the non-linearities measured are below ±2% and the frequency response is in the range of a few kilohertz, compatible with the sampling frequency of most electromechanical assembling/control systems. The obtained results are quite promising regarding the application of these sensors to a wide variety of optical inspection systems.

Highly textured transparent conducting ZnO:Al thin films have been prepared by r.f. magnetron sputtering. The films were deposited on polyester (Mylar type D, 100 μm thickness) and glass substrates at room temperature. Surface stylus profiling, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscope and Hall effect measurements as a function of temperature have been used to characterize the produced films. The samples are polycrystalline with a hexagonal wurtzke structure and a strong crystallographic c-axis orientation (002) perpendicular to the substrate surface (columnar structure). The ZnO:Al thin films with a resistivity as low 3.6×10-2 Ωcm have been obtained, as deposited.

Thin film transistors (TFTs) have been produced by rf magnetron sputtering at room temperature, using non conventional oxide materials like amorphous indium-zinc-oxide (IZO) semiconductor, for the channel as well as for the drain and source regions. The obtained TFTs operate in the enhancement mode with threshold voltages of 2.4 V, saturation mobility of 22.7 cm2/Vs, gate voltage swing of 0.44 V/dec and an ON/OFF current ratio of 7×10 7. The high performances presented by these TFTs associated to a high electron mobility, at least two orders of magnitude higher than that of conventional amorphous silicon TFTs and a low threshold voltage, opens new doors for applications in flexible, wearable, disposable portable electronics as well as battery-powered applications.

In this paper, we present results concerning the thickness dependence (from 70 to 890 nm) of electrical, structural, morphological and optical properties presented by gallium-doped zinc oxide (GZO) deposited on polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) substrates by r.f. magnetron sputtering at room temperature. For thicknesses higher than 300 nm an independent correlation between the electrical, morphological, structural and optical properties are observed. The lowest resistivity obtained was 5 × 10-4 Ω cm with a sheet resistance of 15 Ω/□ and an average optical transmittance in the visible part of the spectra of 80%. It is also shown that by passivating the surface of the polymer by depositing a thin silicon dioxide layer the electrical and structural properties of the films are improved nearly by a factor of two. © 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The present paper describes the properties of a photochemical sensor based on amorphous silicon MIS (Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor) diodes. The structure of the sensors used in this work are based on glass/Cr/a-SiH(n +)/a-Si:H(i)SiOx/Pd, where the amorphous silicon layers have been deposited by conventional plasma r.f. techniques. The proposed photochemical sensors present a 2-3 orders of magnitude change in the saturation current and a decrease of up to 40% on the open circuit voltage when in the presence of 400 ppm of hydrogen. The overall performance of these sensors, associated with the low cost fabrication technology, suggests that, in the near future, it will be possible to use them in several industrial applications. © 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Linear array Thin Film Position Sensitive Detector (LTFPSD) based on hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) is proposed for the first time, taking advantage of the optical properties presented by a-Si:H devices we have developed a LTFPSD with 128 integrated elements able to be used in 3D inspections/measurements. Each element consists on a 1D LTFPSD, based on a p.i.n. diode produced in a conventional PECVD system, where the doped layers are coated with thin resistive layers to establish the required device equipotentials. By proper incorporation of the LTFPSD into an optical inspection camera it will be possible to acquire information about an object/surface, through the optical cross- section method. The main advantages of this system, when compared with the conventional CCDs, are the low complexity of hardware and software used and that the information can be continuously processed (analogue detection).

Transparent electronics has gained special attention during the last few years and is today established as one of the most promising technologies for leading the next generation of flat panel display due to its excellent electronic performance. The key components are wide band gap semiconductors, where oxides of different origin play an important role, not only as passive component but also as active component, similar to what we observe in conventional semiconductors like silicon. In this paper we present the recent progress in n- and p-type oxide based thin film transistors (TFT) produced by rf magnetron sputtering and we will summarize the major milestones already achieved with this emerging and very promising technology. © 2015 IEEE.

The aim of this work is to present the main optoelectronic characteristics of large area 1D position sensitive detectors based on amorphous silicon p-i-n diodes. From that, the device resolution, response time and detectivity are derived and discussed concerning the field of applications of the 1D thin film position sensitive detectors.

Transparent electronics is today one of the most advanced topics for a wide range of device applications. The key components are wide bandgap semiconductors, where oxides of different origins play an important role, not only as passive component but also as active component, similar to what is observed in conventional semiconductors like silicon. Transparent electronics has gained special attention during the last few years and is today established as one of the most promising technologies for leading the next generation of flat panel display due to its excellent electronic performance. In this paper the recent progress in n- and p-type oxide based thin-film transistors (TFT) is reviewed, with special emphasis on solution-processed and p-type, and the major milestones already achieved with this emerging and very promising technology are summarizeed. After a short introduction where the main advantages of these semiconductors are presented, as well as the industry expectations, the beautiful history of TFTs is revisited, including the main landmarks in the last 80 years, finishing by referring to some papers that have played an important role in shaping transparent electronics. Then, an overview is presented of state of the art n-type TFTs processed by physical vapour deposition methods, and finally one of the most exciting, promising, and low cost but powerful technologies is discussed: solution-processed oxide TFTs. Moreover, a more detailed focus analysis will be given concerning p-type oxide TFTs, mainly centred on two of the most promising semiconductor candidates: copper oxide and tin oxide. The most recent data related to the production of complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices based on n- and p-type oxide TFT is also be presented. The last topic of this review is devoted to some emerging applications, finalizing with the main conclusions. Related work that originated at CENIMAT|I3N during the last six years is included in more detail, which has led to the fabrication of high performance n- and p-type oxide transistors as well as the fabrication of CMOS devices with and on paper. Transparent electronics is one of the most advanced science topics for a broad range of device applications. In this article an overview is presented of state-of-the-art n- and p-type oxides for TFTs and their integration, processed by physical vapor deposition and by solution processing techniques. Some of the most relevant emerging applications are also presented, including CMOS devices based on oxide TFTs fabricated on glass and even on paper. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

In this paper we present results of indium doped zinc oxide deposited at room temperature by rf magnetron sputtering, with electron mobility as high as 60 cm2/Vs. The films present a resistivity as low as 5×10 -4 Ωcm with an optical transmittance of 85%. The structure of these films look-like polymorphous (mixed of different amorphous and nanocrystalline phases from different origins) as detected from XRD patterns (no clear peak exists) with a high smooth surface, as detected from SEM micrographs, highly important to ensure long life time when used in display devices.

Staggered bottom gate transparent thin film transistors (TTFTs) have been produced by rf magnetron sputtering at room temperature, using amorphous indium zinc oxide (IZO) semiconductor, for the channel as well as for the drain and source regions. The obtained TTFTs operate in the enhancement mode with threshold voltages of 2.4 V, saturation mobility of 22.7 cm2/V s, gate voltage swing of 0.44 V/dec and an ON/OFF current ratio of 7 × 107. The high performances presented by these TTFTs produced at room temperature, make these TFTs a promising candidate for flexible, wearable, disposable portable electronics as well as battery-powered applications. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copper oxide (Cu2 O) thin films were used to produce bottom gate p-type transparent thin-film transistors (TFTs). Cu2 O was deposited by reactive rf magnetron sputtering at room temperature and the films exhibit a polycrystalline structure with a strongest orientation along (111) plane. The TFTs exhibit improved electrical performance such as a field-effect mobility of 3.9 cm2 /V s and an on/off ratio of 2× 102. © 2010 American Institute of Physics.

Transparent and highly conducting gallium-doped zinc oxide films were successfully deposited by rf sputtering at room temperature. The lowest resistivity achieved was 2.6×10-4 Ω cm for a thickness of 1100 nm (sheet resistance ≈1.6 Ω/sq), with a Hall mobility of 18 cm2/Vs and a carrier concentration of 1.3×1021 cm-3. The films are polycrystalline with a hexagonal structure and a strongly preferred orientation along the c-axis. A linear dependence between the mobility and the crystallite size was obtained. The films present a transmittance in the visible spectra between 80 and 90% and a refractive index of approximately 2, which is very close to the value reported for bulk material. © 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The influence of residual stresses on the performances of large area position sensitive detectors produced on flexible substrates are presented here. For evaluating the residual stresses, two main techniques were used: An active optical triangulation and angle resolved scattering and the constant photocurrent method (CPM). From the results it was possible to correlate the stresses and the density of defects present in the films.

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon photochemical sensors based on Pd-MIS structures were produced by Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition with two different oxidized surfaces (thermal and chemical oxidation). The behaviour of dark and illuminated current-voltage characteristics in air and in the presence of a hydrogen atmosphere is explained by the changes induced by the gases in the work function of the metal, modifying the electrical properties of the interface. The photochemical sensors produced present more than 2 orders of magnitude variation on the reverse dark current when in presence of 400 ppm hydrogen to which it corresponds a decrease of 45% on the open circuit voltage.

The possibility of fabricating high-mobility ZnO thin-film transistors (ZnO-TFT) at room temperature by rf magnetron sputtering was discussed. It was found that the films were nanocrystalline with a hexagonal structure and exhibited a preferred orientation with the c-axis perpendicular to the substrate. The undoped ZnO films exhibited improved crystallinity fraction of the nanocrystals and low oxygen vacancies. Analysis shows that the exposure of the ZnO-TFTs to the ambient light has no effect on the current voltage characteristics.