Effects of hydrogen plasma treatment on the physical and chemical properties of tin oxide thin films for ambipolar thin-film transistor applications

In this study, we investigated the physical and chemical properties of H2 plasma-treated tin oxide (SnOX) thin films, followed by their applications in ambipolar thin-film transistors (TFTs). Finely controlled H2 implantation was carried out using a reactive-ion-etching system at a radio frequency power of 30 W and under various exposure times. H2 plasma treatments induced changes in the chemical structures and surface morphologies of the SnOX thin films, including a partial phase transformation of Sn and SnO to SnO2. The defects originating from oxygen vacancies (OVacs) in the SnOX thin films were passivated by H via the formation of Sn–H bonds, which decreased the density of subgap states in the SnOX thin films. The H2 plasma-treated SnOX TFTs showed considerably improved ambipolarity and electrical performance. Complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) logic inverters comprising H2-plasma-treated ambipolar SnOX TFTs exhibited a maximum gain of 34.5 V/V at a supply voltage of 10 V. The results of this study present the meaningful investigation of H2 plasma-treated ambipolar SnOX TFTs that can be used to fabricate CMOS circuits for various applications.