Performance Improvement of Organic Thin-Film Transistors by Electrode/Pentacene Interface Treatment Using a Hydrogen Plasma

Author

Lee, Joo-Won ; Chang, Jea-Won ; Kim, Dong-Joo ; Yoon, Young-Soo ; Kim, Jai-Kyeong

Author_Institution

Dept. of Adv. Tech, Kon-Kuk Univ., Seoul

Volume

28

Issue

5

fYear

2007

fDate

5/1/2007 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

379

Lastpage

382

Abstract

Pentacene-based organic thin-film transistors (TFTs) have been fabricated with and without treatment by hydrogen (H₂) plasma at the interface between the electrode and the pentacene surface. Processing with a H₂ plasma was carried out in a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition with varying treatment times. The interface treatment by H₂ plasma resulted in improved device electrical properties. Removal of oxygen from the pentacene surface occurs due to slight etching by the plasma. Sufficient flux density of the H₂ plasma leads to full pentacene-surface coverage by rearranging the hydrogen with carbon instead of oxygen. Atomic force microscopy profiles reveal the morphology changes of the pentacene surface after treatment, and secondary ion mass spectrometry shows the change via compositional depth profiles indicating H₂, O₂, and C-H binding. Hydrogen treatment, therefore, appears to modify the interface by removing the surface oxygen layer, resulting in better performance of the organic TFT

Keywords

atomic force microscopy; organic compounds; sputter etching; thin film transistors; SIMS; TFT; atomic force microscopy; electrode/pentacene interface treatment; hydrogen plasma; hydrogen treatment; organic thin-film transistors; pentacene surface; plasma etching; secondary ion mass spectrometry; surface treatment; Electrodes; Hydrogen; Organic thin film transistors; Pentacene; Plasma applications; Plasma chemistry; Plasma devices; Plasma materials processing; Plasma properties; Thin film transistors; H$_{2}$ plasma; interface; mobility; organic thin film transistor (OTFT); secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS); surface treatment;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Electron Device Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0741-3106

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/LED.2007.895382

Filename

4160028