Gettering of Ni silicide to minimize the leakage current in metal-induced crystallized polycrystalline silicon thin-film transistors

• Published in: Electronic materials letters Vol. 8; no. 2; pp. 107 - 110
• Main Authors: Byun, Chang Woo, Son, Se Wan, Lee, Yong Woo, Kang, Hyun Mo, Park, Seol Ah, Lim, Woo Chang, Li, Tao, Joo, Seung Ki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Springer The Korean Institute of Metals and Materials 01.04.2012; 대한금속·재료학회
• Subjects: Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Condensed Matter Physics; Materials Science; Nanotechnology; Nanotechnology and Microengineering; Optical and Electronic Materials; 전자/정보통신공학; metal-induced lateral crystallization (MILC); thin-film transistor (TFT); metal-induced crystallization (MIC); silicide-induced crystallization (SIC); low temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS); gettering
• ISSN: 1738-8090; 2093-6788
• DOI: 10.1007/s13391-012-2001-6

Abstact Metal-induced lateral crystallization (MILC) technology has been regarded as the only alternative for low temperature polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) since it became apparent that laser technology still had intrinsic problems for industrial use. The only problem with MILC poly-Si thin-film transistors (TFTs) is a relatively large leakage current, which has been reported to be due to Ni silicides trapped at the grain boundaries of the poly-Si thin film on the way to lateral crystallization. In this work, the trapped Ni silicides have been removed by catalytic phase transformation. This process has ameliorated not only the problem of leakage current but it has also improved other electrical properties, such as field effect mobility and subthreshold slope by gettering of the Ni silicide.