NER: Exploring a Nanoscale Amorphous Silicon Thin Film Transistor

本提案的目标是探索在250℃或以下的温度下制备纳米级非晶硅（a- si:H）薄膜晶体管（TFT）。这种器件的成功对许多未来的电子、光电、生物医学器件和电路至关重要。我们建议研究构建这种功能TFT的可行性，并研究其器件特性。目前，a-Si:H TFT主要用于低速应用，如显示器、成像仪和传感器，因为它的场效应迁移率低。然而，晶体管的截止频率与通道长度的平方成反比。因此，纳米级a- si:H TFT的工作频率，例如通道长度小于0.2微米，可以很容易地高于1 MHz，这开辟了许多新的和先进的应用。我们将研究制备纳米级a-Si:H TFT的可行性。TFT将具有自对准的n +结构，通过选择性沉积或等离子体掺杂方法形成。完整的TFT将根据a-Si:H层厚度和沉积过程的变化进行表征。所有的实验和电特性将在主要研究人员（pi）薄膜微电子研究实验室进行，该实验室配备了最先进的仪器和设施。这是一个多学科的研究项目。将积极招募代表性不足群体的研究生和本科生参与该项目。学生将获得纳米级晶体管制造，器件表征，纳米厚度薄膜材料和分析的工作知识和经验。

The goal of this proposal is to explore a nanoscale amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin film transistor (TFT) prepared at a temperature of 250C or below. The success of this kind of device is critical to many future electronic, optoelectronic, biomedical devices, and circuits. We propose to investigate the feasibility of constructing such a functional TFT and to study its device characteristics.Currently, an a-Si:H TFT is mainly used for low-speed applications, such as in displays, imagers, and sensors, because of its low field-effect mobility. However, the cut off frequency of the transistor is inversely proportional to the square of the channel length. Therefore, the operation frequency of a nanoscale a-Si:H TFT, e.g., channel length less than 0.2 micrometer, can easily be higher than 1 MHz, which opens many new and advanced applications. We will investigate the feasibility of fabricating the nanoscale a-Si:H TFT. The TFT will have a self-aligned n + structure that is formed by the selective deposition or plasma doping method. The complete TFT will be characterized with respect to variations of the a-Si:H layer thickness and deposition processes. All experiments and electrical characterizations will be done in the principal investigators (PIs) Thin Film Microelectronics Research Laboratory, which is equipped with state-of-the-art instruments and facility.This is a multi-disciplinary research project. Graduate and undergraduate students of under-represented groups will be actively recruited to participate in the project. Students will obtain working knowledge and experience of nanoscale transistor fabrication, device characterization, and nano thickness thin film materials and analysis.