Metal-induced n⁺/n homojunction for ultrahigh electron mobility transistors

A self-organized n⁺/n homojunction is proposed to achieve ultrahigh performance of thin film transistors (TFTs) based on an amorphous (Zn,Ba)SnO₃ (ZBTO) semiconductor with sufficiently limited scattering centers. A deposited Al layer can induce a highly O-deficient (n⁺) interface layer in the back channel of a-ZBTO without damaging the front channel layer via the formation of a metal-oxide interlayer between the metal and back channel. The n⁺ layer can significantly improve the field-effect mobility by providing a relatively high concentration of free electrons in the front n-channel ZBTO, where the scattering of carriers is already controlled. In comparison with a Ti layer, the Al metal layer is superior, as confirmed by first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations, due to the stronger metal-O bonds, which make it easier to form a metal oxide AlO_x interlayer through the removal of oxygen from ZBTO. The field-effect mobility of a-ZBTO with an Al capping layer can reach 153.4 cm²/Vs, which is higher than that of the pristine device, i.e., 20.8 cm²/Vs. This result paves the way for the realization of a cost-effective method for implementing indium-free ZBTO devices in various applications, such as flat panel displays and large-area electronic circuits.