Electron-blocking by the potential barrier originated from the asymmetrical local density of state in the oxide semiconductor

Defect generation in oxide semiconductor thin-film transistors under high-voltage driving has not been studied in depth despite being a crucial bottleneck in the making of the integrated circuit utilized in an oxide semiconductor. Here we report on the origin of the asymmetrical transport characteristics caused by the degradation in the oxide semiconductor during integrated circuit driving. The variation of the current profiles based on test conditions is related to the generation of local defect states in the oxide material; this generation could be caused by the structural change of the material. The numerical calculations show that the flow of the electron is blocked by the “electrical pocket” formed by the electric-field distortion due to the local defect states near the edge of the electrode.