Voltage-Polarity Dependent Programming Behaviors of Amorphous In–Ga–Zn–O Thin-Film Transistor Memory with an Atomic-Layer-Deposited ZnO Charge Trapping Layer

Amorphous In–Ga–Zn-O (a-IGZO) thin-film transistor (TFT) memories are attracting many interests for future system-on-panel applications; however, they usually exhibit a poor erasing efficiency. In this article, we investigate voltage-polarity-dependent programming behaviors of an a-IGZO TFT memory with an atomic-layer-deposited ZnO charge trapping layer (CTL). The pristine devices demonstrate electrically programmable characteristics not only under positive gate biases but also under negative gate biases. In particular, the latter can generate a much higher programming efficiency than the former. Upon applying a gate bias pulse of +13 V/1 μs, the device shows a threshold voltage shift (ΔV(th)) of 2 V; and the ΔV(th) is as large as −6.5 V for a gate bias pulse of −13 V/1 μs. In the case of 12 V/1 ms programming (P) and −12 V/10 μs erasing (E), a memory window as large as 7.2 V can be achieved at 10(3) of P/E cycles. By comparing the ZnO CTLs annealed in O(2) or N(2) with the as-deposited one, it is concluded that the oxygen vacancy (V(O))-related defects dominate the bipolar programming characteristics of the TFT memory devices. For programming at positive gate voltage, electrons are injected from the IGZO channel into the ZnO layer and preferentially trapped at deep levels of singly ionized oxygen vacancy (V(O) (+)) and doubly ionized oxygen vacancy (V(O) (2+)). Regarding programming at negative gate voltage, electrons are de-trapped easily from neutral oxygen vacancies because of shallow donors and tunnel back to the channel. This thus leads to highly efficient erasing by the formation of additional ionized oxygen vacancies with positive charges.