Homogeneous multicomponent indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) ceramics for transparent electrode targets are prepared from the oxides and nitrates as the source materials, and their properties are characterized. The selected compositions were In2O3:Ga2O3:ZnO = 1:1:2, 1:1:6, and 1:1:12 in mole ratio based on oxide. As revealed by X-ray diffraction analysis, calcination of the selected oxide or nitrides at 1200oC results in the formation of InGaZnO4, InGaZn3O6, and InGaZn5O8 phases. The 1:1:2, 1:1:6, and 1:1:12 oxide samples pressed in the form of discs exhibit relative densities of 96.9, 93.2, and 84.1%, respectively, after sintering at 1450oC for 12 h. The InGaZn3O6 ceramics prepared from the oxide or nitrate batches comprise large grains and exhibit homogeneous elemental distribution. Under optimized conditions, IGZO multicomponent ceramics with controlled phases, high densities, and homogeneous microstructures (grain and elemental distribution) are obtained.

To obtain the transistor with ambipolar transfer characteristics, IGZO/SiOC thin film transistor was prepared on SiOC with various polarities as a gate insulator. The interface between a channel and insulator showed the Ohmic and Schottky contacts in the bias field of -5V ~ +5V. These contact characteristics depended on the polarities of SiOC gate insulators. The transfer characteristics of TFTs were observed the Ohmic contact on SiOC with polarity, but Schottky contact on SiOC with low polarity. The IGZO/SiOC thin film transistor with a Schottky contact in a short range bias electric field exhibited ambipolar transfer characteristics, but that with Ohmic contact in a short range electric field showed unipolar characteristics by the trapping phenomenon due to the trapped ionized defect formation.

Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide (IGZO) thin films were deposited onto 300 nm-thick oxidized Si substrates and glass substrates by direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering of IGZO targets at room temperature. FESEM and XRD analyses indicate that non-annealed and annealed IGZO thin films exhibit an amorphous structure. To investigate the effect of an annealing treatment, the films were thermally treated at 300˚C for 1hr in air. The IGZO TFTs structure was a bottom-gate type in which electrodes were deposited by the DC magnetron sputtering of Ti and Au targets at room temperature. The non-annealed and annealed IGZO TFTs exhibit an Ion/Ioff ratio of more than 105. The saturation mobility and threshold voltage of nonannealed IGZO TFTs was 4.92×10-1cm2/V·s and 1.46V, respectively, whereas these values for the annealed TFTs were 1.49×10-1cm2/V· and 15.43V, respectively. It is believed that an increase in the surface roughness after an annealing treatment degrades the quality of the device. The transmittances of the IGZO thin films were approximately 80%. These results demonstrate that IGZO thin films are suitable for use as transparent thin film transistors (TTFTs).