Lanthanum Doping Enabling High Drain Current Modulation in a p-Type Tin Monoxide Thin-Film Transistor

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Semiconductor Physics
• Thin Film Technology

Background:

• Tin monoxide (SnO) is a promising p-type semiconductor material.
• Controlling the properties of SnO films is crucial for device applications.
• Lanthanum (La) doping is explored to tune SnO's characteristics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of lanthanum (La) loading on SnO films.
• To analyze structural, optical, and electrical property modifications.
• To evaluate the performance enhancement in p-type thin-film transistors (TFTs).

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of La-loaded SnO films.
• Structural characterization using X-ray diffraction (XRD).
• Optical property analysis (band gap measurement).
• Electrical property evaluation (carrier density, mobility).
• Fabrication and testing of SnO-based TFTs.

Main Results:

• La loading up to 1.9 atom % promotes tetragonal SnO texturing and smoother morphology.
• La doping suppresses SnO2 formation and widens the optical band gap.
• 1.9 atom % La-loaded SnO films exhibit higher hole mobility and carrier density.
• SnO TFTs with 1.9 atom % La loading show improved field-effect mobility (1.2 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹) and I_ON/OFF ratio (7.3 × 10³).

Conclusions:

• Lanthanum loading is an effective strategy to enhance the p-type semiconducting properties of SnO films.
• Optimized La doping leads to superior TFT performance due to improved morphology and reduced defect states.
• La-doped SnO presents a viable channel material for advanced electronic devices.