Insight into the High Mobility and Stability of In₂ O₃ :H Film

Wide bandgap semiconductors, particularly In₂ O₃ :Sn (ITO), are widely used as transparent conductive electrodes in optoelectronic devices. Nevertheless, due to the strohave beenng scattering probability of high-concentration oxygen vacancy (V_O ) defects, the mobility of ITO is always lower than 40 cm²  V^-1  s^-1 . Recently, hydrogen-doped In₂ O₃ (In₂ O₃ :H) films have been proven to have high mobility (>100 cm²  V^-1  s^-1 ), but the origin of this high mobility is still unclear. Herein, a high-resolution electron microscope and theoretical calculations are employed to investigate the atomic-scale mechanisms behind the high carrier mobility in In₂ O₃ :H films. It is found that V_O can cause strong lattice distortion and large carrier scattering probability, resulting in low carrier mobility. Furthermore, hydrogen doping can simultaneously reduce the concentration of V_O , which accounts for high carrier mobility. The thermal stability and acid-base corrosion mechanism of the In₂ O₃ :H film are investigated and found that hydrogen overflows from the film at high temperatures (>250 °C), while acidic or alkaline environments can cause damage to the In₂ O₃ grains themselves. Overall, this work provides insights into the essential reasons for high carrier mobility in In₂ O₃ :H and presents a new research approach to the doping and stability mechanisms of transparent conductive oxides.