Transistor structures having a transparent channel
First Claim
1. A field effect transistor, comprising:
- a channel layer comprising a substantially insulating, substantially transparent, material selected from ZnO or SnO2, wherein the channel layer comprising ZnO is vapor deposited;
a gate insulator layer comprising a substantially transparent material and being located adjacent to the channel layer so as to define a channel layer/gate insulator layer interface;
a source that can inject electrons into the channel layer for accumulation at the channel layer/gate insulator layer interface; and
a drain that can extract electrons from the channel layer;
wherein the field effect transistor is configured for enhancement-mode operation, and exhibits an optical transmission through the field effect transistor of at least about 70% in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.
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Abstract
Enhancement mode, field effect transistors wherein at least a portion of the transistor structure may be substantially transparent. One variant of the transistor includes a channel layer comprising a substantially insulating, substantially transparent, material selected from ZnO or SnO2. A gate insulator layer comprising a substantially transparent material is located adjacent to the channel layer so as to define a channel layer/gate insulator layer interface. A second variant of the transistor includes a channel layer comprising a substantially transparent material selected from substantially insulating ZnO or SnO2, the substantially insulating ZnO or SnO2 being produced by annealing. Devices that include the transistors and methods for making the transistors are also disclosed.
317 Citations
80 Claims
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1. A field effect transistor, comprising:
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a channel layer comprising a substantially insulating, substantially transparent, material selected from ZnO or SnO2, wherein the channel layer comprising ZnO is vapor deposited; a gate insulator layer comprising a substantially transparent material and being located adjacent to the channel layer so as to define a channel layer/gate insulator layer interface; a source that can inject electrons into the channel layer for accumulation at the channel layer/gate insulator layer interface; and a drain that can extract electrons from the channel layer; wherein the field effect transistor is configured for enhancement-mode operation, and exhibits an optical transmission through the field effect transistor of at least about 70% in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 41, 42, 45, 47, 49, 54, 58, 60, 61, 63, 64, 65)
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17. A field effect transistor, comprising:
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a channel layer comprising a substantially transparent material selected from substantially insulating ZnO or substantially insulating SnO2, the substantially insulating SnO2 being produced by annealing and the substantially insulating ZnO being vapor deposited and the resulting ZnO layer undergoes annealing; a gate insulator layer located adjacent to the channel layer; a source; a drain; and a gate electrode; wherein the field effect transistor is configured for enhancement-mode operation, and exhibits an optical transmission through the field effect transistor of at least about 70% in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 43, 44, 46, 48, 50, 55, 57, 66)
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34. A thin film transistor comprising:
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a discrete channel layer comprising an inorganic, substantially insulating ZnO or SnO2 material, wherein the channel layer comprising ZnO is produced by vapor deposition; and a gate insulator layer located adjacent to the channel layer, wherein the combined channel layer and gate insulator layer construct exhibits an optical transmission through the construct of at least about 90% in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, and is configured for enhancement-mode operation. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 62, 78, 79, 80)
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37. A method for operating a field effect transistor, comprising:
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providing a field effect transistor that includes (i) a channel layer comprising a substantially insulating, substantially transparent material selected from ZnO or SnO2, wherein the ZnO is produced by vapor deposition;
(ii) a gate insulator layer located adjacent to the channel layer so as to define a channel layer/gate insulator layer interface (iii) a source;
(iv) a drain; and
(v) a gate electrode, wherein the field effect transistor exhibits an optical transmission through the field effect transistor of at least about 70% in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum; andapplying a positive voltage to the gate electrode to effect a flow of electrons at the channel layer/gate insulator layer interface, wherein in the absence of an applied positive voltage substantially no current flow occurs. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 59, 67)
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51. A microelectronic construct, comprising:
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a continuous channel layer film comprising a substantially insulating material selected from ZnO or substantially transparent SnO2, wherein the channel layer comprising ZnO is produced by vapor deposition and the channel layer comprising SnO2 exhibits an optical transmission of at least about 70% in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum; and a plurality of patterned gate insulator layers, sources, and drains arranged so that each gate insulator layer, source and drain forms, along with the continuous channel layer film, a discrete electrical device, wherein the gate insulator layer is located adjacent to the continuous channel layer film so as to define a channel layer/gate insulator layer interface. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 56, 68)
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69. A field effect transistor, comprising:
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a channel layer comprising a substantially insulating material comprising ZnO, wherein the channel layer comprising ZnO is vapor deposited; a gate insulator layer comprising a substantially transparent material and being located adjacent to the channel layer so as to define a channel layer/gate insulator layer interface; a source that can inject electrons into the channel layer for accumulation at the channel layer/gate insulator layer interface; and a drain that can extract electrons from the channel layer; wherein the field effect transistor is configured for enhancement-mode operation and the channel layer exhibits an optical transmission of at least about 50% across the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. - View Dependent Claims (70)
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71. A field effect transistor, comprising:
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a channel layer comprising a substantially insulating, substantially transparent, material selected from ZnO or SnO2, wherein the channel layer comprising ZnO is vapor deposited; a gate insulator layer comprising a substantially transparent material and being located adjacent to the channel layer so as to define a channel layer/gate insulator layer interface; a source that can inject electrons into the channel layer for accumulation at the channel layer/gate insulator layer interface; and a drain that can extract electrons from the channel layer; wherein the field effect transistor is configured for enhancement-mode operation, and at least one of the source or the drain comprises a material selected from indium-tin oxide, LaB6, or ZnO;
Al.
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72. A field effect transistor, comprising:
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a channel layer comprising a substantially transparent material selected from substantially insulating ZnO or substantially insulating SnO2, the substantially insulating SnO2 being produced by annealing and the substantially insulating ZnO being vapor deposited and the resulting ZnO layer undergoes annealing; a gate insulator layer located adjacent to the channel layer; a source; a drain; and a gate electrode; wherein the field effect transistor is configured for enhancement-mode operation, and at least one of the source or the drain comprises a material selected from indium-tin oxide, LaB6, or ZnO;
Al.
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73. A method for operating a field effect transistor, comprising:
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providing a field effect transistor that includes (i) a channel layer comprising a substantially insulating, substantially transparent material selected from ZnO or SnO2, wherein the ZnO is produced by vapor deposition;
(ii) a gate insulator layer located adjacent to the channel layer so as to define a channel layer/gate insulator layer interface (iii) a source;
(iv) a drain; and
(v) a gate electrode; andapplying a positive voltage to the gate electrode to effect a flow of electrons having an effective mobility of about 0.05 cm2V−
1s−
1 to about 20 cm2V−
1s−
1 at the channel layer/gate insulator layer interface, wherein in the absence of an applied positive voltage substantially no current flow occurs.
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74. A field effect transistor, comprising:
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a channel layer comprising a substantially insulating, substantially transparent, material selected from ZnO or SnO2, wherein the channel layer comprising ZnO is vapor deposited; a gate insulator layer comprising a substantially transparent material and being located adjacent to the channel layer so as to define a channel layer/gate insulator layer interface having an effective electron mobility of about 0.05 cm2V−
1s−
1 to about 20 cm2V−
1s−
1;a source that can inject electrons into the channel layer for accumulation at the channel layer/gate insulator layer interface; and a drain that can extract electrons from the channel layer; wherein the field effect transistor is configured for enhancement-mode operation.
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75. A field effect transistor, comprising:
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a channel layer comprising a substantially insulating, substantially transparent ZnO material, wherein the channel layer comprising ZnO is vapor deposited; a gate insulator layer comprising a substantially transparent material and being located adjacent to the channel layer so as to define a channel layer/gate insulator layer interface; a source that can inject electrons into the channel layer for accumulation at the channel layer/gate insulator layer interface; and a drain that can extract electrons from the channel layer; wherein the field effect transistor is configured for enhancement-mode operation. - View Dependent Claims (76, 77)
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Specification