Introduction to Thin Film Transistors
reviews the operation, application and technology of the
main classes of thin film transistor (TFT) of current
interest for large area electronics. The TFT materials
covered include hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H),
poly-crystalline silicon (poly-Si), transparent
amorphous oxide semiconductors (AOS), and organic
semiconductors. The large scale manufacturing of
a-Si:H TFTs forms the basis of the active matrix
flat panel display industry. Poly-Si TFTs facilitate the
integration of electronic circuits into portable active
matrix liquid crystal displays, and are increasingly
used in active matrix organic light emitting diode
(AMOLED) displays for smart phones. The recently
developed AOS TFTs are seen as an alternative option to
poly-Si and a-Si:H for AMOLED TV and large AMLCD TV
applications, respectively. The organic TFTs are
regarded as a cost effective route into flexible
electronics. As well as treating the highly
divergent preparation and properties of these materials,
the physics of the devices fabricated from them is also
covered, with emphasis on performance features such as
carrier mobility limitations, leakage currents and
instability mechanisms. The thin film transistors
implemented with these materials are the conventional,
insulated gate field effect transistors, and a further
chapter describes a new thin film transistor structure:
the source gated transistor, SGT. The driving force
behind much of the development of TFTs has been their
application to AMLCDs, and there is a chapter dealing
with the operation of these displays, as well as of
AMOLED and electrophoretic displays. A discussion of TFT
and pixel layout issues is also included. For
students and new-comers to the field, introductory
chapters deal with basic semiconductor surface physics,
and with classical MOSFET operation. These topics are
handled analytically, so that the underlying device
physics is clearly revealed. These treatments are then
used as a reference point, from which the impact of
additional band-gap states on TFT behaviour can be
readily appreciated. This reference book, covering
all the major TFT technologies, will be of interest to a
wide range of scientists and engineers in the large area
electronics industry. It will also be a broad
introduction for research students and other scientists
entering the field, as well as providing an accessible
and comprehensive overview for undergraduate and
postgraduate teaching programmes.
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