UV-assisted rapid thermal annealing for solution-processed zinc oxide thin-film transistors

An ultraviolet (UV)-assisted thermal annealing (TA) method is proposed for the rapid fabrication of solution-processed zinc oxide (ZnO) thin-film transistors (TFTs). Conventional thermal treatment of zinc hydroxide solution, which was carried out at 150 degrees C for 60 min in air, produced ZnO materials. Electrical properties of the TFTs employing thermally-annealed ZnO films were reproduced in the transistors fabricated using a simultaneous thermal treatment combined with UV irradiation at 150 degrees C for 3 min in air. These results demonstrate that the UV-assisted TA method can expedite the decomposition of precursor materials, contributing to rapid crystallization into thin films.