Influence of contact effect on the performance of microcrystalline silicon thin-film transistors

Microcrystalline silicon thin-film transistors were prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition at substrate temperatures below 200 degrees C. The transistors exhibit electron mobilities of 38 cm(2)/V s, threshold voltages in the range of 2 V, and subthreshold slopes of 0.3 V/decade. Despite the realization of transistors with high carrier mobility, contact effects limit the performance of the transistors. The influence of the drain and source contacts on device parameters including the mobility, the threshold voltage, and the subthreshold slope will be discussed in detail. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.