Effects of process variables on aqueous-based AlO_x insulators for high-performance solution-processed oxide thin-film transistors

Recently, aqueous method has attracted lots of attention because it enables the solution-processed metal oxide thin film with high electrical properties in low temperature fabrication condition to various flexible devices. Focusing the development of aqueous route, many researchers are only focused on metal oxide materials. However, for expansive application of the aqueous-based metal oxide films, the systematic study of performance change with process variables for the development of aqueous-based metal oxide insulator film is urgently required. Here, we propose importance of process variables to achieve high electrical-performance metal oxide insulator based on the aqueous method. We found that the significant process variables including precursor solution temperature and humidity during the spincoating process strongly affect chemical, physical, and electrical properties of $AlO_x$ insulators. Through the optimization of significant variables in process, an $AlO_x$ insulator with a leakage current value approximately $10^5$ times smaller and a breakdown voltage value approximately 2-3 times greater than un-optimized $AlO_x$ was realized. Finally, by introducing the optimized $AlO_x$ insulators to solutionprocessed $InO_x$ TFTs, we successfully achieved $InO_x/AlO_x$ TFTs with remarkably high average field-effect mobility of ${\sim}52cm^2V^{-1}\;s^{-1}$ and on/off current ratio of 106 at fabrication temperature of $250^{\circ}C$.