Performance of thin-film transistors with ultrathin Ni-MILC polycrystalline silicon channel layers

High-performance, low-temperature processed thin-film transistors (TFTs) with ultrathin (30-nm) metal induced laterally crystallized (MILC) channel layers were fabricated and characterized. Compared with the MILC TFTs with thicker (100 nm) channel layers, the ones with the 30-nm channel layers exhibit lower threshold voltage, steeper subthreshold slope, and higher transconductance. Furthermore, the comparatively lower off-state leakage current and the higher on-state current of the "thin" devices also imply a higher on/off ratio. At a drain voltage of 5 V, an on/off ratio of about 3/spl times/10/sup 7/ was obtained for the 30-nm TFTs, which is about 100 times better than that of the 100-nm TFT's. No deliberate hydrogenation was performed on these devices.