Passivation effects of ion plating capping oxide on poly-Si TFTs

The reduction of defect density in poly-Si active layers is an important issue to improve poly-Si TFT performance. A novel method has been developed for efficient passivation of these defects using ion plating (IP) oxides as capping layers. IP oxide is deposited while Si and O/sub 2/ gases are activated and ionized by an Ar plasma, and shows excellent physicochemical and electrical properties even when deposited at room temperature. IP oxide has been shown to be feasible for application as a poly-Si TFT gate insulator, and to contribute to excellent device characteristics.