Hollow-Cathode CVD $\hbox{N}_{2}$ Plasma Treatment for Performance and Reliability Improvement of LTPS-TFTs

This letter presents a scheme for N
₂
plasma treatment using a hollow-cathode chemical vapor deposition (HCCVD) system. The N
₂
plasma treatment of the channel layer using an HCCVD system can simultaneously offer high-efficiency passivation and prevent plasma damage because energetic ions and hot electrons oscillate inside the hollow-cathode tube. In addition, low-temperature polysilicon thin-film transistor (TFT) reliability is improved because of the formation of strong Si-N bonds. We believe that the proposed scheme is the first to use HCCVD to offer a high-efficiency and low-damage passivation technology for improving the electrical characteristics of poly-Si TFTs.