STTR Phase I: Vertical Structure Thin Film Transistors for High Performance Displays and Internet of Things Devices

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project is to improve the performance of flat panel displays of various form factors and sizes. One of the key subsystems of a flat panel display is a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) backplane that drives the pixels in the panel. There are increasing demands for improved resolution and frame rate in displays, posing significant challenges on the performance of the TFT backplane. The proposed STTR research will produce TFT devices that are several orders of magnitude faster using existing semiconductor materials. This technology will lead to more capable solutions for displays, printed electronics, and internet-of-things applications. This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project develops a novel Thin Film Transistor (TFT) design for displays and other electronics that require transistors. Conventional TFT transistors switch current laterally and are difficult to reduce below micron-level sizes. The proposed research will produce TFT transistors that switch current vertically. The path length across which the switching occurs is much shorter in the vertical devices and therefore the switching happens faster and can carry more current than conventional designs. This project develops a vertical TFT using amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide semiconductors. The project will advance the development of a prototype vertical TFT. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.