Search arXiv⌕ Search

arXiv · 2507.11011

Indium Hydroxide Ceramic Targets: A Breakthrough in High-Mobility Thin-Film Transistor Technology

Abstract

Thin-film transistors composed of a hydrogen-containing indium oxide active layer are promising candidates for backplane devices in next-generation flat panel displays, offering higher definition and faster operation. However, the hydrogen incorporation process during film deposition poses challenges for scalable and industrial development due to both safety and controllability issues. Here, we demonstrate that using indium hydroxide ceramic as the target material for film deposition overcomes the difficulties associated with hydrogen gas usage. We sintered commercially available indium hydroxide powder using a conventional ceramic process at 150-250°C in air and utilized it for the deposition of hydrogen-incorporated indium oxide films via pulsed laser deposition. The resulting indium oxide films, after thermal annealing, contained a sufficient concentration of hydrogen and exhibited very high electron mobility due to significantly grown grains. Furthermore, we confirmed that the fabricated thin-film transistors exhibited comparably high performance to those produced using the gas-phase hydrogen incorporation method. This approach offers a practical pathway for hydrogen-containing indium oxide-based thin-film transistors in next-generation flat panel displays.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Hikaru Sadahira, Prashant R. Ghediya, Hyeonjun Kong, Akira Miura, Yasutaka Matsuo, Hiromichi Ohta, Yusaku Magari. 2025-07-15. Indium Hydroxide Ceramic Targets: A Breakthrough in High-Mobility Thin-Film Transistor Technology. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaelm.5c00829

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

Symmetry-induced magnetic fullerene

Defect-free, charge-neutral, pure-carbon materials are generally viewed as intrinsically non-magnetic. Here we challenge this view by establishing a fundamental principle of symmetry-induced magnetism in pure-carbon fullerene systems through molecular orbital theory. We show that high-order symmetry of fullerene molecules or their crystalline lattices induces degenerate energy levels and hence, quantised magnetic moments at half filling. This mechanism holds for all high-order symmetries. It suggests a plausible intrinsic origin for the previously debated magnetic fullerene. Additionally, recent experimental advances in the synthesis of monolayer fullerene networks provide a feasible platform to implement our prediction on the deep link between symmetry and magnetism in these systems. Our results create new, broad frontiers of quantum magnetism by introducing molecular or crystalline symmetries in any lattice.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

Tritium for Nanoscale Hydrogen Analysis by Atom Probe Tomography

Accurate nanoscale detection of hydrogen is essential for understanding hydrogen-related phenomena in materials, yet conventional tracing with deuterium is often complicated by residual background hydrogen. This study evaluates tritium as a highly resolvable isotopic marker for nanoscale hydrogen analysis in metals using atom probe tomography. Titanium was selected for its ability to incorporate hydrogen isotopes, providing a suitable platform for tritium detection. Time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and electron backscatter diffraction were performed prior to tritium charging to characterize the initial composition and microstructure. Atom probe tomography in laser mode before and after tritium charging, at three post-charging time intervals, enables tracking of tritium incorporation over time. Thermal desorption analysis confirmed the presence of tritium and complemented the secondary ion mass spectrometry measurements, highlighting the role of the surface oxide layer in modulating tritium release. While tritium, deuterium, and protium differ in their diffusion and trapping behavior, the distinct mass signal associated with tritium provides a practical advantage for resolving hydrogen at very low concentrations. This work serves as a fundamental benchmarking study for leveraging tritium and atom probe tomography as a combined tool for understanding hydrogen in materials, relevant for interpreting local processes such as hydrogen embrittlement.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

Interfacial melting as a thermodynamic indicator of solid-state synthesizability

Computational materials discovery commonly ranks candidate materials by their thermodynamic stability on the formation energy convex hull, yet many predicted-stable phases resist synthesis. We propose that solid-state synthesizability through interfacial-melt-mediated routes requires an additional thermodynamic condition: the interfacial melt at the target composition must itself remain locally stable against spinodal decomposition. We examine this in the classical Fe--B system, where thermodynamically stable FeB$_4$ has been reported under high-pressure synthesis but not in low-pressure synthesis attempts. Using melt--quench molecular dynamics driven by a fine-tuned machine-learning interatomic potential, we find that, at ambient pressure, the B-rich interfacial melt near the FeB$_4$ composition develops a concave free-energy landscape, signaling a demixing instability that is corroborated by the concentration--concentration structure factor and correlated with low-energy icosahedral and pentagonal-pyramidal boron motifs. In contrast to FeB$_4$, metastable Fe$_3$B and Fe$_{23}$B$_6$ remain synthesizable because their corresponding melts are stable. Applied pressure introduces a convex $PV$ contribution that strongly suppresses this instability, reducing the curvature at the FeB$_4$ composition to within the uncertainty of our fit at 1800~K, consistent with the experimental synthesis boundary. Comparison with CrB$_4$ further shows that weaker melt instability correlates with easier experimental synthesis. Interfacial-melt stability, which atomistic simulations can assess via the low-$k$ concentration--concentration structure factor, is thus proposed as a practical thermodynamic screening descriptor of synthesizability for AI-assisted materials discovery.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗