Radiation Stability\nof the p‑Type SnO<sub><i>x</i></sub> TFT with Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> and HfO<sub>2</sub> Passivation Layers

Tin monoxide (SnO), as a p-type semiconductor\nmaterial,\nhas received\nwidespread attention in oxide thin-film transistors (TFTs) due to\nits excellent electrical properties. Passivation layers, including\nalumina (Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>) and hafnium oxide (HfO<sub>2</sub>), have demonstrated effective suppression of the phase instability\nin SnO, thereby enhancing its electrical properties. However, research\non the radiation stability of SnO TFTs with different passivation\nlayers in harsh ionizing radiation environments is still lacking.\nIn this work, SnO<sub><i>x</i></sub> TFTs with no passivation,\nAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>, or HfO<sub>2</sub> passivation layer\nwere manufactured and subjected to 50 keV proton irradiation with\na dose range of 10<sup>13</sup>–10<sup>15</sup> cm<sup>–2</sup> to investigate the influence of the passivation layer on the radiation\nstability of SnO<sub><i>x</i></sub> TFTs. The results showed\nthat the passivated SnO<sub><i>x</i></sub> TFTs demonstrated\nsignificantly improved stability compared to their unpassivated counterparts\nunder both before and after irradiation conditions. And the passivated\nSnO<sub><i>x</i></sub> TFTs exhibited excellent radiation\nhardness up to a dose of 10<sup>15</sup> cm<sup>–2</sup> despite\na negative shift in the threshold voltage. Among them, the Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>-passivated SnO<sub><i>x</i></sub> TFTs\nshowed superior radiation stability compared to the HfO<sub>2</sub>-passivated ones, with a smaller threshold voltage shift under unbiased\nand negatively biased stress conditions after proton irradiation.\nThis study provides valuable insights into the radiation stability\nof SnO<sub><i>x</i></sub> TFTs and serves as a reference\nfor enhancing their reliability in radiation-prone environments.