Evaluation of atomic hydrogen effect using polycrystalline Ge thin-film transistors

The influence of atomic hydrogen was investigated using a polycrystalline germanium (poly-Ge) thin-film transistor. High-density-atomic hydrogens were generated by catalytic reaction on a heated W mesh. The defect density in the poly-Ge film and at the poly-Ge/SiO2 interface can be reduced by three orders of magnitude with the passivation ratio of 2.3 × 10−5. From the dependence of treatment time and air exposure time for long time, the defects in poly-Ge films were preferentially terminated in comparison with that at the poly-Ge/SiO2 interface.