Insulator/metal passivation of motft

A passivated metal oxide thin film transistor comprising:

• a metal oxide thin film transistor having a surface defined by spaced apart source/drain terminals positioned on a layer of semiconductor metal oxide and material in a space between the source/drain terminals, the space between the source/drain terminals defining a conduction channel in the layer of semiconductor metal oxide;
• a layer of passivation material on the surface defined by the spaced apart source/drain terminals and the material in the space between the source/drain terminals;
• and
• a layer including a noble metal, a refractory metal, and/or a transparent conducting metal oxide on the layer of passivation material overlying the space between the source/drain terminals.

A method of fabricating a back-panel with a plurality of metal oxide thin film transistors for flat panel devices including one of a light emitting diode display, an image sensor array, a biosensor array, a pressure sensing array, an X-ray imager, or a touch sensing array, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a substrate;
• and
• fabricating on the substrate a plurality of passivated metal oxide thin film transistors, the fabrication of each passivated transistor including the steps of:
• providing a metal oxide thin film transistor having a surface defined by spaced apart source/drain terminals positioned on a layer of semiconductor metal oxide and material in a space between the source/drain terminals, the space between the source/drain terminals defining a conduction channel in the layer of semiconductor metal oxide;
• forming a layer of passivation material on the surface defined by the spaced apart source/drain terminals and the material in the space between the source/drain terminals;
• establishing oxygen vacancy equilibrium in the conduction channel of the layer of semiconductor metal oxide by annealing in an oxygen containing ambient the metal oxide thin film transistor and layer of passivation material;
• and
• depositing a layer including a noble metal, a refractory metal, and/or a transparent conducting metal oxide on the layer of passivation material overlying the space between the source/drain terminals.