Stable n-channel metal-semiconductor field effect transistors on ZnO films deposited using a filtered cathodic vacuum arc

We report on the properties of metal-semiconductor-field-effect-transistors (MESFETs) on ZnO films grown using the filtered cathodic vacuum arc (FCVA) technique. FCVA ZnO films deposited on a-plane sapphire at 200 degrees C showed good structural and electrical properties that improved further on annealing at 800 degrees C in oxygen, due to the formation of larger grains with lower inter-grain transport barriers. MESFETs with silver oxide and iridium oxide Schottky gates on these annealed films showed excellent long-term stability with low ideality factors (<1.3), low gate leakage, and channel mobilities up to 50 cm(2)/Vs that were unchanged with both age and stress testing