We present device-related experimental results that quantitatively reveal the effect of varying the active channel/grain-boundary misorientation on the resulting TFT characteristics. Specifically, using low-temperature SLS processes, we have fabricated and analyzed n-channel and p-channel devices (40 μm width × 8 μm length) with three different orientations of the channel with respect to the grain boundaries: parallel, 45° inclined, and perpendicular on Corning 1737 glass substrates.

The results reveal that the TFTs with the best (worst) characteristics were obtained for the devices with parallel (perpendicular) alignment. In general, for both n- and p-channel devices, the most prominent orientation-dependent effects were observed in the values of the field effect mobilities, which were 340, 227, and 141 cm2/Vsec for n-channel devices and 145, 105, and 80 cm2/Vsec for p-channel devices, in the order of increasing orientation mismatch. In contrast, no notable effect was manifested in the leakage currents, while small effects were seen for the sub-threshold slopes and threshold voltages. The degradation of device performance under hot-carrier stress was found to decrease with increasing orientation mismatch.