Stress-Relief Island Design of Island-Bridge Structured InZnO TFT for Form-Free Display Applications Using Spatial ALD

Abstract

The increasing popularity of flexible and wearable electronics has created demand for robust and stretchable display technologies. However, maintaining active-matrix organic light-emitting diode functionality under mechanical deformation presents significant challenges. This study proposes an advanced island-bridge structural design for oxide thin-film transistors fabricated using atmospheric-pressure spatial atomic layer deposition. The proposed design includes square, circular, and patterned islands (4, 8, 12, and 16 patterns), with stress-relief properties validated through ANSYS simulations. Circular and patterned islands demonstrate superior stress distributions compared to conventional square designs, reducing stress concentrations by as much as 20%. In addition, the patterned island-bridge structures maintain their electrical performance under 30% strain, surpassing the performance of square and circular configurations. A 2-series thin-film transistor (TFT) fabricated using the proposed structure exhibits stable operation under 30% strain, highlighting its potential for practical applications in stretchable displays. This study paves the way for the integration of durable and high-performance stretchable electronics with advanced island-bridge designs.