In high-density, low-power display and nonvolatile memory systems, the subgap density of states (DoS) in the channel and selector materials governs the threshold voltage, ON current, subthreshold characteristics, bias-stress reliability, and threshold...
In high-density, low-power display and nonvolatile memory systems, the subgap density of states (DoS) in the channel and selector materials governs the threshold voltage, ON current, subthreshold characteristics, bias-stress reliability, and threshold-switching behavior. Nevertheless, for double-gate IGZO thin-film transistors (TFTs) and chalcogenide-based Ovonic threshold switches (OTSs), a systematic framework is still lacking. Existing studies do not provide a methodology to extract the subgap DoS over the full energy range using purely electrical measurements. They also do not establish a one-to-one correspondence between the extracted DoS and the bonding configurations predicted by ab-initio calculations. Furthermore, the DoS information has not been consistently embedded into TCAD and compact models to quantitatively describe device- and circuit-level characteristics. This dissertation aims to fill this gap by proposing full-range electrical DoS extraction techniques for double- gate oxide TFTs and two-terminal OTS devices, experimentally validating ab-initio-based correlations between bonding configurations and DoS, and internalizing the unified DoS model into TCAD as well as numerical and analytical models to quantify its impact on device and circuit behavior. For double-gate IGZO TFTs, a measurement and analysis procedure is established that exploits a structure with independently driven top and bottom gates to perform photo-induced C–V/I–V mapping and simultaneously extract the subgap DoS and interface potentials at both gate stacks. Top- and bottom- gate C–V characteristics, multi-wavelength photo I–V, and dark I–V data are mapped onto a two- dimensional potential–energy space, enabling the separate extraction of conduction-band tail states, deep bulk traps, and gate-insulator (GI) interface traps at the top and bottom interfaces. The resulting optical energy map is validated by comparison with C–V simulations using TCAD, and the same data set is used to consistently determine the channel doping concentration and band mobility. The extracted IGZO DoS together with the trap, doping, and mobility parameters are directly implemented in a double-gate TCAD simulator, which reproduces the initial I–V characteristics and the reliability behavior— including the threshold-voltage shift and saturation time after positive bias stress (PBS)—within a 10% error margin. In addition, a virtual library (Virtual LIB) is constructed by systematically scaling oxygen-related DoS terms and hydrogen-related trap/doping terms to define six representative combinations of oxygen-poor/middle/rich and hydrogen-poor/rich conditions. For each condition, the threshold voltage, post-stress ΔVT, and ON current are compared. From this analysis, it is quantitatively shown that, in terms of the VT–ΔVT slope, a hydrogen-poor and oxygen-deficient condition is advantageous, whereas for maximizing ION under double-gate operation, a hydrogen-poor and oxygen-rich condition is optimal. These results provide concrete design guidelines. For chalcogenide OTS devices, this work proposes a combined DoS extraction methodology based on space-charge-limited current (SCLC) analysis, capacitance–frequency (C–f) measurements, and multi-wavelength photo I–V for two-terminal devices with Ge₀.₃Se₀.₇ and GeAsSe₄ compositions. By jointly analyzing the trap-filled-limited current regime, the frequency dependence of capacitance, and the photon-energy dependence of photocurrent, the full-range DoS from band-tail states to deep traps is extracted electrically. The energy-resolved DoS is then compared with ab-initio predictions for Ge– Ge, Ge–Se, and Ge–As bonding configurations, thereby identifying the microscopic origin of each energy level. Using the extracted OTS DoS as input, a one-dimensional numerical hopping-transport model is constructed. By solving a master equation that accounts for local carrier occupation and percolation pathways, the model reproduces the negative differential resistance (NDR) regime and the ON-state current as functions of applied voltage and temperature. Within this framework, hopping-related parameters such as the initial fermi level EF0, hopping distance a, and the attempt-frequency-related prefactor I0 are consistently extracted from measured I–V characteristics. Building on these results, an analytical compact model is derived that incorporates hopping transport and self-heating, and describes the OFF, NDR, and ON regimes within a single closed-form expression, achieving high fidelity with both the numerical model and experimental data. Finally, the proposed DoS-based Technology Computer-Aided Design (TCAD) and compact models are used to simulate memory and selector operation that integrates double-gate IGZO TFTs with chalcogenide OTS devices, thereby establishing a unified co-design framework that links materials, process conditions, device behavior, and circuit performance. The methodology developed in this dissertation is readily extendable to the broader IGZO-based oxide transistor family and various chalcogenide selectors. By enabling subgap-DoS-based physical parameter extraction and providing quantitatively grounded design guidelines, it is expected to contribute to enhanced reliability and energy efficiency in next-generation display driver circuits and ultra-high-density memory arrays.