indium gallium zinc oxide

{{Primary sources|date=October 2015}}

Indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) is a crystalline semiconducting material, consisting of indium (In), gallium (Ga), zinc (Zn) and oxygen (O), with a unique atomic arrangement that ensures stable performance. This unique crystalline structure enhances picture resolution and supports compatibility with diverse display technologies, contributing to higher efficiency, performance, and reliability.{{cite web |title=To the Future...｜IGZO:SHARP |url=https://global.sharp/igzo/sp/technology.html |website=IGZO:SHARP |publisher=SHARP CORPORATION |language=ja}}

IGZO has a very low leakage current and an exceptionally high electron mobility, which is 20-50 times greater than that of amorphous silicon commonly used in liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) and e-papers. The high electron mobility facilitates the miniaturization of transistors and thinning of circuits, allowing for greater light transmission per pixel, effectively doubling the resolution without losing the brightness. This further results in fast response time or less processing delay.{{cite journal |last1=Arjav |first1=Bavarva |last2=Tejas |first2=Bavarva |title=QLED and IGZO: The Future of Television Display Technology |journal=Electronics for You}} Additionally, IGZO is known for its low power consumption. Unlike conventional screens that require all pixels to be driven continuously, IGZO retains image information without refreshing. This reduces its power consumption to as little as one-fifth or even one-tenth that of traditional displays. This further leads to an extension in battery life of portable devices.{{cite journal |last1=Han |first1=Youngmin |last2=Seo |first2=Juhyung |last3=Lee |first3=Dong Hyun |last4=Yoo |first4=Hocheon |title=IGZO-Based Electronic Device Application: Advancements in Gas Sensor, Logic Circuit, Biosensor, Neuromorphic Device, and Photodetector Technologies |journal=Micromachines |date=February 2025 |volume=16 |issue=2 |pages=118 |doi=10.3390/mi16020118|doi-access=free |pmc=11857157 }}

IGZO is widely used in thin-film transistors (TFT) for display applications, such as in the TFT backplane of flat-panel displays (FPDs). IGZO-TFT was developed by Hideo Hosono's group at Tokyo Institute of Technology and Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) in 2003 (crystalline IGZO-TFT){{cite journal|title=Thin-Film Transistor Fabricated in Single-Crystalline Transparent Oxide Semiconductor |date=2003-05-23 |doi=10.1126/science.1083212 | volume=300 |journal=Science |pages=1269–1272 |pmid=12764192 | last1 = Nomura | first1 = K | last2 = Ohta | first2 = H | last3 = Ueda | first3 = K | last4 = Kamiya | first4 = T | last5 = Hirano | first5 = M | last6 = Hosono | first6 = H|issue=5623 |bibcode=2003Sci...300.1269N |s2cid=20791905 }}{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.jst.go.jp/osirase/20130515_e.html |title=To whom interested in Research & Development and/or Business Development of IGZO-based Oxide Semiconductor TFT |publisher=Jst.go.jp |date= |accessdate=2015-11-01}} and in 2004 (amorphous IGZO-TFT).{{cite journal | doi=10.1038/nature03090 | volume=432 | title=Room-temperature fabrication of transparent flexible thin-film transistors using amorphous oxide semiconductors | journal=Nature | pages=488–492 | pmid=15565150 | date=Nov 2004 | last1 = Nomura | first1 = K | last2 = Ohta | first2 = H | last3 = Takagi | first3 = A | last4 = Kamiya | first4 = T | last5 = Hirano | first5 = M | last6 = Hosono | first6 = H| issue=7016 | bibcode=2004Natur.432..488N | s2cid=4302869 }} Since IGZO-TFT has 20–50 times the electron mobility of amorphous silicon, IGZO-TFT can improve the speed, resolution and size of flat-panel displays. It is currently used as the thin-film transistors for use in organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TV displays. While polycrystalline silicon can also exhibit high electron mobilities, its performance is often inconsistent due to the grain boundaries and affect device reliability. In contrast, amorphous IGZO (a-IGZO) TFTs offers a more cost-effective and practical alternative, as it can be fabricated over large areas at low temperatures, ensuring greater uniformity and quality.{{cite journal |last1=Shangguan |first1=Qiwei |last2=Lv |first2=Yawei |last3=Jiang |first3=Changzhong |title=A Review of Wide Bandgap Semiconductors: Insights into SiC, IGZO, and Their Defect Characteristics |journal=Nanomaterials |date=January 2024 |volume=14 |issue=20 |pages=1679 |doi=10.3390/nano14201679|doi-access=free |pmid=39453015 |pmc=11510050 }}

IGZO-TFT and its applications are patented by JST.{{cite web|url=http://www.jst.go.jp/pr/announce/20110720-2/index_e.html |title=JST Signs Patent License Agreement with Samsung for High Performance Thin Film Transistor Technology |date=July 20, 2011 |publisher=Jst.go.jp |accessdate=2015-11-01}} They have been licensed to Samsung Electronics (in 2011) and Sharp{{cite web|url=http://www.sharp.co.jp/corporate/news/120529-c.html |title=シャープとJSTが酸化物半導体に関するライセンス契約を締結 | ニュースリリース：シャープ |publisher=Sharp.co.jp |date= |accessdate=2015-11-01}} (in 2012).

In 2012, Sharp was the first to start production of LCD panels incorporating IGZO-TFT.{{cite web|url=http://www.sharp-world.com/corporate/news/120413.html |title=Sharp Begins Production of World's First LCD Panels Incorporating IGZO Oxide Semiconductors | Press Releases | Sharp Global |publisher=Sharp-world.com |date=2012-04-13 |accessdate=2015-11-01}} Sharp uses IGZO-TFT for smartphones, tablets, and 32" LCDs. In these, the aperture ratio of the LCD is improved by up to 20%. Power consumption is improved by LCD idling stop technology, which is possible due to the high mobility and low off current of IGZO-TFT.{{cite web|url=http://www.sharp.co.jp/products/sh02e/service.html |title=機能・サービス｜docomo NEXT series AQUOS PHONE ZETA SH-02Eトップ｜docomoラインアップ ｜AQUOS：シャープ |publisher=Sharp.co.jp |date= |accessdate=2015-11-01}} Sharp has started to release high pixel-density panels for notebook applications.{{cite web|url=http://www.sharp-world.com/corporate/news/130514-6.html |title=Sharp to Produce 3 Types of IGZO LCD Panels for Notebook PCs | Press Releases | Sharp Global |publisher=Sharp-world.com |date=2013-05-14 |accessdate=2015-11-01}} IGZO-TFT is also employed in the 14" 3,200x1,800 LCD of an ultrabook PC supplied by Fujitsu,{{cite web|url=http://www.fujitsu.com/global/news/pr/archives/month/2013/20130605-01.html |title=Fujitsu Launches New Lineup of FMV Series PCs with Four New Models - Fujitsu Global |publisher=Fujitsu.com |date= |accessdate=2015-11-01}} also used in the Razer Blade 14" (Touchscreen Variant) Gaming Laptop and a 55" OLED TV supplied by LG Electronics.{{cite web|author= |url=http://flat-display-2.livedoor.biz/archives/28524794.html |title=LG DISPLAY SAYS UHD OLED TV PANEL PRODUCTS IN VARIOUS SIZES AND DESIGNS IN 2015 - Flat Panel TV and Display World-2 液晶・業界・動向 |publisher=Flat-display-2.livedoor.biz |date=2013-05-27 |accessdate=2015-11-01}}

IGZO's advantage over zinc oxide is that it can be deposited as a uniform amorphous phase while retaining the high carrier mobility common to oxide semiconductors.{{cite web|url=http://www.eecs.umich.edu/omelab/downloads/Photosensitivity%20of%20Amorphous%20IGZO%20TFTs%20for%20Active-Matrix%20Flat-Panel%20Displays.pdf |title=P-13: Photosensitivity of Amorphous IGZO TFTs for Active-Matrix Flat-Panel Displays |author=Chiao-Shun Chuang |publisher=Eecs.umichy.edu |accessdate=2015-11-01}} The transistors are slightly photo-sensitive, but the effect becomes significant only in the deep violet to ultra-violet (photon energy above 3 eV) range, offering the possibility of a fully transparent transistor.