Thin-film polysilicon insulated-gate field effect transistors deposite
d on glass substrates are the subject of worldwide research and develo
pment activity. The greatest motivation for this is their application
to flat-panel displays, including, in particular, active-matrix liquid
crystal displays (AMLCDs), where they offer several important advanta
ges over the more mature amorphous silicon thin-film transistor (TFT)
technology. One of these is the ready availability of both n-type and
p-type poly-Si TFTs. Polysilicon-on-glass CMOS TFT technology may be u
sed to fabricate AMLCD drivers on the display substrate; it can also b
e used in a variety of other applications such as printers, scanners,
smart sensors and neural networks. This review identifies the major ac
hievements and key issues in the development of poly-Si TFT technology
for both display and nondisplay applications.