Emily G. Bittle

Mobility overestimation due to gated contacts in organic field-effect transistors.

Parameters used to describe the electrical properties of organic field-effect transistors, such as mobility and threshold voltage, are commonly extracted from measured current–voltage characteristics and interpreted by using the classical metal oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor model. However, in recent reports of devices with ultra-high mobility (>40 cm2 V−1 s−1), the device characteristics deviate from this idealized model and show an abrupt turn-on in the drain current when measured as a function of gate voltage. In order to investigate this phenomenon, here we report on single crystal rubrene transistors intentionally fabricated to exhibit an abrupt turn-on. We disentangle the channel properties from the contact resistance by using impedance spectroscopy and show that the current in such devices is governed by a gate bias dependence of the contact resistance. As a result, extracted mobility values from d.c. current–voltage characterization are overestimated by one order of magnitude or more.

Examining epitaxial graphene surface conductivity and quantum Hall device stability with Parylene passivation

Homogeneous, single-crystal, monolayer epitaxial graphene (EG) is the one of most promising candidates for the advancement of quantized Hall resistance (QHR) standards. A remaining challenge for the electrical characterization of EG-based quantum Hall devices as a useful tool for metrology is that they are electrically unstable when exposed to air due to the adsorption of and interaction with atmospheric molecular dopants. The resulting changes in the charge carrier density become apparent by variations in the surface conductivity, the charge carrier mobility, and may result in a transition from n-type to p-type conductivity. This work evaluates the use of Parylene C and Parylene N as passivation layers for EG. Electronic transport of EG quantum Hall devices and non-contact microwave perturbation measurements of millimeter-sized areas of EG are both performed on bare and Parylene coated samples to test the efficacy of the passivation layers. The reported results, showing a significant improvement in passivation due to Parylene deposition, suggest a method for the mass production of millimeter-scale graphene devices with stable electrical properties.

Quantum Hall device data monitoring following encapsulating polymer deposition

The information provided in this data article will cover the growth parameters for monolayer, epitaxial graphene, as well as how to verify the layer homogeneity by confocal laser scanning and optical microscopy. The characterization of the subsequently fabricated quantum Hall device is shown for example cases during a series of environmental exposures. Quantum Hall data acquired from a CYTOP encapsulation is also provided. Data from Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and other electrical property trends are shown. Lastly, quantum Hall effect data are presented from devices with deposited Parylene C films measuring 10.7 μm and 720 nm. All data are relevant for Rigosi et al. [1].

Probing the origins of temperature dependence of charge transport in organic single crystal transistors (Conference Presentation)

Low temperature transport measurements of classical semiconductors are a well-defined method to determine the physics of transport behavior. These measurements are also used to evaluate organic semiconductors, though physical interpretation is not yet fully developed. The similar energy ranges of the various processes involved in charge transport in organic semiconductors, including excitonic coupling, charge-phonon coupling, and trap distributions, result in ambiguity in the interpretation of temperature dependent electrical measurements. The wide variety of organic semiconductors, ranging from well-ordered small molecule crystals to disordered polymers, manifest varying degrees of “ideal” device behavior and require intensive studies in order to capture the full range of physical mechanisms involved in electronic transport in this class of materials. In addition, the physics at electrical contacts and dielectric material interfaces strongly affect device characteristics and results in temperature dependent behavior that is unrelated to the semiconductor itself. In light of these complications, our group is working toward understanding the origins of temperature dependent transport in single crystal, small molecule organic semiconductors with ordered packing. In order to disentangle competing physical effects on device characterization at low temperature, we use TEM and Raman spectroscopy to track changes in the structure and thermal molecular motion, correlated with density functional theory calculations. We perform electrical characterization, including DC current-voltage, AC impedance, and displacement current measurements, on transistors built with a variety of contact and dielectric materials in order to fully understand the origin of the transport behavior. Results of tetracene on silicon dioxide and Cytop dielectrics will be discussed.