Gerwin H. Gelinck

High-performance all-polymer integrated circuits

In this letter, we demonstrate the integration of all-polymer field-effect transistors in fully functional integrated circuits with operating frequencies of several kHz. One of the key items is an approach to incorporate low-Ohmic vertical interconnects compatible with an all-polymer approach. Inverters, NAND gates, and ring oscillators with transistor channel lengths down to 1 μm have been constructed. Inverters show voltage amplification at moderate biases and pentacene seven-stage ring oscillators show switching frequencies of a few kHz. The potential to realize large integrated circuits is demonstrated by a 15 bit code generator circuit using several hundreds of devices. The proposed concept was evaluated for three solution-processable organic semiconductors.

Plastic transistors in active-matrix displays

The main advantages of using soluble semiconductive polymers in microelectronic devices are ease of processing and mechanical flexibility. Here we describe an active-matrix display with 64 × 64 pixels, each driven by a thin-film transistor with a solution-processed polymer semiconductor. In a significant step towards low-cost flexible displays, this polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal arrangement gives a reflective, low-power display with paper-like contrast, which can handle 256 grey levels while being refreshed at video speed.

Organic transistors in optical displays and microelectronic applications.

Organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) offer unprecedented opportunities for implementation in a broad range of technological applications spanning from large-volume microelectronics and optical displays to chemical and biological sensors. In this Progress Report, we review the application of organic transistors in the fields of flexible optical displays and microelectronics. The advantages associated with the use of OTFT technology are discussed with primary emphasis on the latest developments in the area of active-matrix electrophoretic and organic light-emitting diode displays based on OTFT backplanes and on the application of organic transistors in microelectronics including digital and analog circuits.

Reconfigurable Complementary Logic Circuits with Ambipolar Organic Transistors

Ambipolar organic electronics offer great potential for simple and low-cost fabrication of complementary logic circuits on large-area and mechanically flexible substrates. Ambipolar transistors are ideal candidates for the simple and low-cost development of complementary logic circuits since they can operate as n-type and p-type transistors. Nevertheless, the experimental demonstration of ambipolar organic complementary circuits is limited to inverters. The control of the transistor polarity is crucial for proper circuit operation. Novel gating techniques enable to control the transistor polarity but result in dramatically reduced performances. Here we show high-performance non-planar ambipolar organic transistors with electrical control of the polarity and orders of magnitude higher performances with respect to state-of-art split-gate ambipolar transistors. Electrically reconfigurable complementary logic gates based on ambipolar organic transistors are experimentally demonstrated, thus opening up new opportunities for ambipolar organic complementary electronics.

Scaling behavior and parasitic series resistance in disordered organic field-effect transistors

The scaling behavior of the transfer characteristics of solution-processed disordered organic thin-film transistors with channel length is investigated. This is done for a variety of organic semiconductors in combination with gold injecting electrodes. From the channel-length dependence of the transistor resistance in the conducting ON-state, we determine the field-effect mobility and the parasitic series resistance. The extracted parasitic resistance, typically in the MΩ range, depends on the applied gate voltage, and we find experimentally that the parasitic resistance decreases with increasing field-effect mobility.

All-polymer ferroelectric transistors

We demonstrate thin-film ferroelectric transistors, made entirely from organic materials that are processed from solution. The devices consist of thin ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride/trifluoroethylene) films sandwiched between electrodes made of conducting poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) stabilized with polystyrene-4-sulphonic acid. On top of this stack, an organic semiconductor is applied. The ferroelectric transistors, constructed using unipolar p- or n-type semiconductor channels, have remnant current modulations of ∼103 with a retention time of hours. They can be switched in 0.1–1ms at operating voltages less than 10V.

Controlled Deposition of Highly Ordered Soluble Acene Thin Films: Effect of Morphology and Crystal Orientation on Transistor Performance

Controlling the morphology of soluble small molecule organic semiconductors is crucial for the application of such materials in electronic devices. Using a simple dip-coating process we systematically vary the film drying speed to produce a range of morphologies, including oriented needle-like crystals. Structural characterization as well as electrical transistor measurements show that intermediate drying velocities produce the most uniformly aligned films.

Dual-gate organic thin-film transistors

A dual-gate organic thin-film transistor is realized using solution-processed organic semiconductor and insulator layers. Electrodes are made from gold. Compared to conventional single-gate transistors, this device type has a higher on current and steeper subthreshold slope. We show that the improved performance is the result of a nonconstant threshold voltage rather than formation of a second accumulation channel. Formation of a second accumulation channel does occur but the field-effect mobility associated with this channel is a factor 104 lower than the primary channel due to the relatively rough insulator-semiconductor interface.

Mechanical and Electronic Properties of Thin-Film Transistors on Plastic, and Their Integration in Flexible Electronic Applications

The increasing interest in flexible electronics and flexible displays raises questions regarding the inherent mechanical properties of the electronic materials used. Here, the mechanical behavior of thin-film transistors used in active-matrix displays is considered. The change of electrical performance of thin-film semiconductor materials under mechanical stress is studied, including amorphous oxide semiconductors. This study comprises an experimental part, in which transistor structures are characterized under different mechanical loads, as well as a theoretical part, in which the changes in energy band structures in the presence of stress and strain are investigated. The performance of amorphous oxide semiconductors are compared to reported results on organic semiconductors and covalent semiconductors, i.e., amorphous silicon and polysilicon. In order to compare the semiconductor materials, it is required to include the influence of the other transistor layers on the strain profile. The bending limits are investigated, and shown to be due to failures in the gate dielectric and/or the contacts. Design rules are proposed to minimize strain in transistor stacks and in transistor arrays. Finally, an overview of the present and future applications of flexible thin-film transistors is given, and the suitability of the different material classes for those applications is assessed.

Inkjet Printing of TIPS‐PEN on Soluble Polymer Insulating Films: A Route to High‐Performance Thin‐Film Transistors

We present an approach to inkjet print high-performance organic transistors by printing the organic semiconductor ink on a thin, continuous, and solvent-absorbing layer of insulating material. The ink spreading is effectively controlled by local dissolution of the layer, and during drying the characteristic circular morphology with high rims and inner plateau forms.