Bias-stress stability of low-voltage p-channel and n-channel organic thin-film transistors on flexible plastic substrates

Abstract

The bias-stress stability of low-voltage organic p-channel and n-channel thin-film transistors (TFTs) based on five promising organic semiconductors and fabricated on flexible polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) substrates has been investigated. In particular, it has been studied to which extent the bias-stress-induced decay of the on-state drain current of the TFTs is affected by the choice of the semiconductor and by the gate-source and drain-source voltages applied during bias stress. It has been found that for at least some of the organic p-channel TFTs investigated in this study, the bias-stress stability is comparable to that of a-Si:H and metal-oxide TFTs, despite the fact that the organic TFTs were fabricated at significantly lower process temperatures, which is important in view of the fabrication of these devices on plastic substrates.