Direct writing of silver nanowire electrodes via dragging mode electrohydrodynamic jet printing for organic thin film transistors

Abstract

Abstract AgNWs-based electrodes were directly patterned using an electrohydrodynamic (EHD) jet printing technique. We investigated EHD jet printing for AgNWs ink in detail, and established the optimum printing conditions in dragging mode for controlling the dimensions and conductivity of the AgNWs network, although the cone-jet printing mode has been the most conventionally used mode for EHD jet printing. The printed AgNWs were used as source/drain (S/D) electrodes of an organic thin film transistor (OTFT) with bottom-contact geometry, and yielded an average field-effect mobility (μFET), threshold voltage (Vth) and on/off current ratio (Ion/Ioff) of 0.48 cm2/V, −11.2 V, and ∼106, respectively. In addition, we investigate the interface morphologies between pentacene and AgNWs S/D electrode to figure out charge carrier injection property of AgNWs S/D electrode, by comparing vacuum-deposited Au ones.