Enhanced contact properties of spray-coated AgNWs source and drain electrodes in oxide thin-film transistors

Abstract

Facile patterning of electrodes is required for various electronic applications, particularly in solution-processed oxide thin-film transistors (TFTs). In this study, source and drain electrodes were prepared from silver nanowires (AgNWs) using spray-coating and hot press techniques. Although spray coating allowed production of AgNW patterns, which could function as electrodes in oxide TFT, the as-sprayed films did not provide a sufficient physical contact with oxide semiconductors and formed interspaces that impeded electron injection. At the same time, hot press technique produced denser AgNW networks that had a tight contact with the oxide semiconductors. As a result, hot-pressed films were considered as satisfactory source and drain electrodes for high-performance oxide TFTs, as they provided an easy electron injection. Finally, the prepared oxide TFTs with hot-pressed AgNW electrodes exhibited average field-effect mobility of 4.75 ± 1.5 cm2/V, significantly higher than that of the TFTs with as-sprayed AgNW electrodes (0.08 ± 0.05 cm2/V).