Field Effect Transistors Based on Composite Films of Poly(4-vinylphenol) with ZnO Nanoparticles

Abstract

In order to adjust the characteristic of pentacene thin film transistor, we modified the dielectric properties of the gate insulator, poly(4-vinylphenol), or PVP. PVP is an organic polymer with a low dielectric constant, limiting the performance of organic thin film transistors (OTFTs). To increase the dielectric constant of PVP, a controlled amount of ZnO nanoparticles was homogeneously dispersed in a dielectric layer. The effect of the concentration of ZnO on the relative permittivity of PVP was measured using impedance spectroscopy and it has been demonstrated that the permittivity increases from 3.6 to 5.5 with no percolation phenomenon even at a concentration of 50 vol.%. The performance of OTFTs in terms of charge carrier mobility, threshold voltage and linkage current was evaluated. The results indicate a dramatic increase in both the field effect mobility and the linkage current by a factor of 10. It has been demonstrated that the threshold voltage can be adjusted. It shifts from 8 to 0 when the volume concentration of ZnO varied from 0 vol.% to 50 vol.%.