Abstract
Flexible and transparent electronics have been studied intensively during the last few decades. The technique establishes the possibility of fabricating innovative products, from flexible displays to radio-frequency identification tags. Typically, large-area polymeric substrates such as polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are used, which produces new requirements for the integration processes. A key element for flexible and transparent electronics is the thin-film transistor (TFT), as it is responsible for the driving current in memory cells, digital circuits or organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs). In this paper, we discuss some fundamental concepts of TFT technology. Additionally, we present a comparison between the use of the semiconducting organic small-molecule pentacene and inorganic nanoparticle semiconductors in order to integrate TFTs suitable for flexible electronics. Moreover, a technique for integration with a submicron resolution suitable for glass and foil substrates is presented.
Highlights
Transparent and flexible electronics are one of the technologies with the widest range for innovative products, so they are the focus of several research groups and enterprises
Thin-film transistors (TFT) are an essential element of this technology. They are responsible for the driving current in memory cells, digital circuits or for light-emitting diodes (LEDs)
Most of the literature refers to spin-coating methods; methods like inkjet printing, spray coating, doctor blade and Meyer rods have attracted the interest of research groups, due to the opportunity to integrate low-cost devices on large area and flexible substrates either using organic or inorganic semiconductors [17,37,38,39,40]
Summary
Transparent and flexible electronics are one of the technologies with the widest range for innovative products, so they are the focus of several research groups and enterprises. They are responsible for the driving current in memory cells, digital circuits or for light-emitting diodes (LEDs) Another characteristic of this technology is the opportunity to introduce new materials, which improve the electrical performance, simplify the integration process or even add new mechanical properties to the final product. Organic and inorganic semiconductors have been used to integrate TFTs for more than 20 years [1,2] They exhibit better characteristics in comparison to amorphous silicon-based transistors due to the achieved performance and low production cost. The use of non-malleable metal connections or dielectrics may induce a failure after bending the substrate For this sake, all components (materials and integration processes) have to be selected carefully to fulfill these requirements. We present a comparison between organic and inorganic based TFTs, as well as an integration routine in order to fabricate submicron structures on foil at reduced costs
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