High-photosensitivity polymer thin-film transistors based on poly(3-hexylthiophene)

Abstract

Polymer thin-film transistors (PTFTs) based on poly(3-hexylthiophene) are fabricated by the spin-coating process, and their photo-sensing characteristics are investigated under steady-state visible-light illumination. The photosensitivity of the device is strongly modulated by gate voltage under various illuminations. When the device is in the subthreshold operating mode, a significant increase in its drain current is observed with a maximum photosensitivity of 1.7×103 at an illumination intensity of 1200 lx, and even with a relatively high photosensitivity of 611 at a low illumination intensity of 100 lx. However, when the device is in the on-state operating mode, the photosensitivity is very low: only 1.88 at an illumination intensity of 1200 lx for a gate voltage of −20 V and a drain voltage of −20 V. The results indicate that the devices could be used as photo-detectors or sensors in the range of visible light. The modulation mechanism of the photosensitivity in the PTFT is discussed in detail.