Abstract
Thin-film field-effect transistor is a fundamental component behind various mordern electronics. The development of stretchable electronics poses fundamental challenges in developing new electronic materials for stretchable thin-film transistors that are mechanically compliant and solution processable. Here we report the fabrication of transparent thin-film transistors that behave like an elastomer film. The entire fabrication is carried out by solution-based techniques, and the resulting devices exhibit a mobility of ∼30 cm2 V−1 s−1, on/off ratio of 103–104, switching current >100 μA, transconductance >50 μS and relative low operating voltages. The devices can be stretched by up to 50% strain and subjected to 500 cycles of repeated stretching to 20% strain without significant loss in electrical property. The thin-film transistors are also used to drive organic light-emitting diodes. The approach and results represent an important progress toward the development of stretchable active-matrix displays.
Highlights
Thin-film field-effect transistor is a fundamental component behind various mordern electronics
Amorphous silicon and polysilicon are widely used as semiconductor channel for thin-film field-effect transistor (TFT); evaporated metal films or indium tin oxide (ITO) and are preferred choices for the electrode materials; silicon oxide or high dielectric polymers are usually used for the dielectric materials
Advanced materials and processing techniques developed in recent years for flexible nanoelectronics employing metallic nanowires, semiconducting nanowires, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and functional polymer-based dielectrics offer unique functionalities, promising performance and low-cost processing strategies that could be explored for the development of stretchable TFTs10–13
Summary
Thin-film field-effect transistor is a fundamental component behind various mordern electronics. A stretchable TFT combining stretchable graphene/SWCNT electrodes and a SWCNT network channel with a geometrically wrinkled Al2O3 dielectric layer has been reported through this approach[19] These reported devices can achieve high electrical performance and impressive stretchability, but lack visual transparency, and the fabrication process is cumbersome and incompatible with fully solution-printed process. Several intrinsically stretchable TFTs have been reported, including a graphene-based TFT employing graphene as both the semiconducting channel and the source/drain electrodes, and an ion gel as the gate[24], and an organic-based TFT using poly(3-hexylthiophene) as the channel, carbon nanotubes as the source/drain, polyurethane (PU) as dielectric and liquid metal as gate[22] These devices are not solid state and suffer from either low electrical performance, opacity or limited stretchability. The work includes the following essential elements: (1) the stretchable TFT employs a silver nanowire (AgNW)-PU acrylate (PUA) composite as the stretchable transparent electrodes with high surface conductivity and low surface roughness, SWCNT network channel and a PU-co-polyethylene glycol (PU-co-PEG) elastomeric dielectric; the TFT has high mobility, modest ON/OFF current ratio (ION/OFF), high peak ON current (ION), large transconductance and relatively low operating voltages in unstretched state. (2) The TFT can be stretched by up to 50% while retaining a high mobility; at 20% strain, it can be stretched by 500 cycles; (3) the entire fabrication process is printable: the electrodes, semiconductor layer, dielectric layer and substrate are all processed from solutions at ambient conditions. (4) The TFT exhibits optical transmittance of 490% in the 450–1,100 nm wavelength range. (5) The TFT can drive an OLED in the full brightness range
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