Organic Field-Effect Transistors, Inverters, and Logic Circuits on Gate Electrets

Abstract

ABSTRACTBy incorporating dielectrics with stored electric fields and organic semiconductors, new organic electronic components such as circuits with controlling voltages “restored” for transistor tuning can be developed. We have successfully used excellent electret materials including charged and surface-treated silicon dioxide (SiO2) and silsesquioxane (SSQ) polymers as the dielectric layer in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). Charge injection and quasipermanent charge storage induce threshold voltage shifts and current modulation, which results from the built-in electric fields in the conduction channels. Static and dynamic characteristics of organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) such as charging conditions and voltage/current retention were evaluated. In addition, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of dipolar molecules have been utilized in the dielectric layer, with different mechanisms but similar effects compared to charged dielectrics. We also present new OFET unipolar inverters, comprised of only two simple OTFTs with enhancement-mode driver and depletion-mode load to implement full-swing organic logic circuits for process simplification of electronic components in organic electronics.