Importance of domain purity in semi-conducting polymer/insulating polymer blends transistors

Inkjet-Printed Vertical Organic Field-Effect Transistor Arrays and Their Image Sensors

Vertical organic field-effect transistors (VOFETs) have been explored with a higher current density, a faster switch speed, and a better air stability than conventional OFETs, which dramatically enhance the capability of driving an AMOLED backplane. Unfortunately, the state-of-the-art of the fabrication of solution-processed VOFETs is still very complicated, which can only focus at a single-cell level. In this work, with the assistance of the inkjet print, the fabrication process of a solution-processed VOFET was significantly simplified, and a solution-processed VOFET array was fabricated for the first time, which exhibited excellent device performance and outstanding mechanical stability. More importantly, the VOFET arrays exhibited excellent photodetector properties, and a flexible image sensor based on VOFET arrays with multipoint visible photodetection and image recognition was demonstrated for the first time. Therefore, this novel process dramatically simplified the VOFET device fabrication process and a successfully realized array, which promoted the commercialization of VOFET and showed great potential in flexible display, multifunctional sensors, and wearable integrated circuits.

Printed Thin-Film Transistors: Research from China

Thin-film transistors (TFTs) have experienced tremendous development during the past decades and show great promising applications in flat displays, sensors, radio frequency identification tags, logic circuit, and so on. The printed TFTs are the key components for rapid development and commercialization of printed electronics. The researchers in China play important roles to accelerate the development and commercialization of printed TFTs. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the research progress of printed TFTs on rigid and flexible substrates from China. The review will focus on printing techniques of TFTs, printed TFT components including semiconductors, dielectrics and electrodes, as well as fully printed TFTs and printed flexible TFTs. Furthermore, perspectives on the remaining challenges and future developments are proposed.

Solution-Processed Organic Thin-Film Transistor Arrays with the Assistance of Laser Ablation

A key step toward commercialization of organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) is to manufacture large-area OTFT arrays with desired uniform device performance. In this work, for the first time, solution-processed OTFT arrays were fabricated with the assistance of laser ablation. The source-drain electrodes and the whole devices were patterned by precise control of laser intensity and process path. Compared with traditional methods, this approach significantly simplifies the fabrication process of OTFT arrays with high quality and high yield. A careful selection of laser processing parameters is key to obtaining high quality and high performance OTFT arrays. The grazing incidence X-ray diffraction experiments and device performance tests ensured the selection of proper laser ablation intensity. Eventually, the OTFT arrays on silicon wafer and ITO glass exhibited uniform electrical characteristics with the mean mobility of 0.16 and 0.10 cm² V^-1 s^-1, respectively. These results demonstrated that the laser ablation process provides a promising tool to simplify the fabrication of solution-processed OTFT arrays with low cost and high yield, which has great potential in upscaling of high performance OTFT arrays for display and circuits.