Printable Organic-Inorganic Nanoscale Multilayer Gate Dielectrics for Thin-Film Transistors Enabled by a Polymeric Organic Interlayer

Yao Chen, Xinming Zhuang, Elise A. Goldfine, Vinayak P. Dravid, Michael J. Bedzyk, Wei Huang*, Antonio F Facchetti*, Tobin J. Marks*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

Here, a new approach to the layer-by-layer solution-processed fabrication of organic/inorganic hybrid self-assembled nanodielectrics (SANDs) is reported and it is demonstrated that these ultrathin gate dielectric films can be printed. The organic SAND component, named P-PAE, consists of polarizable π-electron phosphonic acid-based units bound to a polymeric backbone. Thus, the new polymeric SAND (PSAND) can be fabricated either by spin-coating or blade-coating in air, by alternating P-PAE, a capping reagent layer, and an ultrathin ZrOx layer. The new PSANDs thickness vary from 6 to 15 nm depending on the number of organic-ZrOx bilayers, exhibit tunable film thickness, well-defined nanostructures, large electrical capacitance (up to 558 nF cm−2), and good insulating properties (leakage current densities as low as 10−6 A cm−2). Organic thin-film transistors that are fabricated with representative p-/n-type organic molecular/polymeric semiconducting materials, function well at low voltages ('3.0 V). Furthermore, flexible TFTs fabricated with PSAND exhibit excellent mechanical flexibility and good stress stability, offering a promising route to low operating voltage flexible electronics. Finally, printable PSANDs are also demonstrated and afford TFTs with electrical properties comparable to those achieved with the spin-coated PSAND-based devices.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number2005069
JournalAdvanced Functional Materials
Volume30
Issue number40
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 1 2020

Funding

The authors acknowledge the support of the Northwestern University MRSEC (NSF grant DMR‐1720139), AFOSR (grant FA9550‐18‐1‐0320), award 70NANB14H012 from U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology as part of the Center for Hierarchical Materials Design, and Flexterra Inc. This work made use of the Keck‐II facility, and SPID facility, which has received support from the Soft and Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource (NSF ECCS‐1542205). This work made use of the J. B. Cohen X‐Ray Diffraction Facility, supported by the MRSEC program of the National Science Foundation (DMR‐1720139) at the Materials Research Center of Northwestern University and the Soft and Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource (NSF ECCS‐1542205).

Keywords

  • flexible electronics
  • self-assembled nanodielectrics
  • thin-film transistors

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • General Chemistry
  • Biomaterials
  • General Materials Science
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Electrochemistry

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