Solution-deposited organic - Inorganic hybrid multilayer gate dielectrics. Design, synthesis, microstructures, and electrical properties with thin-film transistors

We report here on the rational synthesis, processing, and dielectric properties of novel layer-by-layer organic/inorganic hybrid multilayer dielectric films enabled by polarizable π-electron phosphonic acid building blocks and ultrathin ZrO₂ layers. These new zirconia-based self-assembled nanodielectric (Zr-SAND) films (5 - 12 nm thick) are readily fabricated via solution processes under ambient atmosphere. Attractive Zr-SAND properties include amenability to accurate control of film thickness, large-area uniformity, well-defined nanostructure, exceptionally large electrical capacitance (up to 750 nF/cm²), excellent in ulating properties (leakage current densities as low as 10^{- 7} A/cm²), and excellent thermal stability. Thin-film transistors (TFTs) fabricated with pentacene and PDIF-CN₂ as representative organic semiconductors and zinc - tin - oxide (Zn - Sn - O) as a representative inorganic semiconductor function well at low voltages (<±4.0 V). Furthermore, the TFT performance parameters of representative organic semiconductors deposited on Zr-SAND films, functionalized on the surface with various alkylphosphonic acid self-assembled monolayers, are investigated and shown to correlate closely with the alkylphosphonic acid chain dimensions.