Large‐Area Uniform Polymer Transistor Arrays on Flexible Substrates: Towards High‐Throughput Sensor Fabrication. Issue 8 (15th June 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zeidell, Andrew M.; Filston, David S.; Waldrip, Matthew; Iqbal, Hamna F.; Chen, Hu; McCulloch, Iain; Jurchescu, Oana D.
• Is Part Of: Advanced materials technologies. Volume 5:Issue 8(2020)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2020-06-15
• Subjects: flexible electronics -- large‐area electronics -- semiconductors -- sensors -- spray coating; Materials science -- Periodicals; Technological innovations -- Periodicals; Materials science; Technological innovations; Periodicals; 620.1105
• DOI: 10.1002/admt.202000390
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2365-709X

Abstract

Abstract: Solution‐processable organic semiconductors can serve as the basis for new products including rollable displays, tattoo‐like smart bandages for real‐time health monitoring, and conformable electronics integrated into clothing or even implanted in the human body. For such exciting commercial applications to become a reality, good device performance and uniformity over large areas are necessary. The design of new materials has progressed at an astonishing pace, but accessing their intrinsic, efficient electrical properties in large‐area flexible device arrays is difficult. The development of protocols that allow integration with industrial‐scale processing for high‐throughput manufacturing, without the need to compromise on performance, is the key for transitioning these materials to real‐life applications. In this work, large‐area arrays of organic thin‐film transistors obtained by spray‐coating the high‐mobility polymer indacenodithiophene‐ co ‐benzothiadiazole (IDTBT) are demonstrated. A maximum charge carrier mobility of 2.3 cm 2 V −1 s −1, with a very narrow performance distribution, is obtained over surface areas of 10 cm × 10 cm. The devices retain their electrical properties when bent multiple times and at different curvatures. In addition, large arrays of highly sensitive (0.25% change in mobility for 1% humidity variation), reusable, near‐identical humidity sensors are produced in a one‐step fabrication and calibrated from 0% to 94% relative humidity. Abstract : Large arrays of indacenodithiophene‐ co ‐benzothiadiazole organic field‐effect transistors are fabricated by spray deposition onto flexible substrates as large as 10 cm × 10 cm, with average charge carrier mobilities of 0.95 ± 0.21 cm 2 V −1 s −1 and a maximum of 2.3 cm 2 V −1 s −1 . The devices are robust to bending multiple times along different directions and curvatures, and operate as sensitive humidity sensors.