Fully gravure and ink-jet printed high speed pBTTT organic thin film transistors

• Published in: Organic electronics Vol. 11; no. 12; pp. 2037 - 2044
• Main Authors: de la Fuente Vornbrock, Alejandro, Sung, Donovan, Kang, Hongki, Kitsomboonloha, Rungrot, Subramanian, Vivek
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.12.2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Gravure; Ink-jet; pBTTT; Printed electronics; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Switching speed; Thin film transistors; Transistors; Gravure; Thin film transistors; pBTTT; Switching speed; Ink-jet; Printed electronics; Metallic bond; Transistor gate; Drain; Switching; Contact line; Styrene(hydroxy) polymer; Operating rate; Thiophene derivative polymer; High speed; Thin film transistor; Ink jet printing; Plastics; Organic electronics
• ISSN: 1566-1199; 1878-5530
• DOI: 10.1016/j.orgel.2010.09.003

Organic thin film transistors with channel lengths below 20 μm have been fabricated on plastic substrates using a combination of rotogravure and ink-jet printing exclusively. Gravure is utilized to deposit thin, smooth, and narrow metal lines ideal for gate electrodes; a poly(4-vinylphenol) dielectric; and a poly(2,5-bis(3-tetradecylthiophene-2-yl)thieno[3,2-b]thiophene) (pBTTT) semiconductor using a heated roll. A novel fluid guiding technique is used to maintain closely spaced ink-jet printed source and drain (S/D) contacts. Together these printing processes yield aggressively scaled yet easily manufacturable TFTs with operating frequencies of 18 kHz.