Abstract
An important strategy for realizing flexible electronics is to use solution-processable materials that can be directly printed and integrated into high-performance electronic components on plastic. Although examples of functional inks based on metallic, semiconducting and insulating materials have been developed, enhanced printability and performance is still a challenge. Printable high-capacitance dielectrics that serve as gate insulators in organic thin-film transistors are a particular priority. Solid polymer electrolytes (a salt dissolved in a polymer matrix) have been investigated for this purpose, but they suffer from slow polarization response, limiting transistor speed to less than 100 Hz. Here, we demonstrate that an emerging class of polymer electrolytes known as ion gels can serve as printable, high-capacitance gate insulators in organic thin-film transistors. The specific capacitance exceeds that of conventional ceramic or polymeric gate dielectrics, enabling transistor operation at low voltages with kilohertz switching frequencies.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 900-906 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Nature Materials |
| Volume | 7 |
| Issue number | 11 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Nov 2008 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This work was supported by the Korea Research Foundation Grant funded by the Korean Government (MOEHRD) (KRF-2006-352-D00107 for J.H.C. and KRF-2006-214-D00061 for J.L.), and by the University of Minnesota Materials Research Science and Engineering Center funded by the NSF (DMR-0212302). Additional funding was provided by NSF through Award DMR-0406656 (T.P.L.). The authors would like to thank B. Kahn for initiating the University of Minnesota/Optomec collaboration, and R. Holmes for a critical reading of the manuscript.