Organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) have lived to see great improvements in recent years. This review presents new insight into conduction mechanisms and performance characteristics, as well as opportunities for modeling properties of OTFTs. The shifted focus in research from novel chemical structures to fabrication technologies that optimize morphology and structural order is underscored by chapters on vacuum-deposited and solution-processed organic semiconducting films. Finally, progress in the growing field of the n-type OTFTs is discussed in ample detail. The Figure, showing a pentacene film edge on SiO2, illustrates the morphology issue.

Organic Thin Film Transistors for Large Area Electronics

Stability of n-type doped conducting polymers and consequences for polymeric microelectronic devices

In this paper we review recent progress in materials, fabrication processes, device designs, and applications related to organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs), with an emphasis on papers published during the last three years. Some earlier papers that played an important role in shaping the OTFT field are included, and a number of previously published review papers that cover that early period more completely are referenced. We also review in more detail related work that originated at IBM during the last four years and has led to the fabrication of high-performance organic transistors on flexible, transparent plastic substrates requiring low operating voltages.

Organic thin-film transistors: a review of recent advances

The cost-effective production of flexible electronic components will profit considerably from the development of solution-processable, organic semiconductor materials. Particular attention is focused on soluble semiconductors for organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). The hitherto differentiation between "small molecules" and polymeric materials no longer plays a role, rather more the ability to process materials from solution to homogeneous semiconducting films with optimal electronic properties (high charge-carrier mobility, low threshold voltage, high on/off ratio) is pivotal. Key classes of materials for this purpose are soluble oligoacenes, soluble oligo- and polythiophenes and their respective copolymers, and oligo- and polytriarylamines. In this context, micro- or nanocrystalline materials have the general advantage of somewhat higher charge-carrier mobilities, which, however, could be offset in the case of amorphous, glassy materials by simpler and more reproducible processing.

Organic semiconductors for solution-processable field-effect transistors (OFETs).

The thiophene oligomer α-hexathienylene (α-6T) has been successfully used as the active semiconducting material in thin-film transistors. Field-induced conductivity in thin-film transistors with α-6T active layers occurs only near the interfacial plane, whereas the residual conductivity caused by unintentional doping scales with the thickness of the layer. The two-dimensional nature of the field-induced conductivity is due not to any anisotropy in transport with respect to any molecular axis but to interface effects. Optimized methods of device fabrication have resulted in high field-effect mobilities and on/off current ratios of > 106. The current densities and switching speeds are good enough to allow consideration of these devices in practical large-area electronic circuits.

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/268/5208/270.full.pdf

Organic transistors: two-dimensional transport and improved electrical characteristics.

A thin‐film transistor (TFT) with high carrier mobility has been fabricated using precursor‐route poly(2,5‐thienylenevinylene) (PTV) as semiconductor. The carrier mobility has been determined to be 0.22 cm2/V s, which is in the same level of that of amorphous silicon TFT. It has also been made clear that the carrier mobility is linearly proportional to the conversion ratio from the insulated precursor polymer to π‐conjugated PTV. The π‐conjugation length is crucial to obtain high carrier mobility in π‐conjugated polymer TFT.

Polythienylenevinylene thin‐film transistor with high carrier mobility

The field‐effect transistor has been fabricated, where polythiophene works as a semiconductor and a couple of polypyrrole layers act as a source and/or a drain electrode. The modulation ratio of the channel current with gate voltages has reached ca. 105, which is the largest one among organic FETs. This large modulation has been attributed to the depression of the channel current at no gate bias. It has been elucidated that the depression is caused by the barrier against hole transport formed inside the polythiophene layer and near the interface with polypyrrole.

A. Tsumura

Papers

Polythienylenevinylene thin‐film transistor with high carrier mobility

Polythiophene field‐effect transistor with polypyrrole worked as source and drain electrodes