Department of Creative IT Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 790-784, Korea.
Department of Information Engineering University of Brescia, via Branze 38, 25123, Brescia, Italy.
Sci Rep. 2017 Jul 10;7(1):5015. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-04933-w.
Complementary organic electronics is a key enabling technology for the development of new applications including smart ubiquitous sensors, wearable electronics, and healthcare devices. High-performance, high-functionality and reliable complementary circuits require n- and p-type thin-film transistors with balanced characteristics. Recent advancements in ambipolar organic transistors in terms of semiconductor and device engineering demonstrate the great potential of this route but, unfortunately, the actual development of ambipolar organic complementary electronics is currently hampered by the uneven electron (n-type) and hole (p-type) conduction in ambipolar organic transistors. Here we show ambipolar organic thin-film transistors with balanced n-type and p-type operation. By manipulating air exposure and vacuum annealing conditions, we show that well-balanced electron and hole transport properties can be easily obtained. The method is used to control hole and electron conductions in split-gate transistors based on a solution-processed donor-acceptor semiconducting polymer. Complementary logic inverters with balanced charging and discharging characteristics are demonstrated. These findings may open up new opportunities for the rational design of complementary electronics based on ambipolar organic transistors.
互补有机电子学是开发新应用的关键使能技术，包括智能无处不在的传感器、可穿戴电子设备和医疗保健设备。高性能、多功能和可靠的互补电路需要具有平衡特性的 n 型和 p 型薄膜晶体管。最近在半导体和器件工程方面的双极有机晶体管的进展证明了这条路线的巨大潜力，但不幸的是，双极有机互补电子学的实际发展目前受到双极有机晶体管中电子（n 型）和空穴（p 型）传导不均匀的阻碍。在这里，我们展示了具有平衡 n 型和 p 型操作的双极有机薄膜晶体管。通过控制空气暴露和真空退火条件，我们表明可以轻松获得良好平衡的电子和空穴传输性能。该方法用于控制基于溶液处理给体-受体半导体聚合物的分栅晶体管中的空穴和电子传导。具有平衡充电和放电特性的互补逻辑反相器得到了证明。这些发现可能为基于双极有机晶体管的互补电子学的合理设计开辟新的机会。
