SQM-OTFT: A compact model of organic thin-film transistors based on the symmetric quadrature of the accumulation charge considering both deep and tail states

A physically-based compact model of organic thin-film transistors suitable for CAD simulators is proposed. It is worked out by means of a newly developed and particularly simple form of the charge-sheet model: the symmetric quadrature of the accumulation charge. The model is based on the variable-range hopping and accounts for both deep and tail states. It is simple, symmetric, accurately accounts for the below-threshold, linear, and saturation regimes via a unique formulation. The symmetric quadrature is accurate within 5% in all regions of operation and the resulting current model is suitable both for p- and n-type transistors. The model leads to a significant simplification of the drain current and of the quasi-static expressions of the terminal charges based on the Ward–Dutton partition. Finally, the symmetric quadrature leads to an explicit and analytically tractable solution for the surface potential as a function of position in the device channel that can be extremely useful to implement advanced physical effects.     

Photovoltaic devices using semiconducting polymers containing head‐to‐tail‐structured bithiophene,pyrene, and benzothiadiazole derivatives

An alternating copolymer composed of heal‐to‐tail‐structured 3,4′‐dihexyl‐2,2′‐bithiophene (DHBT) and pyrene units [poly(DHBT‐alt‐PYR)] was synthesized using a Stille coupling reaction for use in photovoltaic devices as a p‐type donor. For the reduction of the bandgap energy of poly(DHBT‐alt‐PYR), 4,7‐bis(3′‐hexyl‐2,2′‐bithiophen‐5‐yl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole (BHBTBT) units were introduced into the polymer. Poly(DHBT‐co‐PYR‐co‐BHBTBT)s were synthesized using the same polymerization reaction. The synthesized polymers were soluble in common organic solvents and formed smooth thin films after spin casting. The optical bandgap energies of the polymers were obtained from the onset absorption wavelengths. The measured optical bandgap energy of poly(DHBT‐alt‐PYR) was 2.47 eV. As the BHBTBT content in the ter‐polymers increased, the optical bandgap energies of the resulting polymers decreased. The bandgap energies of poly(50DHBT‐co‐40PYR‐co‐10BHBTBT) and poly(50DHBT‐co‐20PYR‐co‐30BHBTBT) were 1.84 and 1.73 eV, respectively. Photovoltaic devices were fabricated with a typical sandwich structure of ITO/PEDOT:PSS/active layer/LiF/Al using the polymers as electron donors and [6,6]‐phenyl C₇₁‐butyric acid methyl ester as the electron acceptor. The device using poly(50DHBT‐co‐20PYR‐co‐30BHBTBT) showed the best performance among the fabricated devices, with an open‐circuit voltage, short‐circuit current, fill factor, and maximum power conversion efficiency of 0.68 V, 5.54 mA/cm², 0.35, and 1.31%, respectively. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Improving charge transport in poly(3‐hexylthiophene) transistors via blending with an alkyl‐substituted phenylene–thiophene–thiophene–phenylene molecule

A prototypical semiconducting bicomponent system consisting of a conjugated polymer, that is, poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT), blended with a small thiophene containing conjugated molecule, that is, an alkyl‐substituted bisphenyl‐bithiophene [phenylene–thiophene–thiophene–phenylene (PTTP)], has been used as an electroactive active layer in field‐effect transistors (FETs). The self‐assembly of this bicomponent system at surfaces has been studied at different length scales, from the nanoscale to the macroscale, and compared with the behavior of monocomponent films of PTTP and P3HT. The correlation between morphology and electric properties of the semiconducting material is explored by fabricating prototypes of FETs varying the relative concentrations of the two‐component blend. The maximum charge carrier mobility value, achieved with a few percent of PTTP component, is not simply due to a uniform dispersion of the molecules in the polymer matrix, but rather to the generation of very long percolation paths, whose composition and electrical properties can be tuned with the PTTP concentration. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2012     

Role of geometry, substrate and atmosphere on performance of OFETs based on TTF derivatives

We report a comparative study of OFET devices based on zone-cast layers of three tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) derivatives in three configurations of electrodes in order to determine the best performing geometry. The first testing experiments were performed using SiO₂/Si substrates. Then the optimum geometry was employed for the preparation of flexible OFETs using Parylene C as both substrate and dielectric layer yielding, in the best case, to devices with μ_FET = 0.1 cm²/V s. With the performed bending tests we determined the limit of curvature radius for which the performance of the OFETs is not deteriorated irreversibly. The investigated OFETs are sensitive to ambient atmosphere, showing reversible increase of the source to drain current upon exposition to air, what can be explained as doping of TTF derivative by oxygen or moisture.     

Crosslinked polymer-mixture gate insulator for high-performance organic thin-film transistors

In this paper, we report on the fabrication of a crosslinked polymer-mixture gate insulator for high-performance organic thin-film transistors (TFTs). We used cyanoethylated pullulan (CEP) as a crosslinkable high-k polymer matrix and poly(ethylene-alt-maleic anhydride) (PEMA) as a polymeric crosslinking agent. Because PEMA has a high number of functional groups reactive to the hydroxyl groups of CEP, the use of PEMA is effective for minimizing the amount of remaining hydroxyl groups strongly related to the large current hysteresis and high off current of the organic TFTs. To investigate the potential of the CEP-PEMA mixture as a gate insulator, we fabricated 2,7-dioctyl[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (C₈-BTBT) TFTs. The C₈-BTBT TFT with the 60 nm-thick CEP-PEMA gate insulator showed excellent TFT performance with a field-effect mobility of 1.4 cm²/V s and an on/off ratio of 2.4 × 10⁶.     

基于硅衬底静电感应晶体管器件仿真与研究

针对静电感应晶体管理论研究迟滞于实践过程,文中利用软件Silvaco Tcad,从器件仿真入手,对影响硅基表面栅静电感应晶体管器件电学性能进行了理论研究。仿真得到了反偏栅压约为0 V、漏电压＜20 V时,器件表现类五极管饱和特性曲线,器件电流约为10-5 A,此时沟道状态为预夹断。当反偏栅压为-1.5 V、漏电压逐渐增大到300 V时,器件表现为类三极管不饱和特性曲线,器件电流约为10-6 A,此时沟道状态为完全夹断,研究结果静电感应晶体管工艺实践提供了参考。     

Two‐Step direct arylation for synthesis of naphthalenediimide‐based conjugated polymer

A naphthalenediimide (NDI)‐based conjugated polymer was synthesized by a two‐step direct C‐H arylation sequence. In the first step, two ethylenedioxythiophene units were coupled to NDI by direct arylation. In the second step, the direct arylation polycondensation of the monomer, formed in the first step, with 2,7‐dibromo‐9,9‐dioctylfluorene afforded the corresponding NDI‐based conjugated polymer ( PEDOTNDIF ) with molecular weight of 21,500 in 91% yield. The optical and electrochemical properties of the polymer were evaluated. The polymer showed ambipolar behavior in organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs). The electron mobility of PEDOTNDIF was estimated to be 2.3 × 10^?6 cm² V^?1 s^?1 using an OFET device with source‐drain (S‐D) Au electrodes. A modified OFET device with S‐D MgAg electrodes increased the electron mobility for PEDOTNDIF to 1.0 × 10^?5 cm² V^?1 s^?1 due to the more suitable work function of these electrodes, which reduced the injection barrier to the semiconducting polymer. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 1401–1407     

Assessing the width of Gaussian density of states in organic semiconductors

The Density of States (DOS) is an ingredient of critical importance for the accurate physical understanding of the optoelectronic properties of organic semiconductors. The disordered nature of this class of materials, though, renders the task of determining the DOS far from trivial. Its extraction from experimental measurements is often performed by driving the semiconductor out of thermal equilibrium and therefore requires making assumptions on the charge transport properties of the material under examination. This entanglement of DOS and charge transport models is unfavorable since transport mechanisms in organic semiconductors are themselves still subject of debate. To avoid this, we propose an alternative approach which is based on populating and probing the DOS by means of capacitive coupling in Metal Insulator Semiconductors (MIS) structures while keeping the semiconductor in thermal equilibrium. Assuming a Gaussian shape, we extract the DOS width by numerical fitting of experimental Capacitance–Voltage curves, exploiting the fact that the DOS width affects the spatial distribution of accumulated charge carriers which in turn concurs to define the MIS capacitance. The proposed approach is successfully tested on two benchmark semiconducting polymers, one of n-type and one of p-type and it is validated by verifying the robustness of the extraction procedure with respect to varying the insulator electrical permittivity. Finally, as an example of the usefulness and effectiveness of our approach, we study the static characteristics of thin film transistors based on the aforementioned polymers in the framework of the Extended Gaussian Disorder transport model. Thanks to the extracted DOS widths, the functional dependence of current on the gate voltage is nicely predicted and physical insight on transistor operation is achieved.     

Effect of sweeping voltage and compliance current on bipolar resistive switching and white-light controlled Schottky behavior in epitaxial BaTiO3 (111) thin films

Bipolar resistive switching (RS) phenomenon without required electroforming has been observed in epitaxial (111)-oriented BaTiO₃ (BTO) thin films deposited by PLD technique on conducting Nb-doped substrate of SrTiO₃ (NSTO). Negative differential resistance (NDR) is observed at about −5 V when the maximum of positive voltage exceeds 7 V and the compliance current is more than 1.5 mA. And bipolar resistive switching has also been observed. In addition, the resistance of LRS decreases with increasing compliance current or the maximum of positive voltage while that of HRS barely changes, and the resistance of HRS increases with increasing the absolute of maximum of negative voltage while that of LRS scarcely changes. A typical rectifying behavior is observed when the maximum of positive voltage is less than 4 V (such as 2 V). In this case, the reverse biased current is strongly enhanced under illumination of white-light, and vice versa. The resistance of LRS and HRS can be controlled by the applied voltage or the compliance current. The rectifying behavior can be controlled by the white-light. The transition from rectifying behavior to bipolar resistive switching can be controlled by the applied voltage. The above results were discussed by considering the oxygen vacancies that can trap or release electrons as a trapping layer at the Pt/BTO interface.     

基于有序介孔碳的氯离子选择性电极的制备及其在手持传感系统中的应用

以有序介孔碳(OMC)球为离子-电子转换层,制备了固态氯离子选择性电极,构建了基于离子敏感的场效应晶体管(ISFET)的手持式传感系统,用于检测人体血清中的氯离子。优化了OMC前驱体的碳化温度,探究了OMC形貌结构对电极传感性能的影响;电极柔性化制备后考察了其在手持系统中对氯离子的检测效果。结果表明,最优条件下,电极在5.12×10^-4~1.02 mol/L的浓度范围呈现线性响应,响应斜率为60 mV/decade。该柔性电极在手持传感系统中展现出高灵敏度和重现性,可用于人体血清样品中氯离子的检测,其回收率为96.3%~104.9%。