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Transparent electronics based on transfer printed aligned carbon nanotubes on rigid and flexible substrates
Fumiaki N Ishikawa1, Hsiao-Kang Chang, Koungmin Ryu
1Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA.
ACS Nano
|February 12, 2009
Summary
High-performance transparent thin-film transistors (TTFTs) using aligned nanotubes were developed for flexible and rigid electronics. These devices demonstrate excellent mobility and transparency, paving the way for future transparent electronic applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Electronics Engineering
Background:
- Transparent electronics require novel materials for active channels and electrodes.
- Existing technologies often face limitations in flexibility, transparency, and processing temperatures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop high-performance fully transparent thin-film transistors (TTFTs) on both rigid and flexible substrates.
- To utilize transfer-printed aligned nanotubes as the active channel material.
- To demonstrate the potential of these TTFTs in flexible electronic circuits and device control.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of TTFTs using low-temperature processing.
- Employing aligned carbon nanotubes as the active channel.
- Using indium-tin oxide (ITO) for source, drain, and gate electrodes.
- Engineering source and drain contacts for improved performance.
- Utilizing electrical breakdown to achieve high on/off ratios.
Main Results:
- Achieved high effective mobilities of approximately 1300 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) on rigid substrates.
- Obtained a high on/off ratio of 3 x 10(4) through electrical breakdown.
- Demonstrated flexible TTFTs with good transparency (approx. 80%) operable under bending up to 120 degrees.
- Successfully constructed a fully transparent and flexible logic inverter.
- Utilized TTFTs to control commercial Gallium Nitride (GaN) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with light intensity modulation of 10(3).
Conclusions:
- Aligned nanotubes are highly promising for future transparent electronics.
- Low-temperature processing enables fabrication on flexible substrates.
- Engineered TTFTs offer high performance suitable for advanced applications.
