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Plasma Polymerization Enabled Polymer/Metal-Oxide Hybrid Semiconductors for Wearable Electronics
Jae Won Na1, Hee Jun Kim1, Seonghwan Hong1
1School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering , Yonsei University , 50 Yonsei-ro , Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-749 , Republic of Korea.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|October 20, 2018
Summary
Researchers developed flexible polymer/metal-oxide hybrid semiconductors using plasma polymerization. These new Indium-Gallium-Zinc-Oxide: Polytetrafluoroethylene thin-film transistors (IGZO:PTFE TFTs) offer enhanced stability and flexibility for electronic applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Semiconductor Physics
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Inorganic metal-oxide semiconductors are brittle, limiting their application in flexible electronics.
- Developing robust and flexible semiconductor materials is crucial for next-generation devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a facile fabrication method for polymer/metal-oxide hybrid semiconductors.
- To overcome the brittleness of traditional metal-oxide semiconductors.
- To enhance the stability and flexibility of Indium-Gallium-Zinc-Oxide (IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs).
Main Methods:
- Plasma polymerization of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) using radio frequency magnetron sputtering.
- Co-sputtering of Indium-Gallium-Zinc-Oxide (IGZO) and PTFE to create IGZO:PTFE TFTs.
- Characterization of TFT performance, including field-effect mobility, subthreshold swing, and on/off ratio.
Main Results:
- Fabricated IGZO:PTFE TFTs achieved a field-effect mobility of 10.27 cm2 V-1 s-1, a subthreshold swing of 0.38 V dec-1, and an on/off ratio of 1.08 × 108.
- IGZO:PTFE TFTs demonstrated significantly improved stability under electrical, illumination, thermal, and moisture stresses compared to conventional IGZO TFTs.
- The hybrid TFTs maintained stable electrical characteristics with a small threshold voltage shift (0.89 V) after 10,000 tensile bending cycles.
Conclusions:
- The developed plasma polymerization method provides a facile route to flexible polymer/metal-oxide hybrid semiconductors.
- The incorporation of PTFE into IGZO enhances TFT stability and introduces mechanical flexibility.
- These IGZO:PTFE TFTs show great potential for flexible and durable electronic applications.
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