Oxygen-Induced Barrier Lowering for High-Performance Organic Field-Effect Transistors

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Organic Electronics
• Semiconductor Physics

Background:

• Organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) offer low-cost, large-area processing suitable for emerging applications.
• High contact resistance (Rc) in OFETs hinders device integration and miniaturization.
• Reducing Rc is challenging due to the trade-off between orbital coupling and barrier height.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel strategy for reducing contact resistance in OFETs.
• To investigate the effect of oxygen on the metal-semiconductor interface in OFETs.
• To achieve ultralow contact resistance and high mobility in OFET devices.

Main Methods:

• Introduction of oxygen (O2) into the nanointerface between electrodes and organic semiconductors.
• Experimental measurements of contact resistance and device performance.
• Theoretical simulations to understand the O2 adsorption mechanism.

Main Results:

• Achieved an ultralow channel width-normalized contact resistance (Rc·W) of 89.8 Ω·cm.
• Obtained a high charge carrier mobility of 11.32 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹.
• Demonstrated significant Rc reduction through O2 adsorption at the metal-semiconductor contact.

Conclusions:

• Oxygen-induced barrier lowering is an effective strategy for reducing OFET contact resistance.
• The findings provide guidance for fabricating high-performance, miniaturized OFETs.
• This approach facilitates the integration of OFETs in advanced electronic applications.