Stable and Scalable Electrolyte-Gated Organic Thin-Film Transistors for Biosensing

Area of Science:

• Organic electronics
• Materials science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Electrolyte-gated organic field-effect transistors (EGOFETs) are promising for biosensing due to low-voltage operation and direct transduction of biological signals.
• Organic semiconductors offer tunable properties for advanced electronic devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize dinaphtho[2,3-b:2',3'-f]thieno[3,2-b]thiophene (DNTT) and C10-DNTT EGOFETs for biosensing applications.
• To investigate the effects of device scaling on EGOFET performance.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication and electrical characterization of DNTT and C10-DNTT EGOFETs in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS).
• Analysis of device scaling effects including mobility degradation, threshold voltage roll-off, and drain-induced barrier lowering (DIBL).
• Testing EGOFET stability and performance with protein and cardiomyocyte exposure.

Main Results:

• Intrinsic mobility of at least 2.8 × 10^-2 cm^2/(V s) and contact resistance of 3.1 kΩ-cm were achieved for DNTT EGOFETs.
• Device scaling down to 2 μm channel lengths showed performance improvements in transconductance and transit frequency.
• C10-DNTT EGOFETs maintained performance after 1 week of incubation with biological samples.

Conclusions:

• Scaled C10-DNTT EGOFETs demonstrate high performance and stability, suitable for biosensing.
• Device scaling is a viable strategy to enhance EGOFET performance for biosensing applications.
• C10-DNTT EGOFETs are promising candidates for scalable, high-performance, and stable biosensors.