Recent advances in fabrication and functions of neuromorphic system based on organic field effect transistor

The development of various artificial electronics and machines would explosively increase the amount of information and data,which need to be processed via in-situ remediation.Bioinspired synapse devices can store and process signals in a parallel way,thus improving fault tolerance and decreasing the power consumption of artificial systems.The organic field effect transistor(OFET)is a promising component for bioinspired neuromorphic systems because it is suitable for large-scale integrated circuits and flexible devices.In this review,the organic semiconductor materials,structures and fabrication,and different artificial sensory perception systems functions based on neuromorphic OFET devices are summarized.Subsequently,a summary and challenges of neuromorphic OFET devices are provided.This review presents a detailed introduction to the recent progress of neuromorphic OFET devices from semiconductor materials to perception systems,which would serve as a reference for the development of neuromorphic systems in future bioinspired electronics.

Enhanced charge carrier injection in heterojunction organic field-effect transistor by inserting an MoO_3 buffer layer

A top-contact organic field-effect transistor （OFET） is fabricated by adopting a pentacene/1,11-bis（di-4- tolylaminophenyl） cyclohexane （TAPC） heterojunction structure and inserting an MoO3 buffer layer between the TAPC organic semiconductor layer and the source/drain electrode. The performances of the heterojunction OFET, including output current, field-effect mobility, and threshed voltage~ are all significantly improved by introducing the MoO3 thin buffer layer. The performance improvement of the modified heterojunction OFET is attributed to a better contact formed at the Au/TAPC interface due to the MoO3 thin buffer layer, thereby leading to a remarkable reduction of the contact resistance at the metal/organic interface.

Top contact organic field effect transistors fabricated using a photolithographic process

This paper proposes an effective method of fabricating top contact organic field effect transistors by using a pho- tolithographic process. The semiconductor layer is protected by a passivation layer. Through photolithographic and etching processes, parts of the passivation layer are etched off to form source/drain electrode patterns. Combined with conventional evaporation and lift-off techniques, organic field effect transistors with a top contact are fabricated suc- cessfully, whose properties are comparable to those prepared with the shadow mask method and one order of magnitude higher than the bottom contact devices fabricated by using a photolithographic process.

Application of graphene vertical field effect to regulation of organic light-emitting transistors

The luminescence intensity regulation of organic light-emitting transistor(OLED)device can be achieved effectively by the combination of graphene vertical field effect transistor(GVFET)and OLED.In this paper,we fabricate and characterize the graphene vertical field-effect transistor with gate dielectric of ion-gel film,confirming that its current switching ratio reaches up to 102.Because of the property of high light transmittance in ion-gel film,the OLED device prepared with graphene/PEDOT:PSS as composite anode exhibits good optical properties.We also prepare the graphene vertical organic light-emitting field effect transistor(GVOLEFET)by the combination of GVFET and graphene OLED,analyzing its electrical and optical properties,and confirming that the luminescence intensity can be significantly changed by regulating the gate voltage.

Hunting down the ohmic contact of organic field-effect transistor

We report properties of contact resistances observed on pentacene organic field-effect transistors(OFET) with four different source/drain electrodes, namely, copper(Cu), gold(Au), silver(Ag), and germanium(Ge). The metals were selected to provide a wide range of energy barriers for charge injection, from blocking contact to smooth injection. All OFETs exhibited strong voltage dependence of the contact resistance, even for devices with smooth injection, which is in strong disagreement with the definition of ohmic contacts. A comparison with current crowding, resistive network, Fowler–Nordheim tunneling, and electric field enhanced thermionic injection(Schottky emission) pointed to importance of local electric fields and/or electrostatic field charges.

Thickness dependence of surface morphology and charge carrier mobility in organic field-effect transistors

With the aim of understanding the relationships between organic small molecule field-effect transistors （FETs） and organic conjugated polymer FETs, we investigate the thickness dependence of surface morphology and charge carrier mobility in pentacene and regioregular poly （3-hexylthiophene） （RR-P3HT） field-effect transistors. On the basis of the results of surface morphologies and electrical properties, we presume that the charge carrier mobility is largely related to the morphology of the organic active layer. We observe that the change trends of the surface morphologies （average size and average roughness） of pentacene and RR-P3HT thin films are mutually opposite, as the thickness of the organic layer increases. Further, we demonstrate that the change trends of the field-effect mobilities of pentacene and RR-P3HT FETs are also opposite to each other, as the thickness of the organic layer increases within its limit.

Determining the influence of ferroelectric polarization on electrical characteristics in organic ferroelectric field-effect transistors

Organic ferroelectric field-effect transistors （OFeFETs） are regarded as a promising technology for low-cost flexible memories. However, the electrical instability is still a critical obstacle, which limits the commercialization process. Based on already established models for polarization in ferroelectrics and charge transport in OFeFETs, simulation work is performed to determine the influence of polarization fatigue and ferroelectric switching transient on electrical characteristics in OFeFETs. The polarization fatigue results in the decrease of the on-state drain current and the memory window width and thus degrades the memory performance. The output measurements during the ferroelectric switching process show a hysteresis due to the instable polarization. In the on/off measurements, a large writing/erasing pulse frequency weakens the polarization modulation and thus results in a small separation between on- and off-state drain currents. According to the electrical properties of the ferroelectric layer, suggestions are given to obtain optimal electrical characterization for OFeFETs.

Research on the electrical characteristics of an organic thin-film field-effect transistor based on alternating-current resistance

In this article, an organic thin-film field-effect transistor （OTFFET） with top-gate and bottom-contact geometry based on pentacene as the active layer is fabricated. The experimental data of the I-V are obtained from the OTFFET device. The alternating-current （AC） resistance value of the OTFFET device is calculated using the derivation method from the experimental data, and the AC resistance trend curves of the OTFFET device are obtained with the region fitting method. We analyse the characteristics of the OTFFET device with an AC resistance trend curve. To discover whether it has a high resistance, it is proposed to judge the region of the source/drain voltage （VDs） less than the transition voltage, thereby determining whether the contact between the metal electrode and the organic semiconductor layer of the OTFFET device is Ohmic or non-Ohmic. The theoretical analysis shows that the field-effect mobility and the AC resistance are in reverse proportion. Therefore, we point out that reducing AC resistance is necessary if field-effect mobility is to be improved.

Study of top and bottom contact resistance in one organic field-effect transistor

This paper reports that the organic field-effect transistors with hybrid contact geometry were fabricated, in which the top electrodes and the bottom electrodes were combined in parallel resistances within one transistor. With the facility of the novel structure, the difference of contact resistance between the top contact geometry and the bottom contact geometry was studied. The hybrid contact devices showed similar characteristics with the top contact configuration devices, which provide helpful evidence on the lower contact resistance of the top contact configuration device. The origin of the different contact resistance between the top contact device and the bottom contact device was discussed.

A high mobility C_(60) field-effect transistor with an ultrathin pentacene passivation layer and bathophenanthroline/metal bilayer electrodes

C60 field-effect transistor （OFET） with a mobility as high as 5.17 cm2/V.s is fabricated. In our experiment, an ultrathin pentacene passivation layer on poly-（methyl methacrylate） （PMMA） insulator and a bathophenanthroline （Bphen）/Ag bilayer electrode are prepared. The OFET shows a significant enhancement of electron mobility compared with the corresponding device with a single PMMA insultor and an Ag electrode. By analysing the C60 film with atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques, it is shown that the pentacene passivation layer can contribute to C60 film growth with the large grain size and significantly improve crystallinity. Moreover, the Bphen buffer layer can reduce the electron contact barrier from Ag electrodes to C60 film efficiently.

Overview of one transistor type of hybrid organic ferroelectric non-volatile memory

Organic ferroelectric memory devices based on field effect transistors that can be configured between two stable states of on and off have been widely researched as the next generation data storage media in recent years.This emerging type of memory devices can lead to a new instrument system as a potential alternative to previous non-volatile memory building blocks in future processing units because of their numerous merits such as cost-effective process,simple structure and freedom in substrate choices.This bi-stable non-volatile memory device of information storage has been investigated using several organic or inorganic semiconductors with organic ferroelectric polymer materials.Recent progresses in this ferroelectric memory field,hybrid system have attracted a lot of attention due to their excellent device performance in comparison with that of all organic systems.In this paper,a general review of this type of ferroelectric non-volatile memory is provided,which include the device structure,organic ferroelectric materials,electrical characteristics and working principles.We also present some snapshots of our previous study on hybrid ferroelectric memories including our recent work based on zinc oxide nanowire channels.

Controlled Growth of Large-Area Aligned Single-Crystalline Organic Nanoribbon Arrays for Transistors and Light-Emitting Diodes Driving

Organic field-effect transistors(OFETs) based on organic micro-/nanocrystals have been widely reported with charge carrier mobility exceeding 1.0 cm^2V^(-1)s^(-1), demonstrating great potential for high-performance, low-cost organic electronic applications. However, fabrication of large-area organic micro-/nanocrystal arrays with consistent crystal growth direction has posed a significant technical challenge. Here, we describe a solution-processed dip-coating technique to grow large-area, aligned 9,10-bis(phenylethynyl) anthracene(BPEA) and 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) pentacene(TIPSPEN) single-crystalline nanoribbon arrays. The method is scalable to a 5 9 10 cm^2 wafer substrate, with around 60% of the wafer surface covered by aligned crystals. The quality of crystals can be easily controlled by tuning the dip-coating speed. Furthermore, OFETs based on well-aligned BPEA and TIPS-PEN single-crystalline nanoribbons were constructed.By optimizing channel lengths and using appropriate metallic electrodes, the BPEA and TIPS-PEN-based OFETs showed hole mobility exceeding 2.0 cm^2V^(-1)s^(-1)(average mobility 1.2 cm^2V^(-1)s^(-1)) and 3.0 cm^2V^(-1)s^(-1)(average mobility2.0 cm^2V^(-1)s^(-1)), respectively. They both have a high on/off ratio(I_(on)/I_(off))>10~9. The performance can well satisfy the requirements for light-emitting diodes driving.

Performance improvement in pentacene organic thin film transistors by inserting a C_(60) ultrathin layer

The contact effect on the performances of organic thin film transistors is studied here. A C60 ultrathin layer is inserted between Al source-drain electrode and pentacene to reduce the contact resistance. By a 3 nm C60 modification, the injection barrier is lowered and the contact resistance is reduced. Thus, the field-effect mobility increases from 0.12 to 0.52 cm2/（V.s）. It means that inserting a C60 ultra thin layer is a good method to improve the organic thin film transistor （OTFT） performance. The output curve is simulated by using a charge drift model. Considering the contact effect, the field effect mobility is improved to 1.15 cm2/（V-s）. It indicates that further reducing the contact resistance of OTFTs should be carried out.

Cocrystal engineering:towards high-performance near-infrared organic phototransistors based on donor-acceptor charge transfer cocrystals

Near-infrared organic phototransistors have wide application prospects in many fields.The active materials with the high mobility and near-infrared response are critical to building high-performance near-infrared organic phototransistors,which are scarce at present.Herein,a new charge transfer cocrystal using 5,7-dihydroindolo[2,3-b]carbazole(5,7-ICZ)as the donor and 2,2’-(benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b’]dithiophene-4,8-diylidene)dimalononitrile(DTTCNQ)as the acceptor is properly designed and prepared in a stoichiometric ratio(D:A=1:1),which not only displays a high electron mobility of 0.15 cm^(2)V^(-1)s^(-1) and very low dark current,but also can serve as the active layer materials in the region of near-infrared detection due to the narrowed band gap and good charge transport properties.A high photosensitivity of 1.8×10^(4),the ultrahigh photoresponsivity of 2,923 A W-1and the high detectivity of 4.26×10^(11)Jones of the organic near-infrared phototransistors are obtained.

Metal–Organic Framework-Based Sensors for Environmental Contaminant Sensing

Increasing demand for timely and accurate environmental pollution monitoring and control requires new sensing techniques with outstanding performance, i.e.,high sensitivity, high selectivity, and reliability. Metal–organic frameworks(MOFs), also known as porous coordination polymers, are a fascinating class of highly ordered crystalline coordination polymers formed by the coordination of metal ions/clusters and organic bridging linkers/ligands. Owing to their unique structures and properties,i.e., high surface area, tailorable pore size, high density of active sites, and high catalytic activity, various MOF-based sensing platforms have been reported for environmental contaminant detection including anions, heavy metal ions,organic compounds, and gases. In this review, recent progress in MOF-based environmental sensors is introduced with a focus on optical, electrochemical, and field-effect transistor sensors. The sensors have shown unique and promising performance in water and gas contaminant sensing. Moreover, by incorporation with other functional materials, MOF-based composites can greatly improve the sensor performance. The current limitations and future directions of MOF-based sensors are also discussed.

A Fractional Drift Diffusion Model for Organic Semiconductor Devices

Because charge carriers of many organic semiconductors(OSCs)exhibit fractional drift diffusion(Fr-DD)transport properties,the need to develop a Fr-DD model solver becomes more apparent.However,the current research on solving the governing equations of the Fr-DD model is practically nonexistent.In this paper,an iterative solver with high precision is developed to solve both the transient and steady-state Fr-DD model for organic semiconductor devices.The Fr-DD model is composed of two fractionalorder carriers(i.e.,electrons and holes)continuity equations coupled with Poisson’s equation.By treating the current density as constants within each pair of consecutive grid nodes,a linear Caputo’s fractional-order ordinary differential equation(FrODE)can be produced,and its analytic solution gives an approximation to the carrier concentration.The convergence of the solver is guaranteed by implementing a successive over-relaxation(SOR)mechanism on each loop of Gummel’s iteration.Based on our derivations,it can be shown that the Scharfetter–Gummel discretization method is essentially a special case of our scheme.In addition,the consistency and convergence of the two core algorithms are proved,with three numerical examples designed to demonstrate the accuracy and computational performance of this solver.Finally,we validate the Fr-DD model for a steady-state organic field effect transistor(OFET)by fitting the simulated transconductance and output curves to the experimental data.

Photoresponsive organic field-effect transistors involving photochromic molecules

In recent years,organic field-effect transistors（OFETs） with high performance and novel multifunctionalities have attracted considerable attention.Meanwhile,featured with reversible photoisomerization and the corresponding variation in color,chemical/physical properties,photochromic molecules have been applied in sensors,photo-switches and memories.Incorporation of photochromic molecules to blend in the device functional layers or to modify the interfaces of OFETs is common way to build photo-transistors.In this review,we focus on the recent advantages on the study of photoresponsive transistors involving one of three typical photochromic compounds spiropyran,diarylethene and azobenzene.Three main strategies are demonstrated in detail.Firstly,photochromic molecules are doped in active layers or combined with semiconductor structure thus forming photoreversible active layers.Secondly,the modification of dielectric layer/active layer interface is mainly carried out by bilayer dielectric.Thirdly,the photo-isomerization of self-assembled monolayer（SAM） on the electrode/active layer interface can reversibly modulate the work functions and charge injection barrier,result in bifunctional OFETs.All in all,the combination of photochromic molecules and OFETs is an efficient way for the fabrication of organic photoelectric devices.Photoresponsive transistors consisted of photochromic molecules are potential candidate for real applications in the future.

Monolayer organic field-effect transistors

Monolayer organic field-effect transistors(OFETs) are attracting worldwide interest in device physics and novel applications due to their ultrathin active layer for two-dimensional charge transport. The monolayer films are generally prepared by thermal evaporation, the Langmuir technique or self-assembly process, etc., but their electrical performance is relatively lower than corresponding thick films. From 2011, the performance of monolayer OFETs has been boosted by using the monolayer molecular crystals(MMCs) as active channels, which opened up a new era for monolayer OFETs. In this review, recent progress of monolayer OFETs, including the preparation of monolayer films, their OFET performance and applications are summarized.Finally, perspectives of monolayer OFETs in the near future are also discussed.

Advances in organic field-effect transistors and integrated circuits

Organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) have received significant research interest because of their promising applications in low cast, lager area, plastic circuits, and tremendous progress has been made in materials, device performance, OFETs based circuits in recent years. In this article we introduce the advances in organic semiconductor materials, OFETs based integrating techniques, and in particular highlight the recent progress. Finally, the prospects and problems of OFETs are discussed.