Influence of the gate leakage current on the stability of organic single-crystal field-effect transistors

We investigate the effect of a small leakage current through the gate insulator on the stability of organic single-crystal field-effect transistors (FETs). We find that, irrespective of the specific organic molecule and dielectric used, leakage current flowing through the gate insulator results in an irreversible degradation of the single-crystal FET performance. This degradation occurs even when the leakage current is several orders of magnitude smaller than the source-drain current. The experimental data indicate that a stable operation requires the leakage current to be smaller than $10^{-9} \ \mathrm{A/cm}^2$. Our results also suggest that gate leakage currents may determine the lifetime of thin-film transistors used in applications.Comment: submitted to Appl. Phys. Let

Properties of (Nb-0.35, Ti-0.15)(x)Ni1-x thin films deposited on silicon wafers at ambient substrate temperature

We have studied the properties of (Nb0.35, Ti0.15)xN1−x films deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering at ambient substrate temperature, focusing in particular on the dependence of film properties on the total sputtering pressure. As the pressure increases we observe a transition in the film structure from the ZT to the Z1 structural zone according to the Thornton classification. In general, the superconducting transition temperature (Tc) and residual resistance ratio have a very moderate dependence on total sputtering pressure, while the film resistivity increases an order of magnitude as the sputtering pressure increases. A wide spectrum of material science techniques is used to characterize the films and to explain the relationship between the sputtering conditions and film properties. Transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction analysis show that 160-nm-thick (Nb0.35, Ti0.15)xN1−x films consist of 20–40 nm grains with good crystallinity. Films sputtered under low pressures have a weak [100] texture, while films sputtered under high pressures have a distinct [111] texture. A stable chemical composition and reduction in film density as the sputtering pressure increases indicate that the change of resistivity in the ZT structural zone is due to a variation in the quenched-in vacancy concentration. In contrast voids on the grain boundaries and vacancies together produce the high film resistivities in the Z1 structural zone

Influence of the gate dielectric on the mobility of rubrene single-crystal field-effect transistors

We have performed a comparative study of rubrene single-crystal field-effect transistors fabricated using different materials as gate insulator. For all materials, highly reproducible device characteristics are obtained. The achieved reproducibility permits one to observe that the mobility of the charge carriers systematically decreases with increasing the dielectric constant of the gate insulator, the decrease being proportional to ??1. This finding demonstrates that the mobility of carriers in organic single-crystal field-effect transistors is an intrinsic property of the crystal/dielectric interface and that it does not only depend on the specific molecule used.Kavli Institute of NanoscienceApplied Science

Roll-to-roll UV imprint lithography for flexible electronics

We propose a roll-to-roll UV imprint lithography tool as a way to pattern flexible PET foil with µm-resolution. As a way to overcome dimensional instability of the foil and its effect on overlay, a self-align approach was investigated, that permits to make several layers in a single lithography step. Flexible Ni-stamps were used, with a single level and with 2 levels. The stamps were fabricated on wafers using conventional optical lithography and Si etching. Thin Ni replica, both single and multilevel, were obtained by electroplating using a thickness of 50 µm. The flexible Ni stamps were attached on the main drum that is placed on a conventional roll-to-roll machine. Resist was dispensed drop by drop by valve-jet nozzle using solvent-free UV resist. The imprint speed was of 0.35 m/min, using a UV illumination of 2 W. Fifty imprints were made in a row, equivalent to 20 m foil length. High imprint quality was observed with good reproducibility. All features type were replicated, from 500 µm contact pads to 800 nm wide trenches and 1 µm wide lines. A resolution of 800 nm in 1 µm thick resist was obtained for single level imprint. Multi-level imprints (2 levels) show the same quality in replication with a resolution of 1 µm. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved