Article abstract


Nature Materials 7, 900 - 906 (2008)
Published online: 19 October 2008 | doi:10.1038/nmat2291

Subject Category: Electronic materials

Printable ion-gel gate dielectrics for low-voltage polymer thin-film transistors on plastic

Jeong Ho Cho1,4, Jiyoul Lee1, Yu Xia1, BongSoo Kim2, Yiyong He2, Michael J. Renn3, Timothy P. Lodge1,2 & C. Daniel Frisbie1


An important strategy for realizing flexible electronics is to use solution-processable materials that can be directly printed and integrated into high-performance electronic components on plastic. Although examples of functional inks based on metallic, semiconducting and insulating materials have been developed, enhanced printability and performance is still a challenge. Printable high-capacitance dielectrics that serve as gate insulators in organic thin-film transistors are a particular priority. Solid polymer electrolytes (a salt dissolved in a polymer matrix) have been investigated for this purpose, but they suffer from slow polarization response, limiting transistor speed to less than 100 Hz. Here, we demonstrate that an emerging class of polymer electrolytes known as ion gels can serve as printable, high-capacitance gate insulators in organic thin-film transistors. The specific capacitance exceeds that of conventional ceramic or polymeric gate dielectrics, enabling transistor operation at low voltages with kilohertz switching frequencies.

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  1. Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, 421 Washington Avenue SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
  2. Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
  3. Optomec, Inc., 1000 Westgate Dr., St. Paul, Minnesota 55114, USA
  4. Current address: Department of Organic Materials and Fiber Engineering, Soongsil University, 511 Sangdo-Dong, Dongjak-Gu, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence to: C. Daniel Frisbie1 e-mail: frisbie@cems.umn.edu



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