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Solution-processable ambipolar organic field-effect transistors with bilayer transport channels

Polymer Journal volume 52, pages 581–588 (2020)Cite this article

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Abstract

Ambipolar organic field-effect transistors (A-OFETs) allow a significant reduction in the complexity of organic integrated circuits (ICs) because they act as both n- and p-type transistors. In this paper, we report an efficient A-OFET based on the bilayer architecture of p-type poly(benzodithiophene(2-thienyl)-pyrrolopyrrole-dione) (PBDTTPPD) and n-type [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). By achieving the saturation condition of the dichloromethane (DCM) solvent for preparing the PCBM solution, we successfully obtained a complete bilayer of PCBM and PBDTTPPD and used it as a carrier transport layer in an A-OFET. The A-OFET exhibits clear bipolar transport and operates as an n-type and a p-type transistor in a single device. When a positive bias is applied between the gate electrode and the source electrode, the A-OFET serves as an n-type transistor with an n-channel generated for electron transport at the interface of PCBM and PBDTTPPD. On the other hand, it serves as a p-type transistor with a p-channel generated for hole transport at the interface between PBDTTPPD and SiO2 when a negative bias is applied. The bipolar transport is modulated by morphology control using a 1,8-diiodooctane (DIO) additive and the PBDTTPPD layer thickness. The optimized A-OFET shows reasonable carrier mobilities for an ambipolar transistor with an average electron mobility of 2.22 × 10−3 cm2 V−1 s−1 and an average hole mobility of 2.29 × 10−3 cm2 V−1 s−1.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a Research Grant of Pukyong National University (2019).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Pukyong National University, Busan, 48513, Republic of Korea

    Dal Yong Lee, Vellaiappillai Tamilavan, Insoo Shin, Jihoon Lee, Jung Hyun Jeong, Bo Ram Lee & Sung Heum Park

  2. School of Biomedical Engineering, Inje University, Gimhae, 50834, Republic of Korea

    Yun Kyung Jung

  3. Department of Physics, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, 44610, Republic of Korea

    Shinuk Cho

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  1. Dal Yong Lee
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Lee, D.Y., Tamilavan, V., Shin, I. et al. Solution-processable ambipolar organic field-effect transistors with bilayer transport channels. Polym J 52, 581–588 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41428-020-0313-1

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