Organic TFT

• Thin-film transistor
• TFT structure and operation
• Geometri and requirements
• Basic I-V
• Def. Cond & transcond.
• Extract parameters from I-V
• Problems
• Papers
 TFT Geometry
Standard TFT is constructed with a gate (G), insulator,
semiconductor and source-drain (S-D) contacts.
• the gate should cover the transistor channel area.
• area is channel length (L) and width (W), W in the Z direction.
• insulator thickness (d) << the channel length (otherwise short
channel effects)
• semiconductor should form ohmic contacts to the S-D

S L D
ds Semiconductor y
z
d Insulator x
G
 Where do you use OTFT?
Performance of polymers compared
to a-Si. (Source Plastic Logic) Target for
polymers mobility > 0.1 cm2/Vs and
On/Off ratio > 106.
The performance of polymer
semiconductors have developed to
become comperable to the a-Si.
Applications where a-Si is used can
be made using polymers.
Possible applications
• smart cards
• simple displays
• electronic paper, etc.
Several inverters connected to
obtain a ring-oscillator.

Amplifier
and
inverter
Displays drivers
 Operation
Slightly doped p-type Accumulation

Depletion Linear regime

Pinch-off of the
transistor channel is
Start depletion zone caused by a depletion
zone close to the
drain contact

A.R.Brown et al. /
Synthetic Metals 88
(1997) 37-55
 TFT
• Thin-film transistors (TFTs) can be fabricated in several different
configurations. The performance of the devices should be the same,
however some differences can be observed due to interfaces, morphology,
etc.

Bottom contact Top contact

Semiconductor S D
S D Semiconductor
Bottom Insulator Insulator
gate
G G

G G
Top Insulator Insulator
gate Semiconductor S D
S D Semiconductor
Substrate Substrate
 Measuring

A
A
A
For characterizing the OFET the current is measured on all three electrodes
while changing the voltage between source-drain and between gate-source.
1E-5
-5x10-9
1E-6 VSD = -50 V
Drain Current [A]

Drain Current [A]

-4x10-9 1E-7
VG = -10 V 1E-8
-3x10-9
1E-9
-2x10-9
Varying drain 1E-10

-1x10-9 Constant gate 1E-11 Varying gate

0 1E-12 Constant drain
1E-13
0 -5 -10 -15 -20 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20

Drain Voltage [V] Gate Voltage [V]

 Simple transistor I-V
Basic I-V characteristics assumptions:
• mobility of charge carriers in the channel is constant
• gate capacitance is constant independent of gate voltage
• source-drain form ohmic contacts to the semiconductor
• the initial charge carrier denisity is n0
• the insulator thickness << channel length

The charge density n(x) induced by applying a gate voltage (VG) is:

qΔn( x) = [VG − V ( x)]

Ci
ds
Where Ci is the gate capacitance per unit area, and V(x) is the
applied drain voltage at a distance x from the source.
The total drain current ID is then:

I D = (d sW )qμ p [n0 + Δn( x)]E x

 Simple transistor I-V
⎡ qd s n0 ⎤ dV ( x)
I D = Wμ p Ci ⎢ + VG − V ( x)⎥
⎣ Ci ⎦ dx
Integrate with x: 0 -> L and V: 0 -> VD to get:

Wμ p Ci ⎡ VD2 ⎤ (1)
ID = ⎢(VG − VT )VD − ⎥, VT = −qd S n0 / Ci
L ⎣ 2 ⎦

n0 is negative for depletion p-type and positive for enhancement p-type.

Equation (1) is valid for 0 < VD < (VG –VT) after which the drain current
saturates. The saturated current is then:

Wμ p Ci
ID = (VG − VT ) 2
2L (2)
 Simple transistor I-V
The transconductance (used for estimating the carrier mobility) in the
linear and saturated regime is :

∂I D Wμ p Ci
g m ,lin = = VD From equation 1
∂VG L
Wμ p Ci
g m , sat = (VG − VT ) From equation 2
L

Sze S.M., Physics of semiconductor devices

 Transfer curve
0.0008 10-6
Vd = - 30 V
10-7
0.0006
10-8
μ ~ 1.6*10-3 cm2/Vs
Id1/2 [A1/2]

10-9

Id [A]
0.0004 S ~ 0.6 V/dec
10-10
0.0002
Mobility Sub-threshold 10-11
estimate from slope
Vt ~ - 14 V V0 ~ - 10 V 10-12
slope
0.0000
(saturated -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10
regime)
Vg [V]
B 2 2L
μ FET =
WCi threshold
turn-on voltage
 Output curve
Equation 1 Enhancement p-type transistor
Equation 2

-0.15 VG = -30V
Linear
regime
-0.10 Saturated
ISD [μA]

regime

-25V Field-effect
-0.05
From initial slope, an
estimate of the -20V
-15V
conductivity for the 0.00
-10V
material can be made 0 -5 -10 -15 -20 -25 -30
with Vg=0V. VSD [V]

L ⎛ ID ⎞
σ≅ ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟
Wd s ⎝ VD ⎠VG =0V ,VD →0V
 Problems?
In organic TFT problems can arise due to:
• contact problems
• contact resistance which is gate voltage dependent (estimate R)
• traps is semiconductor
• traps or surface states at the insulator/semiconductor interface
• surface charges or interface dipoles
• morphology of semiconductor
• insulator surface roughness
• mobile ions in insulator or semiconductor

These problems can be observed in transistor measurements as:

• threshold and turn-on shift with applied S-D or G voltages
• gate voltage dependent mobility
• non-linear behavior in the ”linear regime” of the TFT
• hysteresis
• different carrier mobility values with changing semiconductor morphology
 Papers

• ”Field-effect transistors made from solution-processed organic semiconductors”

An article from 1997 dealing with solution processed transistors. An extensive
paper explaining device physics, doping relations, circuit with organic transistors,
and stress effects in transistors.

• ”Device Physics of Solution-Processed Organic Field-Effect Transistors”

A recent review article going trough recent advances and discussing the
importance of the insulator/semiconductor interface also with device physics,
charge transport, and materials discussed.

• ”Gate Insulators in Organic Field-Effect Transistors”

A review were they concentrate on understanding the role of the insulator in the
OFET and especially the semiconductor interface.
 Papers
• “Solution-processed ambipolar organic field-effect transistors and inverters”
Organic FET with both n- and p-type transport are called ambipolar. A recent
paper showing that this can be achieved with organic materials either in one
material or in a blend of two different materials.

• ”Operating principle of polymer insulator organic thin-film transistors exposed

to moisture”
An article showing low-voltage transistors operated in air where the current
modulation is obtained due to ions moving in the insulator material.
 Additional references
Books:
• Sze S.M. ”Physics of semiconductor devices”
• Fichou D. ”Handbook of Oligo and Polythiophenes”
• Gamota D.R. et al. ”Printed Organic and Molecular Electronics”
• Hadziioannou G. et al. ”Semiconducting polymers : chemistry, physics and
engineering”

Review articles:
• Horowitz G. Advanced Materials 10 (1998) 365
• Dimitrakopoulos C.D et al. Advanced Materials 14 (2002) 99
• Faccetti A. et al. Advanced Materials 17 (2005) 1705