All-printed large-scale integrated circuits based on organic electrochemical transistors

Abstract

The communication outposts of the emerging Internet of Things are embodied by ordinary items, which desirably include all-printed flexible sensors, actuators, displays and akin organic electronic interface devices in combination with silicon-based digital signal processing and communication technologies. However, hybrid integration of smart electronic labels is partly hampered due to a lack of technology that (de)multiplex signals between silicon chips and printed electronic devices. Here, we report all-printed 4-to-7 decoders and seven-bit shift registers, including over 100 organic electrochemical transistors each, thus minimizing the number of terminals required to drive monolithically integrated all-printed electrochromic displays. These relatively advanced circuits are enabled by a reduction of the transistor footprint, an effort which includes several further developments of materials and screen printing processes. Our findings demonstrate that digital circuits based on organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) provide a unique bridge between all-printed organic electronics (OEs) and low-cost silicon chip technology for Internet of Things applications.

High yield manufacturing of fully screen-printed organic electrochemical transistors

“…Statistical investigations of the device performance are essential in order to determine the ON/OFF-based yield as a function of OECT design. Moreover, from a digital circuitry standpoint, only 20% of the total area of the printed A4-sized sheet is required to realize complex circuits such as decoders and shift registers 20 , circuits which typically consist of more than 100 OECTs. In this study we evaluate, in depth, all the OECTs printed onto one single sheet, even though one print batch typically contains an (statistical) ensemble of several sheets.…”

Enhancing the Electrochemical Doping Efficiency in Diketopyrrolopyrrole‐Based Polymer for Organic Electrochemical Transistors

“…Correspondingly, the peak g m decreased to 5.8 mS (at V G = −1 V) for devices gated using Cl − -based electrolyte, as detailed in Table 1. Besides, a more significant threshold voltage ) was determined to be 58 V −1 for Cl − anion and 83 V −1 for BF 4 − anion (see Figure 3b), further indicating the difference in energy penalties for the respective ions to move from the electrolyte to the thin film. [13] These results point to an anion-dependent doping efficiency and device performance, in good agreement with previously observed results in conjugated polymers such as p(g2T-TT), P3HT, and P3MEEMT.…”

“…The molecular structure of EMIM BF 4 is also displayed in Figure 1a. EMIM BF 4 -based aqueous electrolyte is chosen because BF 4 − anion has been previously shown to efficiently dope glycolated thiophene p(g2T-TT) copolymer. [25] Figures 1c-d present the typical output and transfer characteristics of a PTDPP-DT OECT (channel width of 1000 μm and length of 100 μm), which operates in accumulation mode.…”

Contact Modulated Ionic Transfer Doping in All‐Solid‐State Organic Electrochemical Transistor for Ultra‐High Sensitive Tactile Perception at Low Operating Voltage

“…However, solid electrolytes have not been successfully implemented in OECTs as they typically present lower ionic conductivity than liquid electrolytes and thus results in inefficient ion transport and slow switching response. [26][27][28] Present strategies for solid-state electrolytes include hydrogels, ion-gels which incorporate aqueous electrolytes, ionic liquids within an organic matrix. [29][30][31] However, hydrogels-based ionic conductive materials are susceptible to moisture or weight loss, a side effect of dehydration at higher temperature, [31,32] leading to a short operational life.…”