Flexible Oxide Thin Film Transistors, Memristors, and Their Integration

Abstract

Flexible electronics have seen extensive research over the past years due to their potential stretchability and adaptability to non‐flat surfaces. They are key to realizing low‐power sensors and circuits for wearable electronics and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Semiconducting metal‐oxides are a prime candidate for implementing flexible electronics as their conformal deposition methods lend themselves to the idiosyncrasies of non‐rigid substrates. They are also a major component for the development of resistive memories (memristors) and as such their monolithic integration with thin film electronics has the potential to lead to novel all‐metal‐oxide devices combining memory and computing on a single node. This review focuses on exploring the recent advances across all these fronts starting from types of suitable substrates and their mechanical properties, different types of fabrication methods for thin film transistors and memristors applicable to flexible substrates (vacuum‐ or solution‐based), applications and comparison with rigid substrates while additionally delving into matters associated with their monolithic integration.

Photonic curing for innovative fabrication of flexible metal oxide optoelectronics

“…Flexible optoelectronics, broadly speaking, include optoelectronic devices that are built on flexible and non-planar substrates. They have a wide range of applications such as wearables, health/wellness monitors, and displays [1]. Although their performance is not as good as complementary metal oxide semiconductors (CMOS) used in computing and memories, they can be manufactured inexpensively by using solution printing methods and roll-to-roll fabrication to increase throughput.…”

Low-Power Phototransistor with Enhanced Visible-Light Photoresponse and Electrical Performances Using an IGZO/IZO Heterostructure

“…For obtaining high-performance phototransistors, metal oxide semiconductors, such as zinc oxide (ZnO) and indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO) have been used as the channel materials, owing to their excellent characteristics including high field effect mobility (µ sat ), low off-current, and high current on/off ratio (I on /I off ) [8][9][10]. However, due to their wide band gap characteristics, the detection range of these materials is primarily restricted to the ultraviolet (UV) region, owing to the insufficient photon energy of visible light wavelengths to excite the valence electrons of these oxide semiconductors into the conduction band [10,11].…”

Synthesis and Characterization of a Semiconductor Diodic Bilayer PbS/CdS Made by the Chemical Bath Deposition Technique

“…Semiconductors are also used as potentiometers in the automotive sector, as a portable semiconductor refrigeration device, as well as in thin-film transistors (TFTs), which are of high interest for further investigation and application due to their ease of fabrication . Flexible oxide TFTs are used as memristive devices, p-type tellurium (Te) TFTs, indium oxide (In 2 O 3 )-based TFTs, and TFTs based in metal oxide semiconductors in emerging applications such as flexible–stretchable devices; biosensors; zinc tin oxide, indium gallium zinc oxide, indium tin zin oxide, nitrogen-doped indium tin oxide, and indium tin oxide (ITO) TFTs as promising biosensing devices; and so on as next-generation TFTs, among others. − Solar energy is a freely available renewable energy source. Moreover, it is eco-friendly and can provide energy at a low cost.…”