High density integration of stretchable inorganic thin film transistors with excellent performance and reliability

Abstract

Transistors with inorganic semiconductors have superior performance and reliability compared to organic transistors. However, they are unfavorable for building stretchable electronic products due to their brittle nature. Because of this drawback, they have mostly been placed on non-stretchable parts to avoid mechanical strain, burdening the deformable interconnects, which link these rigid parts, with the strain of the entire system. Integration density must therefore be sacrificed when stretchability is the first priority because the portion of stretchable wirings should be raised. In this study, we show high density integration of oxide thin film transistors having excellent performance and reliability by directly embedding the devices into stretchable serpentine strings to defeat such trade-off. The embedded transistors do not hide from deformation and endure strain up to 100% by themselves; thus, integration density can be enhanced without sacrificing the stretchability. We expect that our approach can create more compact stretchable electronics with high-end functionality than before.

Reduced Graphene Oxide/Cellulose Sodium Aerogel-Supported Eutectic Phase Change Material Gel Demonstrating Superior Energy Conversion and Storage Capacity toward High-Performance Personal Thermal Management

“…The rGCA, as demonstrated in Figure a, has more profound absorption features in the solar spectra than the GCA. The total solar energy absorption reaches a high value of 95.7% according to the integral calculation ,− shown in eq . UV–vis–NIR spectra in Figures S5 and S6 illustrate that rGCG is more proficient in absorbing solar radiation, thus making it more suitable for solar utilization. A = ∫ A WL I WL nobreak0em0.1em⁡ normald λ ∫ I WL nobreak0em0.1em⁡ normald λ where A is the total solar energy absorbance, A WL is the solar absorption at a certain wavelength, I WL is the solar irradiation (W·m –2 ·nm –1 ), and λ is the wavelength (nm).…”

“…Personal thermal management (PTM) is a way to adjust the temperature of the body’s surface environment through changes in external media to maintain and ensure that the body is in a safe and comfortable state. − It is determined that the phase transition temperature should be situated between 18 and 36 °C − to ensure skin comfort and improve thermal comfort. Traditional thermal management methods , such as power-assisted garment , and wearable fabric-based materials are not only highly energy consuming but also have limited effectiveness in their heat dissipation efficiency, which may not be sufficient to satisfy the body’s needs.…”

Stretchable Oxide Thin-Film Transistors with a Mechanically and Electrically Reliable Wavy Structure for Skin Electronics

“…Active devices such as transistors, diodes, and sensors on stretchable substrates must not only have stable operation ability with excellent electrical performance but also have durability against consistent mechanical stress and long-term electrical bias. Amorphous oxide semiconductor (AOS) has attracted much attention due to its excellent field-effect mobility, low leakage current, and high electrical uniformity and reliability. − Recently, AOS-based stretchable devices have been studied in fields of wearable sensors, stretchable memory, stretchable thin-film transistor (TFT), and so on. − There have been studies on stretchable oxide TFTs, such as oxide nanofiber network-based TFTs and directly embedded oxide TFTs into stretchable serpentine strings, as other leading-edge work on stretchable oxide TFTs. , However, there are not many cases of intensive investigations into various failures occurring in extremely repetitive mechanical stress environments for such stretchable TFTs. Despite the fact that mechanical durability of AOS thin films might be weak due to their high Young’s modulus unlike that of organic semiconductors, − studies on the long-term reliability of mechanical stress in stretchable devices are still insufficient.…”

“…19−23 There have been studies on stretchable oxide TFTs, such as oxide nanofiber network-based TFTs and directly embedded oxide TFTs into stretchable serpentine strings, as other leading-edge work on stretchable oxide TFTs. 20,23 However, there are not many cases of intensive investigations into various failures occurring in extremely repetitive mechanical stress environments for such stretchable TFTs. Despite the fact that mechanical durability of AOS thin films might be weak due to their high Young's modulus unlike that of organic semiconductors, 24−26 studies on the long-term reliability of mechanical stress in stretchable devices are still insufficient.…”

All-Solution-Processed High-Performance MoS2 Thin-Film Transistors with a Quasi-2D Perovskite Oxide Dielectric

“…The assembly of inorganic nanomaterials for thin-film transistor (TFT) fabrication has been intensively investigated, as it can simultaneously meet the requirements of high-performance and low-temperature processing. − These nanomaterial-based TFTs offer additional functional advantages, including flexibility, transparency, and heterogeneous integration capability, enabling applications such as flexible displays, sensors, and wearable electronics. − Various inorganic nanomaterials have been explored for TFTs, including carbon nanotubes (CNTs), metal oxide nanoparticles (e.g., zinc oxide, indium oxide), , and semiconductor nanowires (e.g., silicon, gallium nitride). , Previous works have certainly demonstrated promising properties and functionalities such as high carrier mobility, low power consumption, and the capability of three-dimensional integration . However, challenges still remain in achieving high uniformity, stability, and scalability in the assembly of inorganic nanomaterials into thin-film devices.…”