Channel-dimension controllable fibriform organic field-effect transistors by hydrogel-supported transferring of printed CNT microelectrodes.

Abstract

With the extensive research of electronic textiles for wearable devices, fibriform organic field-effect transistor is a one of the key components for organizing the electronic circuit into the fabric by weaving the fiber. However, fiber type field-effect transistors have disadvantage of channel dimension since the resolution of printing or deposition techniques on microfibers is primarily restricted by the dimension of the microfibers. Here, we report a new strategy to improve the performance of fibriform OFET where the channel dimension can be readily controllable. Key technology of this work is that single-walled carbon nanotube source and drain (S/D) electrodes with desirable geometry are printed at hydrogel substrate first, then directly transferred to the semiconductor-insulator layer coated Au microfiber. Fine geometry of CNT electrodes was successfully transferred to the microfiber by special rolling process and resulting transistors with wrapped CNT S/D electrodes exhibited a high on/off ratio of ~ 105 and good field effect mobility of 0.73 cm2 V− 1 s− 1. It was confirmed that the fibriform transistors demonstrated on the flexible polyurethane thread also exhibited good electrical performance which was maintained even after bending deformation at different bending radius.