Flexible electronics based on oxide semiconductors

Abstract

Flexible electronic devices open the way to novel applications like rollable displays and smart textiles. Due to their high carrier mobility and low deposition temperature, oxide semiconductors, especially In-Ga-Zn-O (IGZO), are promising materials for thin-film transistors (TFTs) fabricated on flexible, free-standing, but temperature-sensitive substrates. The performance of flexible IGZO TFTs can be improved by adopting double-gate, self-aligned, or vertical-type device architectures. For example, self-alignment enables the realization of TFTs with 500 nm channel length and 135 MHz transit frequency, whereas vertical integration allows reducing the TFT footprint. At the same time, the bendability of IGZO TFTs can be improved by reducing the strain induced in the devices. This leads to TFTs which are functional while bent around a human hair.