A Multifunctional Polymer-Graphene Thin-Film Transistor with Tunable Transport Regimes

Abstract

Here we describe a strategy to fabricate multifunctional graphene-polymer hybrid thin-film transistors (PG-TFT) whose transport properties are tunable by varying the deposition conditions of liquid-phase exfoliated graphene (LPE-G) dispersions onto a dielectric surface and via thermal annealing post-treatments. In particular, the ionization energy (IE) of the LPE-G drop-cast on SiO2 can be finely adjusted prior to polymer deposition via thermal annealing in air environment, exhibiting values gradually changing from 4.8 eV up to 5.7 eV. Such a tunable graphene's IE determines dramatically different electronic interactions between the LPE-G and the semiconducting polymer (p- or n-type) sitting on its top, leading to devices where the output current of the PG-TFT can be operated from being completely turned off up to modulable. In fact upon increasing the surface coverage of graphene nanoflakes on the SiO2 the charge transport properties within the top polymer layer are modified from being semiconducting up to truly conductive (graphite-like). Significantly, when the IE of LPE-G is outside the polymer band gap, the PG-TFT can operate as a multifunctional three terminal switch (transistor) and/or memory device featuring high number of erase-write cycles. Our PG-TFT, based on a fine energy level engineering, represents a memory device operating without the need of a dielectric layer separating a floating gate from the active channel.

Supramolecular Approaches to Graphene: From Self‐Assembly to Molecule‐Assisted Liquid‐Phase Exfoliation

“…[264] In 2015 we demonstrated [265] an alternative strategy to fabricate multifunctional graphene-polymer hybrid thin-film transistors (PG-TFT) whose transport properties are tunable by varying the deposition conditions of graphene dispersions prepared by the means of UILPE of graphite in NMP. It is a multistep procedure characterized by the deposition of a graphene ink on SiO 2 followed by a thermal annealing process in order to fully evaporate the NMP solvent, and the successive deposition of the polymeric semiconductor via spin-coating.…”

Recent Advances in Graphene-Based Free-Standing Films for Thermal Management: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications

“…When combined with functional GO (FGO), the GFs exhibited a better TIMs performance due to the reduced thermal resistance between the GFs and the microelectronic chips by the FGO. Besides thermal management applications, GFs and related films can also be applied in various other applications, such as electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, gas barriers, and energy storage and sensors [35,36,88,[93][94][95][96][97][98][99][100], owing to their superior electrochemical and mechanical properties. …”

Physical Design and Dynamical Analysis of Resonant–Antiresonant Ag/MgO/GaSe/Al Optoelectronic Microwave Devices

“…The design of multifunctional optoelectronic devices has been in the focus of technology producers for years; [1][2][3][4] For example, polymer-graphene thin-film transistors (PG-TFTs) are reported to behave as multifunctional three-terminal switches (transistors) and/or memory devices featuring high number of erase-write cycles. 1 Such designs require a combination of hybrid device layers to give rise to their novel functionalities.…”

“…1 Such designs require a combination of hybrid device layers to give rise to their novel functionalities. Metal-filled and decorated carbon nanotubes are classified among the structures that support fabrication of a class of hybrid carbon-based nanostructured devices which can be used in several fields, ranging from Ó 2015 The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society nanoelectronics and spintronics to nanomedicine and magnetic data recording.…”