Stretchable Polymer Dielectrics for Low-Voltage-Driven Field-Effect Transistors

A stretchable and mechanical robust field-effect transistor is essential for soft wearable electronics. To realize stretchable transistors, elastic dielectrics with small current hysteresis, high elasticity, and high dielectric constants are the critical factor for low-voltage-driven devices. Here, we demonstrate the polar elastomer consisting of poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP):poly(4-vinylphenol) (PVP). Owing to the high dielectric constant of PVDF-HFP, the device can be operated under less than 5 V and shows a linear-regime hole mobility as high as 0.199 cm2 V–1 s–1 without significant current hysteresis. Specifically, the PVDF-HFP:PVP blends induce the vertical phase separation and significantly reduce current leakage and reduce the crystallization of PVDF segments, which can contribute current hysteresis in the OFET characteristics. All-stretchable OFETs based on these PVDF-HFP:PVP dielectrics were fabricated. The device can still keep the hole mobility of approximately 0.1 cm2/(V s) under a low operation voltage of 3 V even as stretched with 80% strain. Finally, we successfully fabricate a low-voltage-driven stretchable transistor. The low voltage operating under strains is the desirable characteristics for soft and comfortable wearable electronics.