Surface selective deposition of molecular semiconductors for solution-based integration of organic field-effect transistors

A bottom-up fabrication technique for the preparation of self-organized organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) on flexible plastic substrates is presented. Solution-based self-organization of OFETs is achieved by patterning the insulator surface with solution-wettable and unwettable regions. The proposed method satisfies several important requirements of printable electronics, including reduction in energy consumption, minimization of facilities, and the on-demand use of molecular materials. Self-organized OFETs display an average mobility of 0.53 cm2/(V s), on/off ratio of 109, and subthreshold slope of 0.18 V/dec, with near-zero and narrowly distributed threshold voltage. An inverter circuit prepared using these devices is demonstrated with high signal gain.