Metal-oxide thin-film transistors patterned by printing

We demonstrate thin-film transistors with the fabrication advantages associated with printed electronics and the device performance associated with inorganic materials that are typically patterned via photolithography. In this process a polymeric material is printed to selectively inhibit the deposition of the electrically active material, which is globally applied via spatial atomic layer deposition. We identify water-soluble inhibitors that make attractive choices for printable ink formulations and explore the interactions of two examples of polymeric inhibitors with the process space. Using this knowledge we demonstrate zinc oxide thin film transistors, patterned entirely by inkjet-printed polyvinyl pyrrolidone.