Mechanically flexible thin-film transistors that use ultrathin ribbons of silicon derived from bulk wafers

This letter introduces a type of thin-film transistor that uses aligned arrays of thin (submicron) ribbons of single-crystal silicon created by lithographic patterning and anisotropic etching of bulk silicon (111) wafers. Devices that incorporate such ribbons printed onto thin plastic substrates show good electrical properties and mechanical flexibility. Effective device mobilities, as evaluated in the linear regime, were as high as 360cm2V−1s−1, and on/off ratios were 103. These results may represent important steps toward a low-cost approach to large-area, high-performance, mechanically flexible electronic systems for structural health monitors, sensors, displays, and other applications.