Recent progress of semiconductors in organic thin-film transistors

Abstract

Organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) show an optimistic foreground for the application in active display, sensors and logic circuits because of their simple fabrication process, low cost and good flexibility etc. Practical transistors require high mobility, large on/off ratio, low threshold voltage and high stability. The organic semiconductor is the main component of OTFTs and plays a key role on these performance parameters. Here the structure and operation modes of OTFTs are introduced, and then the current progress of semiconductors used in OTFTs by classing the semiconductors as p-channel, n-channel and bipole based on the type of the charge carriers transported in semiconductor layer is summarized in detail. Finally, the prospects and challenge for organic semiconductors are also discussed. © 2012 Chinese Chemical Society & SIOC, CAS.