Origin of bias-stress induced instability in organic thin-film transistors with semiconducting small-molecule/insulating polymer blend channel

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2013 Mar 13;5(5):1625-9. doi: 10.1021/am3022703. Epub 2013 Mar 4.

Abstract

The stabilities of a blending type organic thin-film transistor with phase-separated TIPS-pentacene channel layer were characterized under the conditions of negative-bias-stress (NBS) and positive-bias-stress (PBS). During NBS, threshold voltage (Vth) shifts noticeably. NBS-imposed devices revealed interfacial trap density-of-states (DOS) at 1.56 and 1.66 eV, whereas initial device showed the DOS at only 1.56 eV, as measured by photoexcited charge-collection spectroscopy (PECCS) method. Possible origin of this newly created defect is related to ester group in PMMA, which induces some hole traps at the TIPS-pentacene/i-PMMA interface. PBS-imposed device showed little Vth shift but visible off-current increase as "back-channel" effect, which is attributed to the water molecules trapped on the TFT surface.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't