Transparent Nano Thin-Film Transistors for Medical Sensors, OLED and Display Applications

• Main Authors: Hu Y, Guo LQ, Huo C, Dai M, Webster TJ, Ding J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dove Medical Press 2020-05-01
• Series: International Journal of Nanomedicine
• Subjects: flexible; transparent; temperature sensor; transistors; electronic-skin
• Online Access: https://www.dovepress.com/transparent-nano-thin-film-transistors-for-medical-sensors-oled-and-di-peer-reviewed-article-IJN

Yongbin Hu,1,* Li-Qiang Guo,1,* Changhe Huo,2 Mingzhi Dai,2,3 Thomas J Webster,4 Jianning Ding1 1Institute of Intelligent Flexible Mechatronics, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, People’s Republic of China; 2Ningbo Institute of Materials and Technology Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhejiang 315201, People’s Republic of China; 3Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02806, USA*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Mingzhi Dai Email [e-mail] J Webster Email [e-mail]: Transparent thin-film transistors (TFTs) have received a great deal of attention for medical sensors, OLED and medical display applications. Moreover, ultrathin nanomaterial layers are favored due to their more compact design architectures.Methods: Here, transparent TFTs are proposed and were investigated under different stress conditions such as temperature and biases.Results: Key electrical characteristics of the sensors, such as threshold voltage changes, illustrate their linear dependence on temperature with a suitable recovery, suggesting the potential of the devices to serve as medical temperature sensors. The temperature conditions changed in the range of 28°C to 40°C, which is within the standard human temperature testing range. The thickness of the indium-gallium-zinc oxide semiconductor layer was as thin as only 5– 6 nm, deposited by mature radio-frequency sputtering which also showed good repeatability. Optimal bending durability caused by mechanical deformation was demonstrated via suitable electrical properties after up to 600 bending cycles, and by testing the flexible device at a different bending radii ranging from 48 mm to 18 mm.Conclusion: In summary, this study suggests that the present transparent nano TFTs are promising candidates for medical sensors, OLED and displays which require transparency and stability.Keywords: flexible, transparent, temperature sensor, transistors, electronic skin