Low-Voltage Organic Thin Film Transistors on Flexible Plastic Substrates with Anodized Ta2O5 Gate Insulators

ABSTRACTOrganic thin film transistors (OTFTs) that operate at low voltage were fabricated using a tantalum oxide (Ta2O5) gate insulator on plastic substrates. The Ta2O5 insulator was prepared by anodizing a Ta gate electrode. The high dielectric constant of the Ta2O5 enabled the OTFTs to operate at a lower voltage than those of previous devices. The OTFTs exhibited a high field-effect mobility of 0.35 - 0.51 cm2/Vs, and a current on/off ratio of 105-106 at gate voltages of less than 5 V. The threshold voltage of -1.1 V and the subthreshold slope of 0.2 V/decade were the best among those reported to date. We also demonstrated operation of a phosphorescent organic light-emitting device (OLED) with the OTFT operating at a low voltage.