A sub-150-nanometre-thick and ultraconformable solution-processed all-organic transistor

Abstract

Reducing the thickness of flexible electronics is crucial to achieve better conformability and mechanical flexibility. Here, the authors demonstrate all-solution processed OFET with total thickness < 150 nm, with high transparency, which allows the device to conformally adhere onto non-planar surfaces, such as human skin. Recent advancements in the field of electronics have paved the way to the development of new applications, such as tattoo electronics, where the employment of ultraconformable devices is required, typically achievable with a significant reduction in their total thickness. Organic materials can be considered enablers, owing to the possibility of depositing films with thicknesses at the nanometric scale, even from solution. However, available processes do not allow obtaining devices with thicknesses below hundreds of nanometres, thus setting a limit. Here, we show an all-organic field effect transistor that is less than 150 nm thick and that is fabricated through a fully solution-based approach. Such unprecedented thickness permits the device to conformally adhere onto nonplanar surfaces, such as human skin, and to be bent to a radius lower than 1 mu m, thereby overcoming another limitation for field-effect transistors and representing a fundamental advancement in the field of ultrathin and tattoo electronics.