Organic transistor is ‘world’s fastest’
1 min read
In a development which could pave the way towards low cost transparent electronics, researchers in the US have created what they claim to be the world's fastest organic transistor.
The breakthrough, made by a team from Stanford University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), was enabled via a technique called 'off-centre spin coating'.
The traditional method for making organic transistors involves dropping a special solution containing carbon rich molecules and a complementary plastic onto a spinning platter. The spinning action then deposits a thin coating of the materials over the platter.
In the new method, the platter is spun at a faster rate and only a tiny portion of the spinning surface, equivalent to the size of a postage stamp, is applied.
Both of these changes have the effect of depositing a denser concentration of the organic molecules into a more regular alignment, resulting in a greater improvement in carrier mobility.
While the process remains experimental, the engineers believe further improvements could lead to the development of inexpensive, high performance electronics built on transparent substrates such as glass and, eventually, clear and flexible plastics.
Already, they have shown that they can create high performance organic electronics that are 90% transparent to the naked eye.
