Flexible organic field-effect transistors fabricated by the electrode-peeling transfer with an assist of self-assembled monolayer

We propose a way to fabricate a flexible organic field-effect transistor: an electrode-peeling transfer method. In this method, source–drain metal electrodes were formed finely on rigid temporary substrate, where a micropatterning process such as photolithography is applicable. The electrodes were treated with an alkane thiol to form a self-assembled monolayer followed by complete covering of the temporary substrate via chemical vapor deposition of an organic dielectric layer. After the gate electrode was deposited on the top, the multilayer of the source–drain electrodes/dielectric layer/gate electrode was peeled off from the temporary substrate by an adhesive Scotch tape substrate without deletion. The peeling-transfer was completed with an assist of a self-assembled monolayer as a connecting buffer layer between the electrodes and the dielectric layer. Any organic semiconductor materials can be deposited on freshly peeled-off surface of the flexible substrate. In the present case, pentacene was used as the semiconductor material. It showed a hole mobility exceeding 0.1 cm²/V s even after the substrate was rolled. © 2003 American Institute of Physics.