Robust Oxide Thin-Film Transistors With Embedded CNT Buried Layer for Stretchable Electronics

We report the impact of carbon nanotube (CNT) buried layer in the middle of 7 μm polyimide (PI) substrate on the electrical performance of amorphous-indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) by repetitive mechanical stretching. TFT arrays on 3 mm × 3 mm PI layers were attached on 40 μm polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate by double-sided PI tape. A negative threshold voltage shift (ΔV
_Th
(V)) of -3 V has been found under 70% mechanical stretching for the TFTs on the conventional PI substrate, whereas the TFTs with CNT layer inside PI substrate exhibited robust TFT performance. The fabricated oxide TFTs reported here with CNT inside PI substrate shows field effect mobility (μ
_FE
) ~ 14 cm
²
/V·s at pristine state, and changed <;5% after repetitive mechanical stretching and bending which might be attributed from the strain absorbing CNT layer inside PI substrate using TCAD simulation.