Alkali-Doped Nanopaper Membranes Applied as a Gate Dielectric in FETs and Logic Gates with an Enhanced Dynamic Response

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2023 Feb 15;15(6):8319-8326. doi: 10.1021/acsami.2c20486. Epub 2023 Feb 3.

Abstract

The market for flexible, hybrid, and printed electronic systems, which can appear in everything from sensors and wearables to displays and lighting, is still uncertain. What is clear is that these systems are appearing every day, enabling devices and systems that can, in the near future, be crumpled up and tucked in our pockets. Within this context, cellulose-based modified nanopapers were developed to serve both as a physical support and a gate dielectric layer in field-effect transistors (FETs) that are fully recyclable. It was found that the impregnation of those nanopapers with sodium (Na+) ions allows for low operating voltage FETs (<3 V), with mobility above 10 cm2 V-1 s-1, current modulation surpassing 105, and an improved dynamic response. Thus, it was possible to implement those transistors into simple circuits such as inverters, reaching a clear discrimination between logic states. Besides the overall improvement in electrical performance, these devices have shown to be an interesting alternative for reliable, sustainable, and flexible electronics, maintaining proper operation even under stress conditions.

Keywords: cellulose-based FETs; cellulose-based logic gates; ionic doping; nanocellulose; paper electronics.