Flexible Organic/Inorganic Hybrid Field-Effect Transistors with High Performance and Operational Stability.

The production of high-quality semiconducting nanostructures with optimized electrical, optical, and electromechanical properties is important for the advancement of next-generation technologies. In this context, we herein report on highly obliquely aligned single-crystalline zinc oxide nanosheets (ZnO NSs) grown via the vapor-liquid-solid approach using r-plane (01-12) sapphire as the template surface. The high structural and optical quality of as-grown ZnO NSs has been confirmed using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and temperature-dependent photoluminescence, respectively. To assess the potential of our NSs as effective building materials in high-performance flexible electronics, we fabricate organic (parylene C)/inorganic (ZnO NS) hybrid field-effect transistor (FET) devices on flexible substrates using room-temperature assembly processes. Extraction of key FET performance parameters suggests that as-grown ZnO NSs can successfully function as excellent n-type semiconducting modules. Such devices are found to consistently show very high on-state currents (Ion) > 40 µA, high field-effect mobility (µeff) > 200 cm2/(V s), exceptionally high on/off current modulation ratio (Ion/off) of around 109, steep subthreshold swing (s-s) < 200 mV/decade, very low hysteresis, and negligible threshold voltage shifts with prolonged electrical stressing (up to 340 min). The present study delivers a concept of integrating high-quality ZnO NS as active semiconducting elements in flexible electronic circuits.

Fabrication of high performance field-effect transistors and practical Schottky contacts using hydrothermal ZnO nanowires.

The production of large quantities of single crystalline semiconducting ZnO nanowires (NWs) at low cost can offer practical solutions to realizing several novel electronic/optoelectronic and sensor applications on an industrial scale. The present work demonstrates high-density single crystalline NWs synthesized by a multiple cycle hydrothermal process at ∼100 °C. The high carrier concentration in such ZnO NWs is greatly suppressed by a simple low cost thermal annealing step in ambient air at ∼450 °C. Single ZnO NW FETs incorporating these modified NWs are characterized, revealing strong metal work function-dependent charge transport, unobtainable with as-grown hydrothermal ZnO NWs. Single ZnO NW FETs with Al as source and drain (s/d) contacts show excellent performance metrics, including low off-state currents (fA range), high on/off ratio (10(5)-10(7)), steep subthreshold slope (<600 mV/dec) and excellent field-effect carrier mobility (5-11 cm(2)/V-s). Modified ZnO NWs with platinum s/d contacts demonstrate excellent Schottky transport characteristics, markedly different from a reference ZnO NW device with Al contacts. This included abrupt reverse bias current-voltage saturation characteristics and positive temperature coefficient (∼0.18 eV to 0.13 eV). This work is envisaged to benefit many areas of hydrothermal ZnO NW research, such as NW FETs, piezoelectric energy recovery, piezotronics and Schottky diodes.

Room temperature electrical manipulation of giant magnetoresistance in spin valves exchange-biased with BiFeO3.

Magnetoelectric multiferroics are attractive materials for the development of low-power electrically controlled spintronic devices. Here we report the optimization of the exchange bias as well as the giant magnetoresistance effect (GMR) of spin valves deposited on top of BiFeO(3)-based heterostructures. We show that the exchange bias can be electrically controlled through a change in the relative proportion of 109° domain walls and propose solutions toward a reversible process.