Field-effect transistors made from solution-processed organic semiconductors

The thiophene oligomer alpha-hexathienylene (alpha-6T) has been successfully used as the active semiconducting material in thin-film transistors. Field-induced conductivity in thin-film transistors with alpha-6T active layers occurs only near the interfacial plane, whereas the residual conductivity caused by unintentional doping scales with the thickness of the layer. The two-dimensional nature of the field-induced conductivity is due not to any anisotropy in transport with respect to any molecular axis but to interface effects. Optimized methods of device fabrication have resulted in high field-effect mobilities and on/off current ratios of > 10(6). The current densities and switching speeds are good enough to allow consideration of these devices in practical large-area electronic circuits.