Improved air stability of n-channel organic thin-film transistors with surface modification on gate dielectrics

The air stability of n-channel organic thin film transistors based on N, N' -dioctyl-3,4,9,10-perylene tetracarboxylic diimide is improved when modifying the dielectric surfaces with polymer insulators. The hydrophobic nature of the polymer surface inhibits protonation of the siloxyl groups on the SiO(2) surface, leading to fewer SiO(-) groups that can behave as electron traps. Among the polymer insulators tested, the devices modified with hydroxyl-free polymers exhibited the best air stabilities. (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics.