Flexible Thin-Film Electronics

We fabricate electronic thin-film devices on free-standing plastic substrates. All active electronic devices are based on inorganic materials and oxide semiconductors like amorphous Indium-Gallium-Zinc-Oxide. Since the most important electronic device is the transistor, we realize thin-film transistors (TFTs) on a variety of substrates and with a variety of geometries to customize their properties towards specific applications such as low-power-, high-frequency-, or imperceptible-electronics.

The main focus lies on the fabrication of high-performance devices on free-standing flexible substrates and the optimization of the electrical performance together with their mechanical bendability. Subsequently our TFTs can act as building blocks for more complex systems.

Device structure

DC performance

AC performance

Bending

Selected relevant publications:

→ N. S. Khaanghah, D. Corsino, F. Catania, J. Costa, G. Cantarella, and N. Münzenrieder, “Influence of semiconductor island geometry on the ac performance of flexible InGaZnO TFTs,” IEEE Electron Device Letters, vol. 44, iss. 5, pp. 773-776, 2023.
→ D. Corsino, F. Catania, K. Ishida, T. Meister, F. Ellinger, G. Cantarella, and N. Münzenrieder, “Monolithic integration, performance, and comparison of self-aligned and conventional IGZO thin-film transistors on a flexible substrate,” IEEE Journal on Flexible Electronics, vol. 1, iss. 3, pp. 159-166, 2022.
→ F. Catania, M. Ahmad, D. Corsino, N. Saeedzadeh Khaanghah, L. Petti, N. Münzenrieder, and G. Cantarella, “Ac performance of flexible transparent InGaZnO thin-film transistors and circuits,” IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, vol. 69, iss. 9, pp. 4930-4935, 2022.
→ J. C. Costa, A. P. Y. P. Kermani, G. Cantarella, L. Petti, C. Vogt, A. Daus, S. Knobelspies, G. Tröster, and N. S. Münzenrieder, “Long-term aging of Al2O3 passivated and unpassivated flexible a-IGZO TFTs,” IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, vol. 67, iss. 11, pp. 4934-4939, 2020.
→ N. Münzenrieder, G. Cantarella, C. Vogt, L. Petti, L. Büthe, G. A. Salvatore, Y. Fang, R. Andri, Y. Lam, R. Libanori, D. Widner, A. R. Studart, and G. Tröster, “Stretchable and conformable oxide thin-film electronics,” Advanced Electronic Materials, vol. 1, iss. 3, p. 1400038, 2015.
→ N. Münzenrieder, G. A. Salvatore, L. Petti, C. Zysset, L. Büthe, C. Vogt, G. Cantarella, and G. Tröster, “Contact resistance and overlapping capacitance in flexible sub-micron long oxide thin-film transistors for above 100 MHz operation,” Applied Physics Letters, vol. 105, iss. 26, p. 263504, 2014.
→ N. Münzenrieder, P. Voser, L. Petti, C. Zysset, L. Büthe, C. Vogt, G. A. Salvatore, and G. Tröster, “Flexible self-aligned double-gate IGZO TFT,” IEEE Electron Device Letters, vol. 35, iss. 1, p. 69–71, 2014.
→ N. Münzenrieder, L. Petti, C. Zysset, T. Kinkeldei, G. A. Salvatore, and G. Troster, “Flexible self-aligned amorphous InGaZnO thin-film transistors with submicrometer channel length and a transit frequency of 135 MHz,” IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, vol. 60, iss. 9, p. 2815–2820, 2013.
→ N. Münzenrieder, C. Zysset, L. Petti, T. Kinkeldei, G. A. Salvatore, and G. Tröster, “Flexible double gate a-IGZO TFT fabricated on free standing polyimide foil,” Solid-State Electronics, vol. 84, pp. 198-204, 2013.
→ N. Münzenrieder, K. H. Cherenack, and G. Tröster, “The effects of mechanical bending and illumination on the performance of flexible IGZO TFTs,” IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, vol. 58, iss. 7, p. 2041–2048, 2011.