Printed, Low-Voltage, All-Organic Transistors and Complementary Circuits on Paper Substrate

Paper is drawing considerable attention as a possible alternative to plastic for the development of flexible electronics. Indeed, in order to reduce excessive plastic consumption and waste, paper is attractive thanks to its renewable nature, low cost, ubiquity, and flexibility. A simple, cost-effective, and low-temperature approach, based on inkjet-printing, is presented for the development of low-voltage, all-organic field-effect transistors on commercial paper. Both n- and p-type transistors are developed with reproducible electrical performances, such as low operating voltages (not exceeding 5 V) and quasi-zero threshold voltages. Moreover, the fabricated devices are characterized by a remarkable mechanical stability, as they can be deformed even at small bending radii without any significant degradation of their performances. Finally, as a proof-of-concept for this technology, complementary electronic circuits are fabricated and tested as basic building blocks for future development of complex flexible electronics on paper.