title: Precursor-route ZnO films from a mixed casting solvent for high performance aqueous electrolyte-gated transistors.
abstract: We significantly improved the performance of precursor-route semiconducting zinc oxide (ZnO) films in electrolyte-gated thin film transistors (TFTs). We find that the organic precursor to ZnO, zinc acetate (ZnAc), dissolves more readily in a 1 : 1 mixture of ethanol (EtOH) and acetone than in pure EtOH, pure acetone, or pure isopropanol. XPS and SEM characterisation show improved morphology of ZnO films converted from a mixed solvent cast ZnAc precursor compared to the EtOH cast precursor. When gated with a biocompatible electrolyte, phosphate buffered saline (PBS), ZnO thin film transistors (TFTs) derived from mixed solvent cast ZnAc give 4 times larger field effect current than similar films derived from ZnAc cast from pure EtOH. The sheet resistance at VG = VD = 1 V is 30 kΩ □(-1), lower than for any organic TFT, and lower than for any electrolyte-gated ZnO TFT reported to date.
authors.affiliation: Physics & Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Hicks Building, Hounsfield Rd, Sheffield S3 7RH, UK. tmalthagafi1@sheffield.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Talal M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Althagafi
authors.affiliation: Physics & Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Hicks Building, Hounsfield Rd, Sheffield S3 7RH, UK. tmalthagafi1@sheffield.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Saud A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Algarni
authors.affiliation: Physics Department, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Abdullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al Naim
authors.affiliation: Physics Department, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Javed
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mazher
authors.affiliation: Physics & Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Hicks Building, Hounsfield Rd, Sheffield S3 7RH, UK. tmalthagafi1@sheffield.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grell