Research on Vertical Organic Light-Emitting Transistors and Next-Generation Displays(1/3)

This project, Research on Vertical Organic Light-emitting Transistors and Next-generation Displays, is to develop a comprehensive study and application of vertical organic transistors, to overcome the structural restrictions and difficult processes as applying the conventional lateral organic transistors for AMOLED display driving circuits. Compared to lateral transistors, vertical transistors possess several important advantages, including: (1) Channel length controlled with the organic layer thickness can be reduced down to sub-microns, and with a high-capacitance dielectric layer and the designed source, high current densities can be achieved under a low driving voltage; (2) Device structure is more compatible with OLED, and can be directly integrated together into a single vertical organic light-emitting transistor (VOLET) without a need of complex lithography techniques. Thus, the fabrication of VOLETs is much more simplified, not only easy to scale down the device area and enhance the aperture ratio, but also flexible to design the different components and select materials. It is able to independently optimize the electrical properties of the lower transistor and the luminous intensity, efficiency, and color of the upper OLED. VOLET therefore offers great potential in the future display applications.Based on the research of Schottcky-based vertical organic transistors, this project will develop the low-driving-voltage, see-through, rollable VOLETs and high-resolution display applications, for which a systematic research of ultrathin dielectrics prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD), nanopatterned source prepared by colloidal lithography, development of organic semiconductors and transparent metal electrodes, device design and simulation, optoelectronic characterization and analysis, device miniaturization, and the fabrication, packaging, and testing of display arrays, will be conducted. The relavant theories and experimental techniques established in the research will have significant benefits for the development of new-generation organic optoelectronic devices and flexible displays.