PRINTED ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20120273788A1
• Filed: 07/29/2010
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cambridge Enterprise Limited (University of Cambridge)
• Original Assignee: Cambridge Enterprise Limited (University of Cambridge)
• Inventors: Sirringhaus, Henning, Carioni, Mario, Gili, Enrico
• Granted Patent: US 9,343,680 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/59
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 10/82 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 19/10 comprising field-effect transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/611 using printing deposition, e.g. ink jet printing

Abstract

This invention generally relates to a patterned substrate for an electronic device and to electronic devices, device arrays, field effect transistors and transistor arrays comprising the patterned substrate. The invention also relates to a logic circuit, display, memory or sensor device comprising the patterned substrate. Further the invention relates to a method of patterning a substrate for an electronic device. In an embodiment, a patterned substrate for an electronic device comprises: a first body having an edge; a second body comprising an elongate plurality of printed droplets having an edge adjacent to and substantially aligned to said first body edge; and a separation between said first body edge and said second body edge, wherein said elongate plurality of printed droplets is at an angle of about 5 degrees to about 90 degrees to said first body edge.

Claims

1. A patterned substrate for an electronic device, comprising:

a first body having an edge;

a second body comprising an elongate plurality of printed droplets having an edge adjacent to and substantially aligned to said first body edge; and

a separation between said first body edge and said second body edge,

wherein

said elongate plurality of printed droplets is at an angle of about 5 degrees to about 90 degrees to said first body edge.

2. The patterned substrate of claim 1, wherein said elongate plurality of printed droplets is substantially perpendicular to said first body edge.

3. The patterned substrate of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first body and said second body comprises an electrode.

4. The patterned substrate of claim 1, wherein said separation contains at least semiconductor.

5. The patterned substrate of claim 1, wherein said separation contains at least dielectric.

6. The patterned substrate of claim 1, wherein a width of said second body edge is less than about 200 μ

m.

7. The patterned substrate of any preceding claim 1, wherein a width of said elongate plurality of printed droplets is equal to or less than about 250 μ

m, and preferably equal to or less than about 80 μ

m.

8. The patterned substrate of claim 1, wherein a width of said elongate plurality of printed droplets is substantially equal to the diameter of a printed single said droplet.

9. The patterned substrate of claim 1, wherein said separation has a length equal to or less than about 2 μ

m.

10. The patterned substrate of claim 1, wherein a ratio of a width of said elongate plurality of printed droplets to a length of said separation is greater than or equal to about 100.

11. The patterned substrate of claim 1, wherein said second body comprises an edge portion adjoining said second body edge, said edge portion having a curvature B and said second body edge having length S, wherein B is less than about 2/S.

12. The patterned substrate of claim 1, wherein said second body comprises an edge portion having curvature B adjoining said second body edge and a tangent to said edge portion makes an angle of about a with second body edge, wherein said angle α

and curvature B satisfy;

13. The patterned substrate of claim 1, wherein said first body and said elongate plurality of printed droplets are arranged in a T-shape or an L-shape, preferably a T-shape.

14. An electronic device comprising a patterned substrate of claim 1.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein said electronic device is a field effect transistor.

16. A device array comprising a plurality of electronic devices according to claim 14.

17. A field effect transistor comprising a source electrode, a drain electrode, a gate electrode, a semiconductor region electrically between the source electrode and the drain electrode and a dielectric region electrically between the semiconductor region and the gate electrode, wherein:

a first said electrode has an edge; and

another of said electrodes comprises an elongate plurality of printed droplets having an edge adjacent to and substantially aligned to said first electrode,

wherein

said elongate plurality of droplets is at an angle of about 5 degrees to about 90 degrees to said edge of said first electrode.

18. The field effect transistor of claim 17, wherein said elongate plurality of droplets is substantially perpendicular to said edge of said first electrode.

19. The field effect transistor of claim 17, wherein a width of said elongate plurality of printed droplets is substantially equal to the diameter of a printed single said droplet.

20. A transistor array comprising a plurality of field effect transistors of claim 17.

21. A method of patterning a substrate for an electronic device, comprising:

depositing an elongate plurality of droplets of a liquid adjacent to an edge of a first body on a substrate to form at least a portion of a second body,

wherein

the first body, the liquid and the substrate are such that the liquid is repelled from the first body to form an edge of said second body substantially aligned to said first body edge; and

said elongate plurality of droplets is at an angle of about 5 degrees to about 90 degrees to said first body edge.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said elongate plurality of droplets is substantially perpendicular to said first body edge.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein said depositing deposits said elongate plurality of droplets partially on said first body.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein said depositing deposits said elongate plurality of droplets on a region of said substrate not in contact with said first body.

25. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein deposition of said elongate plurality of droplets comprises depositing said droplets such that a width of said elongate plurality of droplets is substantially equal to a diameter of a printed single said droplet.

26. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein said liquid comprises a solvent, the method further comprising said solvent evaporating from said deposited elongate plurality of droplets.

27. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the boiling point of said solvent is selected such that evaporation takes place at about 25°

C. during a period of at least about 1 minute.

28. The method as claimed in claim 21, further comprising depositing a plurality of droplets of a liquid to form said first body.

29. The method as claimed in claim 21, further comprising depositing on said first body a layer for repulsion of said liquid of said elongate plurality of droplets, prior to said depositing said elongate plurality of droplets.

30. The method as claimed in claim 29, wherein said layer is a self-assembled monolayer.

31. An electronic device formed by a method as claimed in claim 21.

32. A device array comprising a plurality of electronic devices of claim 31.

33. A field effect transistor comprising a source electrode, a drain electrode, a gate electrode, a semiconductor region electrically between the source electrode and the drain electrode and a dielectric region electrically between the semiconductor region and the gate electrode, wherein said source electrode and said drain electrode are formed by a method as claimed in claim 21.

34. A transistor array comprising a plurality of field effect transistors of claim 33.

35. (canceled)