Silver nanowire-polymer composite electrode for high performance solution-processed thin-film transistors

Silver nanowires (AgNWs)/poly-(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene/polystyrene sulphonate) (PEDOT:PSS) composite films as conductive electrode for OTFTs were prepared, and their optical and electrical properties were investigated. The conductive composite films used in this study afforded low sheet resistance of <140 Ω/sq and transmittance as high as 70% in the visible region. For the composite film with 0.1 wt.% of AgNWs, contact resistance as low as 2.7 × 104 Ω cm was obtained, as examined by Transfer length model (TLM) analysis, and work function of the corresponding film was 5.0 eV. Furthermore, the composite films were employed as source and drain electrodes for top-gate/bottom-contact organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) based on solution-processed 5,11-bistriethylsilylethynyl anthradithiophene (TES-ADT) as organic semiconductor, and the resulting device showed high electrical performance with carrier mobility as high as 0.21 cm2/V s.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights► Conductive AgNWs/PEDOT:PSS composite films were prepared and characterized. ► The composite films exhibited good electrical and materials properties. ► Solution-processed OTFTs were fabricated using the composite films as conductors. ► The solution-processed TFT showed high electrical performance.