The Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), has
developed the first plastic semiconductor transistor array entirely patterned using jet
printing. The technology has the potential to open up new markets for wall-sized TV's,
unbreakable cell phone displays, rollable displays, and
electronic paper.
Polymeric, or plastic, semiconductors provide an exciting opportunity to solve the problem.
Polymers can be dissolved in a liquid, thus creating a semiconducting ink. This ink can be
printed using the same technology that is used in jet-printers that print documents.
Printing has a low cost compared to photolithography for manufacturing of electronics
because both material deposition and patterning are done simultaneously. Enormous
progress has been made in recent years to develop plastic semiconductors that have
electronic properties suitable to drive a display. Last year, our collaborators at
Xerox Research Center of Canada announced a new polymer in the
polythiophene family,
that has the best electrical properties of any reported plastic semiconductor and is
ready for a printing technique to make devices.
PARC researcher holds polymer ink developed by collaborators at Xerox Research
Center of Canada
Scientists at PARC have now succeeded in jet-printing this material and other polymer
semiconductors to make transistors. Moreover, the jet-printed transistors made this way
match the performance of the same material deposited by conventional spin-coating (which
gives an unpatterned film) showing that the jet-printing process does not adversely affect
the performance of the device. The transistors have exceptional performance for polymers,
and meet all the requirements for addressing displays. Along with a high mobility, they
have very low leakage and good stability.
While much more development is needed to make the jet-printed organic semiconductor
display process ready for manufacture, this breakthrough demonstration at PARC represents
proof that it can be done successfully.
PARC scientists have successfully integrated the jet-printed polymer into a prototype
display circuit, in which printing techniques define all the patterns.
"PARC contributed greatly to the amorphous silicon transistor that is at the heart of all
active-matrix liquid crystal displays. With this breakthrough, PARC is well positioned to
revolutionize display technology yet again," explains Mark Bernstein, president and center
director of PARC.
The Palo Alto Research Center is a subsidiary of Xerox Corporation and an integral part
of Xerox's strategy for long-term research investment. Founded in 1970 as a division of
Xerox Research, PARC was incorporated in 2002. For additional information on this
technology, please contact the
xigwebmaster
or info@parc.com.
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Jet-printed Plastic Transistors: A solution for the display industry