Three-dimensional monolithic integration in flexible printed organic transistors

TLDR

Direct printing of thin‑film transistors promises ubiquitous, lightweight wearable electronics, yet advances in printed integrated circuits remain rare. The study aims to develop a 3D integration approach that scales printed transistor density and performance, and to propose a programmable 3D logic array for flexible digital circuitry. The authors achieve scalable 3D monolithic integration of dual‑gate organic transistors on plastic foil with high yield, uniformity, and year‑long stability, and show that stacking complementary transistors enables a programmable 3D logic array, a strategy extendable to other printable materials. The proof‑of‑principle demonstrates scalable 3D integration of dual‑gate organic transistors on plastic foil with high yield, uniformity, and year‑long stability, and validates a programmable 3D logic array for flexible digital circuitry.

Abstract

Direct printing of thin-film transistors has enormous potential for ubiquitous and lightweight wearable electronic applications. However, advances in printed integrated circuits remain very rare. Here we present a three-dimensional (3D) integration approach to achieve technology scaling in printed transistor density, analogous to Moore's law driven by lithography, as well as enhancing device performance. To provide a proof of principle for the approach, we demonstrate the scalable 3D integration of dual-gate organic transistors on plastic foil by printing with high yield, uniformity, and year-long stability. In addition, the 3D stacking of three complementary transistors enables us to propose a programmable 3D logic array as a new route to design printed flexible digital circuitry essential for the emerging applications. The 3D monolithic integration strategy demonstrated here is applicable to other emerging printable materials, such as carbon nanotubes, oxide semiconductors and 2D semiconducting materials.