Low-voltage flexible organic circuits with molecular gate dielectrics

In order to reduce the operating voltage of transistors and circuits based on organic semiconductors we have recently developed organic thin film transistors with a 2.5 nm thick molecular self-assembled monolayer (SAM) gate dielectric (1). Thanks to a large gate dielectric capacitance of 9×10 ^-7 F/cm², these TFTs can be operated with supply voltages of less than 2 V and have a record subthreshold swing of 100 mV/dec. Here we present results on the first organic inverters and ring oscillators with molecular gate dielectrics, manufactured on glass and on flexible, transparent polymeric substrates. These organic circuits operate with supply voltages as low as 1.5 V and have signal propagation delays as low as a few hundred microseconds per stage.