Influence of the gate leakage current on the stability of organic single-crystal field-effect transistors

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that even minimal gate leakage currents can irreversibly degrade organic single-crystal FETs, emphasizing the need for ultra-low leakage to ensure device stability and longevity.

Contribution

It reveals the critical impact of gate leakage current on the stability and lifetime of organic FETs, providing quantitative thresholds for leakage current.

Findings

Leakage current causes irreversible degradation of FET performance.

Stable operation requires leakage current below 10^{-9} A/cm^2.

Gate leakage influences the lifetime of thin-film transistors.

Abstract

We investigate the effect of a small leakage current through the gate insulator on the stability of organic single-crystal field-effect transistors (FETs). We find that, irrespective of the specific organic molecule and dielectric used, leakage current flowing through the gate insulator results in an irreversible degradation of the single-crystal FET performance. This degradation occurs even when the leakage current is several orders of magnitude smaller than the source-drain current. The experimental data indicate that a stable operation requires the leakage current to be smaller than $10^{-9} \ \mathrm{A/cm}^2$. Our results also suggest that gate leakage currents may determine the lifetime of thin-film transistors used in applications.