Floating Gate, Organic Field-Effect Transistor-Based Sensors towards Biomedical Applications Fabricated with Large-Area Processes over Flexible Substrates

Abstract

Organic Field-Effect Transistors (OFETs) are attracting a rising interest for the development of novel kinds of sensing platforms. In this paper, we report about a peculiar sensor device structure, namely Organic Charge-Modulated Field-Effect Transistor (OCMFET), capable of operating at low voltages and entirely fabricated with large-area techniques, i.e., inkjet printing and chemical vapor deposition, that can be easily upscaled to an industrial size. Device fabrication is described, and statistical characterization of the basic electronic parameters is reported. As an effective benchmark for the application of large-area fabricated OCMFET to the biomedical field, its combination with pyroelectric materials and compressible capacitors is discussed, in order to employ the proposed device as a temperature pressure sensor. The obtained sensors are capable to operate in conditions which are relevant in the biomedical field (temperature in the range of 18.5–50 °C, pressure in the range of 102–103 Pa) with reproducible and valuable performances, opening the way for the fabrication of low-cost, flexible sensing platforms.

Keywords

• inkjet printing
• chemical vapor deposition
• OTFTs
• temperature sensing
• pressure sensing