BRIGE: High-Performance Printable Oxides for Flexible Electronics (HiPPO)

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Intellectual Merit: Transparent amorphous oxide semiconductors based on amorphous and poly-silicon are an attractive alternative to existing transistor technologies to enable future applications of high-performance, flexible and large-area electronics. Solution-based processes are also needed for ink-jet printable electronics. This BRIGE project will study solution-processed ternary amorphous metal oxide thin films such as zinc tin oxide and zinc gallium oxide using a novel molecular precursor approach. The research seeks to establish the feasibility of using these precursors to fabricate the active layer of thin film transistors and to develop alternate energetic sources to lower the required temperature for high-quality film formation, opening the door to future solution processing of a variety of electronic, optoelectronic and magnetic thin films. The semiconductor physics of these films, such as the nature of defects and donors as well as electronic charge transport, will be explored. Finally, this project seeks to demonstrate the films' potential for future applications in a wide range of demanding circuit applications.Broader Impacts: The proposed technical work on printable, flexible electronics has the potential to significantly impact technologies for consumer, industrial, and military mobile applications where durability, low weight and low-cost are key design criteria. The project will have broad impact in education and training by involving both undergraduate and graduate researchers in collaborative research alongside the PI. The students will obtain significant experience in fabrication and characterization techniques relevant to micro- and nano-fabrication of electronic materials and devices, and will seek to share their knowledge with the broader community, including school-age students, via outreach programs. Participation in engineering research will be broadened through recruiting, training, mentoring, and outreach to under-represented and disabled students at all levels.