Screen printed digital circuits based on vertical organicelectrochemical transistors

Vertical organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) have been manufactured solely using screenprinting. The OECTs are based on PEDOT:PSS (poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with poly(styrene sulfonic acid)), which defines the active material for both the transistor channel and the gateelectrode. The resulting vertical OECT devices and circuits exhibit low-voltage operation, relativelyfast switching, small footprint and high manufacturing yield; the last three parameters are explainedby the reliance of the transistor configuration on a robust structure in which the electrolyte verticallybridges the bottom channel and the top gate electrode. Two different architectures of the verticalOECT have been manufactured, characterized and evaluated in parallel throughout this report. Inaddition to the experimental work, SPICE models enabling simulations of standalone OECTs andOECT-based circuits have been developed. Our findings may pave the way for fully integrated, lowvoltageoperating and printed signal processing systems integrated with e.g. printed batteries, solarcells, sensors and communication interfaces. Such technology can then serve a low-cost basetechnology for the internet of things, smart packaging and home diagnostics applications