Solution-Processed Zinc Oxide Field-Effect Transistors Based on Self-Assembly of Colloidal Nanorods

Abstract

Colloidal zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocrystals are attractive candidates for a low-temperature and solution-processible semiconductor for high-performance thin-film field-effect transistors (TFTs). Here we show that by controlling the shape of the nanocrystals from spheres to rods the semiconducting properties of spin-coated ZnO films can be much improved as a result of increasing particle size and self-alignment of the nanorods along the substrate. Postdeposition hydrothermal growth in an aqueous zinc ion solution has been found to further enhance grain size and connectivity and improve device performance. TFT devices made from 65-nm-long and 10-nm-wide nanorods deposited by spin coating have been fabricated at moderate temperatures of 230 °C with mobilities of 0.61 cm²V^-1s^-1 and on/off ratios of 3 × 10⁵ after postdeposition growth, which is comparable to the characteristics of TFTs fabricated by traditional sputtering methods.