High-performance logic circuits fabricated on flexible or unconventional substrates have become a necessity for several new applications. Generally, compared to those fabricated on more rigid substrates, printed, large-area, and flexible… Click to show full abstract
High-performance logic circuits fabricated on flexible or unconventional substrates have become a necessity for several new applications. Generally, compared to those fabricated on more rigid substrates, printed, large-area, and flexible thin film transistors (TFTs) are prone to under-performance, which severely limits their practical value. The realization of printed flexible macroelectronics requires advancements in material science and novel fabricating techniques. In this study, using a fast printing process, we manufacture liquid metal-carbon nanotube TFTs on a thin polyethylene terephthalate substrate. These flexible TFTs (p-type) exhibit enhance stability and flexibility, carrier mobility (10.61 cm2V−1s−1), and transconductance (0.88 µS). Furthermore, we realize dependable n-type and ambipolar transistors based on liquid metals with charge transport efficiencies that are comparable to our p-type counterparts, thus providing a foundation for manufacturing integrated circuits and complementary logic gates on flexible substrates. This study shows the positive progress of liquid metal printing-enabled functional devices and discusses the possibility of practical applications; moreover, it sets the foundation for printed high-performance and large-area flexible liquid metal electronics.
               
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