Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/R88328/01
Title:	Alternative gate insulators for organic transisters
Principal Investigator:	Grell, Dr M
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department:	Physics and Astronomy
Organisation:	University of Sheffield
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 May 2002	Ends:	30 April 2005	Value (£):	87,336
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Electronic Devices & Subsys. Materials Processing Optoelect. Devices & Circuits
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Electronics
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Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
Organic field effect transistor (OFET) circuits are projected to become a future technology enabling 'disposable electronics' applications such as electronic pricetags and smartcards at extremely low cost. In recent years, organic semiconductors and metals required for OFETs were improved considerably. However, organic insulators are still a 'weak link' in disposable electronics. Conventional polymers are good insulators, but their dielectric constant is generally rather low, which implies that high gate voltages may be required. In the proposed project, we will study alternative gate insulators that are consistent with 'disposable electronics'. Firstly, we will use electrochemically anodised Aluminium (AI) as gate insulator. Anodisation produces a high dielectric constant, insulating AI oxide layer on top of an AI gate electrode. Since ultrathin AI films can be laminated onto plastic at very low cost, anodised AI gate electrode / gate insulator films are consistent e.g. with electronic pricetags on food wrappers. Secondly, some organic insulators may display unusually high electric displacements in response to moderate applied electric fields, but this class of materials has not yet been used for organic electronics. We will explore the use of these materials for disposable electronics, and to extend the use of OFETs for the charactarization of charge carrier mobility in organic semiconductors. These gate insulators may also lead to improved light- emitting field effect transistors.
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Organisation Website:	http://www.shef.ac.uk