Nanosecond Time-Resolved Microscopic Gate-Modulation Imaging of Polycrystalline Organic Thin-Film Transistors

Charge-carrier transport in polycrystalline thin films is affected by inhomogeneity, including high- and low-conductivity regions. This effect appears considerably in the transfer characteristics of organic thin-film transistors (TFTs) with lateral conduction paths. Using a time-resolved microscopic imaging technique, the authors reveal the temporal variation of charge and field distributions in the channel layer of an organic TFT after a gate bias is applied. Their comprehensive discussion of the temporal response of TFTs and the transient features of charge accumulation around grain boundaries is expected to stimulate research on organic electronics.