Water-Soluble Thin Film Transistors and Circuits Based on Amorphous Indium-Gallium-Zinc Oxide

Abstract

This paper presents device designs, circuit demonstrations, and dissolution kinetics for amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin film transistors (TFTs) comprised completely of water-soluble materials, including SiNx, SiOx, molybdenum, and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). Collections of these types of physically transient a-IGZO TFTs and 5-stage ring oscillators (ROs), constructed 0 with them, show field effect mobilities (similar to 10 cm(2)/Vs), on/off ratios (similar to 2 x 10(6)), subthreshold slopes (similar to 220 mV/dec), Ohmic contact properties, and oscillation frequency of 5:67 kHz at supply voltages of 19 V, all comparable to otherwise similar devices constructed in conventional ways with standard, nontransient materials. Studies of dissolution kinetics for a-IGZO films in deionized water, bovine serum, and phosphate buffer saline solution provide data of relevance for the potential use of these materials and this technology in temporary biomedical implants.