Research Article

Cite This: ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX www.acsami.org

Flexible Pressure-Sensitive Contact Transistors Operating in the

Subthreshold Regime
Sanghoon Baek,†,⊥ Geun Yeol Bae,‡,§,⊥ Jimin Kwon,† Kilwon Cho,*,‡ and Sungjune Jung*,†,‡
†
Department of Creative IT Engineering and ‡Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology
(POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-Gu, Pohang 37673, Republic of Korea
§
Intelligent Sustainable Materials R&D Group, Research Institute of Sustainable Manufacturing System, Korea Institute of Industrial
Technology, Cheonan-si 331-822, Chungcheongnam-do, Republic of Korea
*
S Supporting Information
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ABSTRACT: Organic thin-film transistor (TFT)-based pressure

sensors have received huge attention for wearable electronic
applications such as health monitoring and smart robotics. However,
there still remains a challenge to achieve low power consumption and
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high sensitivity at the same time for the realization of truly wearable
sensor systems where minimizing power consumption is significant
because of limited battery run time. Here, we introduce a flexible
pressure-sensitive contact transistor (PCT), a new type of pressure-
sensing device based on organic TFTs for next-generation wearable
electronic skin devices. The PCT consists of deformable S/D
electrodes integrated on a staggered TFT. The deformable S/D
electrodes were fabricated by embedding conducting single-walled
carbon nanotubes on the surface of microstructured polydimethylsiloxane. Under pressure loads, the deformation of the
electrodes on an organic semiconductor layer leads modulation of drain current from variation in both the channel geometry
and contact resistance. By strategic subthreshold operation to minimize power consumption and increase the dominance of
contact resistance because of gated Schottky contact, the PCT achieves both ultralow power consumption (order of 101 nW)
and high sensitivity (18.96 kPa−1). Finally, we demonstrate a 5 × 5 active matrix PCT array on a 3 μm-thick parylene substrate.
The device with ultralow power consumption and high sensitivity on a biocompatible flexible substrate makes the PCT
promising candidate for next-generation wearable electronic skin devices.
KEYWORDS: organic field-effect transistors, pressure sensor, electronic skin, active matrix, contact resistance,
gated Schottky contact, subthreshold operation, low power consumption.

■ INTRODUCTION
Organic thin-film transistors (TFTs) have enabled develop-
ment of numerous flexible products, including flexible displays,
ultrathin circuits, and wearable sensors.1−3 Their transforma-
tional advantages such as flexibility, light weight, thinness, and
biocompatibility have extended their potential to various
wearable sensor applications, such as biological and chemical
sensors,4 and physical sensors.5 Among them, organic TFT-
based pressure sensors that mimic the tactile sensing of the
human skin are promising candidates for wearable electronic
skin (E-skin) technologies that include human−machine
interfaces, health monitoring devices, and advanced prosthe-
sis.6−8 For skin-like devices that sense spatial pressure, organic
TFTs can be fabricated into an array of sensor pixels addressed
by an active matrix and can exhibit superior electrical
characteristics such as fast read-out, high spatial contrast, and
minimal signal crosstalk.9
For the realization of truly wearable devices where
minimizing power consumption is significant because of
limited battery run time, organic TFT-based E-skins that
consist of an array of multiple sensor pixels must have high
sensitivity but consume minimal power. Various types of
organic TFT-based pressure sensors have been investigated by
the modulation of different parameters of organic TFTs.10−14
One representative approach modulates the effective electric
field by exploiting a change of resistance typically from
pressure sensitive rubber, PSR, connected to the source (S) or
drain (D) electrodes of individual organic TFT (one-
transistor−one-resistor structure).10,11,15−20 Another approach
integrates a ferroelectric material (typically poly(vinylidene
fluoride trifluoroethylene)) into an individual organic TFT as a
ferroelectric capacitor;14,21 however, their pressure sensitivity is
limited by the properties of the integrated PSR and of the
ferroelectric material. More recent approaches modulate the
effective gate capacitance by incorporating a deformable
dielectric layer such as microstructured elastomer (typically
polydimethylsiloxane, PDMS) or air gap; this design achieves
high sensitivity12,13,22,23 but consumes much power for
Received: June 3, 2019
Accepted: August 2, 2019
Published: August 2, 2019

© XXXX American Chemical Society A DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b09636

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces Research Article

Figure 1. (a) 3D schematic diagram of the PCT consisting of deformable S/D electrodes integrated on the top of staggered organic TFT (without
S/D electrodes). (b) SEM image of a pyramidal the PDMS microstructure array with embedded SWNTs. Width = 30 μm and interval = 60 μm
[scale bar = 30 μm (left) and 100 μm (right)]. (c) SEM image of laser-patterned interdigitated S/D electrodes (deformable S/D electrodes).
Channel length, L = 90 μm, and width W = 8280 μm (scale bar = 200 μm). (d) Microscopic image (top view) of deformable S/D electrodes
integrated on the gated area of the staggered organic TFT (scale bar = 500 μm).

practical applications because of the height of the micro-
structures or a spacer for air gap which equals the dielectric
thickness (typically >10 μm). High operating voltage in the
range of 20−100 V and power are necessary to demonstrate
functioning systems. Several strategies to reduce operating
power (<1 μW) have been suggested, but the resulting devices
have relatively low sensitivity (<1 kPa−1) when compared to
devices that have high operating power.24−26 Recently, a
polyelectrolyte dielectrics-based organic TFT-based pressure
sensor has achieved both low voltage operation and high
sensitivity, but with the high value of detection limit (≈2
kPa).27 Therefore, achieving low power consumption and high
sensitivity simultaneously remains challenging in organic TFT-
based E-skins.
Meanwhile, subthreshold TFT operation has recently
received significant attention as a solution to achieving
ultralow power consumption in wearable devices and environ-
mental sensors to avoid the need for batteries.28−30 Lee and
Nathan29 reported Schottky barrier indium−gallium−zinc-
oxide TFT operating near the off-state regime at a very low
power below 1 nW. The group also used inkjet printing to
fabricate a Schottky barrier organic TFT and demonstrated its
capability to achieve high-gain amplifier for the detection of
electrophysiological signals.30 Other works also suggest
approaches of reducing power by the strategic utilization of
device physics occurring at the subthreshold regime for
wearable sensing applications.31,32
In this article, we introduce a flexible pressure-sensitive
contact transistor (PCT) with low power consumption and
high sensitivity. Inspired by the point-contact transistor, the
first solid-state transistor that uses Schottky barriers between
metal wires and semiconductor junctions, we integrate an
organic TFT with deformable electrodes composed of a
conducting microstructured elastomer that deforms under
pressure. The device exploits the effects of pressure on the
channel geometry and contact resistance RC to control the
electrical behavior of the device. The relative importance of the
two effects are investigated both in the above-threshold regime
(>VTH) and in the subthreshold regime (<VTH). We
B DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b09636
strategically operate the PCT in the subthreshold regime
where contact resistance is predominant because of gated
Schottky contact and suggest an approach to substantially
reduce power consumption while maintaining high sensitivity.
As a proof of concept, we finally demonstrate a 5 × 5 active
matrix PCT array with spatial resolution of 12.83 ppi,
comparable to that of human’s tactile sensing, for spatial
mapping of the applied pressure. The PCT illustrates the
potential as a wearable E-skin in which low power
consumption and high sensitivity are vital.
■ RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The PCT is a transistor that uses the change in contact
resistance and in the channel geometry under pressure to
control electrical behavior of the device. The device consists of
a staggered organic TFT (without conventional metal S/D
electrodes) and deformable S/D electrodes (Figure 1a). Only
the deformable S/D electrodes differ from the conventional
staggered organic TFT structure of the bottom gate and top
contact. The deformable S/D electrodes are integrated on the
top of the staggered organic TFT, and they replace the
conventional rigid metal S/D electrodes. The deformable S/D
electrodes deform when subjected to pressure, so drain current
ID varies with pressure.
To fabricate the ultrathin staggered organic TFT, parylene C
was used for both the flexible substrate and the gate dielectric
layer because of its low surface roughness and high dielectric
strength.33 Poly(N-alkyl diketopyrrolo-pyrrole dithienylthieno-
[3,2-b]thiophene) (DPP-DTT) was used as the organic
semiconductor material because of its uniform surface
morphology, good electrical performance, and air stability
(Figure S1).34 To fabricate the deformable S/D electrodes, a
conducting single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) was
embedded only at the surface of PDMS that was micro-
structured in a periodic pyramid shape of width = 30 μm,
height = 20 μm, and interval = 60 μm (Figure 1b). The
SWNT-embedded PDMS was then laser-patterned to form
interdigitated S/D electrodes (Figure 1c). The channel length
L was 90 μm and the width W was 8280 μm. The laser
ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces Research Article

Figure 2. (a) Side/projected-view schematic diagram of the PCT showing parameter changes upon pressure loading. (b) Microscopic images of the
contact area between deformable S/D electrodes and semiconductor under applied pressure (scale bar = 10 μm). (c) Contact length d and
corresponding channel geometrical parameter k = W/L change with applied pressure; bars: ±1 s.d., n = 3.

Figure 3. (a) Transfer characteristics with various applied pressures (0, 1.9, 10.3, and 38.7 kPa) where the threshold voltage at 0 kPa, VTH0 = −1.55
V. Drain voltage, VDS = −10 V. [Black: above-threshold regime (above-T), red: subthreshold regime (sub-T)]. (b) Relative current change (ΔI/I0)
with gate voltage (VGS) under various applied pressures (1.9, 10.3, and 38.7 kPa) where the maximum ΔI/I0 appears in sub-T (VGS = −1.2 V). (c)
ΔI/I0 as a function of applied pressure at different VGS (tangential slope: pressure sensitivity S). Bars: ±1 s.d., n = 3.

patterning process peeled off the embedded SWNT from the
surface of the pyramidal microstructure without damaging its
original shape. Lastly, the patterned SWNT-embedded PDMS
was integrated on the top of the staggered organic TFT as the
deformable S/D electrodes (Figure 1d). The staggered organic
TFT with the deformable S/D electrodes formed a transistor
that is sensitive to pressure.
The pressure detection of the PCT is based on the variation
in contact length Δd of the deformable S/D electrodes on a
semiconductor layer when pressure is applied. As illustrated in
C DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b09636
Figure 2a, when pressure is applied, W increases from the
initial width W0 to W0 + Δd, and L decreases from the initial
length L0 to L0 − Δd. Therefore, the channel geometrical
parameter k = W/L increases with pressure, resulting in
pressure dependence of drain current. Figures 2b and S2 show
microscopic images of d of S/D contacts under different
pressure. The contact length of the deformable S/D electrodes
was measured from their contacts on a thin glass substrate
upon each pressure load. The contact length extracted from
the images varied from 2 to 9.5 μm during deformation at
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Figure 4. (a) ΔI/I0 as a function of the relative channel geometrical parameter change Δk/k0 in above-T and sub-T regimes. Blue dashed line: y =
x. (b) Normalized relative current change (ΔI/I0)/(Δk/k0) as a function of Δd at two different regimes; above-T and sub-T. (c) Schematic
diagram of the current crowding model of the conventional staggered organic TFTs and the conceptual diagram of the contact length (d = LOV)
change upon pressure in the PCT. (d) Positive threshold voltage (VTH) shift with applied pressure because of the reduction of the contact
resistance RC from the enlarged contact length (d = LOV). (e) Normalized changes in the drain current ID(1/L)/(ID(1/L1)) as a function of 1/L in
above-T and sub-T regimes. VDS = −10 V. Bars: ±1 s.d., n = 3.

increasing pressure loads from 0 to 21 kPa, and the
corresponding change in k followed the same trend (Figure
2c).
To assess the electrical response of the PCT, we measured
ID of the PCT at pressures of 0−38.7 kPa. The transfer
characteristics at different pressure loads are shown at Figure
3a. The initial current at 0 kPa I0, at gate voltage VGS = 10 V
was ∼10−6 A because of a short contact length of the
deformable S/D electrodes. Increasing the pressure load to
38.7 kPa, the on-current improved by approximately 10 times.
We observed that the dependency of ID on applied pressure
was most significant in the subthreshold regime. The relative
current change (ΔI/I0) showed drastic rise in the subthreshold
regime (VGS = −1.2 V) at various applied pressures (Figure
3b). Accordingly, the pressure sensitivity (S = (ΔI/I0)/ΔP)
drastically enhanced in the subthreshold regime at both low
(<1 kPa) and high (>10 kPa) pressure ranges (Figure 3c). In
the low pressure range, S in the subthreshold regime (VGS =
−1.2 V) was remarkably high (18.96 kPa−1) over a wide
pressure range (>5 kPa). Meanwhile, S in the above-threshold
regime (VGS = −10 V) remained low (1.31 kPa−1) and began
to saturate from <1 kPa. In the high pressure range, S
significantly increased from 0.05 to 2.07 kPa−1 by subthreshold
operation.
We investigated the reason for the pressure sensitivity to be
so high in the subthreshold regime. To quantify how the
pressure-sensitive channel geometry affects ID change in each
operating regime, we observed ΔI/I0 as a function of the
relative change in channel geometry Δk/k0 for both above-
threshold and subthreshold regimes (Figure 4a). Given that
the function y = x indicates that ΔI/I0 is linearly proportional
to Δk/k0, the two sets of measurements show significantly
different trends. In the above-threshold regime, ΔI/I0 followed
the linear line; this result means that ID increase in this regime
resulted mostly from the change in the channel geometry.
However, in the subthreshold regime, ΔI/I0 far exceeds Δk/k0.
To exclude the channel geometry effect, ΔI/I0 was normalized
by Δk/k0 and plotted as a function of Δd (Figure 4b). The
D DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b09636
normalized relative current change (ΔI/I0)/(Δk/k0) in the
above-threshold regime quickly converged to 1, whereas that in
subthreshold regime continued to increase with Δd. Therefore,
the remarkable current increase in the subthreshold regime
cannot be fully explained only by the pressure-sensitive
channel geometry variation.
We attribute the high sensitivity in the subthreshold regime
to nonideally high contact resistance and its exponential
reduction with pressure. The PCT is a type of a staggered
organic TFT with deformable S/D electrodes, in which the
charge transport can be explained by the current crowding
model.35,36 In this framework of staggered configuration,
increasing gate-to-electrode overlap length LOV, which equals
the contact length d in the design (Figure 4c), along with
pressure, facilitates charge injection under the S/D electrodes,
so RC decreases.37 A positive shift in VTH with increasing
pressure is an evidence of such reduction of RC with enlarged
contact (Figure 4d), as has been reported previously.38 The
output characteristics confirm the change in RC (Figure S3).
The relative weight of contact resistance with respect to total
resistance, however, varies with VGS because the Schottky
barrier height is modulated by VGS. In the subthreshold regime,
the contact resistance is particularly high because of high
Schottky barrier,28 and it can critically affect the device
characteristics in organic TFTs.39,40 Such high dominance of
the contact resistance in the subthreshold regime was verified
by observing the dependency of IDS on channel resistance RCH.
IDS exhibited strong dependency of channel resistance in the
above-threshold regime, but a weak dependency in the
subthreshold regime, when IDS was measured with channel
lengths varying from 90 to 360 μm (Figure 4e); this difference
indicates that RC is dominant over RCH in the subthreshold
regime. Therefore, we conclude that the substantial contact
resistance in the subthreshold regime predominates the device
characteristics, resulting in high pressure sensitivity.
We analyzed the limit of detection, durability, response time,
and hysteresis of the PCT in the subthreshold regime. The
PCT responded to a low pressure of 12 Pa (Figure S4a), which
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ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces Research Article

Figure 5. (a) Microscopic image of each pixel of the PCT array. WL: word line; and BL: bit line. (Scale bar = 1 mm). (b) Photograph of the array
peeled off from a glass carrier. Total size: 25 mm × 20 mm, and thickness = 3 μm (scale bar = 1 cm). (c) Photograph of the flexible PCT array on
the back of the hand as a proof-of-concept of a wearable E-skin (scale bar = 2 cm). (d) Photograph of letter “E” (≈4 kPa) positioned over the 5 × 5
PCT array (scale bar = 5 mm). (e) Corresponding contour pressure map of the letter “E” in above-T and sub-T regimes.

corresponds to the pressure of mass of a salt grain (≈120 mg)
on an area of 1 cm2. The representative response of the device
to gradually increase pressure loads from 1 to 30 kPa is shown
in Figure S4b. The measured response and relaxation times
were 140 and 60 ms, respectively, for an applied pressure of 1
kPa (Figure S4c). To evaluate the reversibility and durability of
the device, we conducted cycle tests by applying and releasing
pressure of 10 kPa. Even after 5000 full cycles at 0.5 Hz, the
device still operates reliably (Figure S4d). We monitored the
change in the drain current under loading/unloading pressure,
and no significant hysteresis was observed (Figure S5).
We demonstrated a skin-attachable 5 × 5 proof-of-concept
active matrix PCT array (Figure S6). The pixel resolution
between adjacent transistors is 1.98 mm, giving a spatial
resolution of 12.83 ppi which is comparable to that of the
human skin for tactile sensing (≈14 ppi).41 An optical image of
four pixels is shown in Figure 5a. The “word line” is a bottom
gate line of the staggered organic TFT and acts as the row
select; the “bit line” is a drain line and acts as the column
select. A targeted pixel can be selected by the combination of
the row and column section. All source electrodes were
grounded through a via-hole formed by nano-pulsed laser
drilling and printing of silver inks. The array was fabricated on
the ultrathin (≈3 μm) parylene substrate to yield a skin-like
device (Figure 5b,c).
For spatial mapping of the applied pressure, a 3D-printed
stamp with a shape of letter “E” was used to apply a constant
pressure (≈4 kPa) on the array (Figure 5d). ID was measured
by biasing VDS = −10 V and VGS = −10 V for above-threshold
operation or −1.2 V for the subthreshold operation. A gray-
scale signal map visualizes the applied pressure (Figure 5e).
The PCT operated in the above-threshold regime yielded
rather low contrast between activated and nonactivated cells
with ΔI/I0 < 5 and power consumption of tens of microwatts.
However, when operated in the subthreshold regime, much
clearer contrast was observed because of high sensitivity of ΔI/
I0 ≈ 50, and the power consumption fell down to the order of
101 nW. All the 25 devices in the array showed reliable and
robust behaviors without failure.
For practical applications of the wearables in real-world,
minimizing power consumption should be considered as a
mainstream design because of limited battery capacity. The
PCT suggests a way of achieving both low power and high
sensitivity. Because only the deformable S/D electrodes differ
from the conventional organic TFT, a thin-film dielectric layer
(150 nm) could be used; therefore, operation at relatively low
voltage (VD < 10 V) is possible unlike conventional organic
TFT-based E-skins with thick (>1 μm) deformable dielectric
layers.12,13,22,23 Moving forward, the key for ultralow power
consumption without sacrificing sensitivity was strategical
subthreshold operation followed by the careful consideration
of the device physics occurring in the subthreshold regime of
organic TFTs, rather than just lowering the operating voltage.
Therefore, the PCT operating in the subthreshold regime is
located at a highly desirable combination of ultralow power
consumption (order of 101 nW) and high sensitivity (18.96
kPa−1) in a comparative plot of sensitivity versus power
consumption of previously reported organic TFT-based E
skins (Figure 6, Table S1).12−14,18,19,21−26,42−44,46−49 The
static power consumption (Pstatic = ID·VD) was calculated from
the maximum ID in the pressure-sensing range and VD of the
device found in the literatures. The achieved sensitivity is the
current record high for ultralow power (down to order of 101
nW) organic TFT-based E-skins. We envision that the
Figure 6. Sensitivity vs power consumption of the PCT compared to
representative organic TFT-based E-skins.

E DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b09636
ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
subthreshold operating flexible contact transistor opens up new
possibilities for wearable or skin-attachable electronic
application where low power and high sensitivity are essential
requirements.
■
CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, we introduced a flexible PCT, a new type of the
pressure-sensing device for the realization of truly wearable
devices where low power consumption and high sensitivity are
vital. The deformable S/D electrodes fabricated by embedding
conducting carbon nanotubes on the surface of micro-
structured PDMS were integrated on a staggered TFT to
provide pressure sensitivity to the device. The deformation of
the electrodes on an organic semiconducting layer modulates
the channel geometry and contact resistance, resulting in
pressure-dependent ID. By the strategic subthreshold operation
where contact resistance is predominant due to gated Schottky
contact, we achieved both ultralow power consumption (order
of 101 nW) and high sensitivity (18.96 kPa−1). Finally, we
demonstrated a 5 × 5 active matrix PCT array on a 3 μm-thick
parylene substrate. Our PCT suggests the importance of
contact behaviors in device physics of many organic TFT-
based devices and provides a path for achieving ultralow power
consumption with high sensitivity simultaneously for the
realization of wearable electronic devices.
■
EXPERIMENTAL SECTION
Fabrication of the Staggered Organic TFT. PCTs were
fabricated on biocompatible flexible parylene C substrate. A parylene
C(diX C, KISCO Ltd.) layer (≈3 μm) was deposited by chemical
vapor deposition (CVD, Obang Technology, OBT-PC300) on a
surfactant-treated glass substrate (Corning) to be peeled off afterward.
Ti (3 nm)/Al (50 nm) word lines and ground lines were thermally
evaporated using a shadow mask of the 5 × 5 active matrix with a
pixel area of 3.92 mm2, and a total area of 2 cm × 2.5 cm. A dielectric
layer (150 nm) of parylene C(diX C, KISCO Ltd.) was deposited by
CVD. DPP-DTT (M315, Ossila Inc.) dissolved in chlorobenzene (5
mg/mL) was then spin-coated at 3000 rpm for 60 s and annealed at
100 °C for 30 min in a glovebox. Au (40 nm) contact pads for the
deformable S/D electrodes were thermally evaporated, and
interconnection via-holes for connecting source contact pads to the
ground were formed using a pulsed green fiber laser (shot pulse width
2.5 ns, λ = 532 nm). Then, the via-holes were filled by dispensing
(Musashi Engineering, 350PC) Ag-precursor ink (TEC-IJ-060,
InkTec) as a conductive metal ink and sintered at 100 °C for 30
min in an inert atmosphere.
Fabrication of the Deformable S/D Electrodes. For the
fabrication of microstructured elastomer which served as deformable
S/D electrodes, an Si mold patterned with pyramidal cavities was
prepared by photolithography and wet etching processes.45 The
surface was modified to be hydrophobic by treating with
octadecyltrichlorosilane (Gelest); then, the mold was spray-coated
with SWNT-dispersed solution [TUBALL, OCSiAl, SWNT conc. 0.3
g/L and sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS) conc. 0.3 wt % in
deionized water (DIW)] by using an automated spray coater (Revo-S,
Korea). During coating, the temperature of the Si mold was 100 °C,
the feed rate of the solution was 0.4 mL/min, and the air pressure for
atomizing was 0.3 MPa. To remove the SDBS, the mold was left in
DIW at 60 °C for 1 h, then dried at 50 °C in a vacuum oven for 1 h.
Then, the PDMS mixture (SYLGARD 184, mixing ratio 10:1) was
spin-coated on the SWNT-coated mold. The assembly was pressed
using parylene C-coated glass at a loading of 40 kPa for 30 min, the
PDMS was thermally cured at 60 °C for 8 h, and then, the SWNT-
embedded microstructures with the parylene C substrate on glass
were separated from the Si mold. The fabricated SWNT-embedded
microstructure was then patterned to interdigitated S/D electrodes by
F DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b09636
Research Article
pulsed fiber laser with a pulse width of 2.5 ns and λ = 532 nm to serve
as deformable electrodes (drain electrodes were connected as bit
lines). The channel length was 90 μm and the channel width was
8280 μm. The fabricated deformable electrodes were integrated on
the staggered organic TFT array to complete the active matrix of the
PCT.
Electrical Characterization. Scanning electron microscopy
(SEM) images were captured by using a Hitachi S-4800 operating
at a beam voltage of 3 kV. The dc characteristics of the transistors
were measured using a semiconductor parameter analyzer (Keithley,
4200-SCS) under ambient conditions. The pressure-sensing capability
of the PCT was measured using a mechanized z-axis stage (Future
Science, 0.1 μm resolution) and a force gauge (Mark 10, M7-05). The
pressure was calculated by dividing the force by the size of the sensor
(2.25 cm2). ID was measured in real time while applying constant VGS
and VDS at various pressures. Spatial mapping of the 5 × 5 active
matrix was plotted by measuring the drain current of each cell before
and after applying the pressure and calculating ΔI/I0.
■
ASSOCIATED CONTENT
*
S Supporting Information
The Supporting Information is available free of charge on the
ACS Publications website at DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b09636.
Device characteristics of the staggered organic TFT;
microscopic images of the contact area; output
characteristics of the PCT; electrical responses of the
PCT; hysteresis of the PCT; design of the active matrix
PCT array; and summary of previously reported organic
TFT-based E-skins (PDF)
■
AUTHOR INFORMATION
Corresponding Authors
*E-mail: kwcho@postech.ac.kr (K.C.).
*E-mail: sjjung@postech.ac.kr (S.J.).
ORCID
Sanghoon Baek: 0000-0003-1572-6018
Jimin Kwon: 0000-0002-5213-1323
Kilwon Cho: 0000-0003-0321-3629
Sungjune Jung: 0000-0001-9258-0572
Author Contributions
⊥
S.B. and G.Y.B. contributed equally. The manuscript was
written through contributions of all the authors. All the authors
have given approval to the final version of the manuscript.
Notes
The authors declare no competing financial interest.
■ ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This work was supported by a grant (code no.
2015M3A6A5072945 and 2012M3A6A5055728) from the
Center for Advanced Soft Electronics under the Global
Frontier Research Program of the Ministry of Science and
ICT of South Korea, by the “IT Consilience Creative Program”
(IITP-2019-2011-1-00783) supervised by IITP *Institute for
Information & Communications Technology Promotion).
■
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H DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b09636
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