Tetracene light-emitting transistors on flexible plastic substrates

We report on organic light-emitting (field-effect) transistors (LETs) fabricated on a flexible and transparent plastic foil (Mylar), acting both as substrate and gate dielectric. The foil is patterned on one side with bottom-contact gold source and drain electrodes, while a thin film of gold is evaporated on the opposite side of the foil to form the gate electrode. A vacuum sublimed tetracene film is employed as an active layer for charge transport and light emission. Atomic force microscopy shows that tetracene films have a good adhesion on Mylar and exhibit a granular structure. The transistor shows unipolar p-type behavior with mobilities typically of 5x10(-4) cm(2)/V s. Drain-source current and electroluminescence have been simultaneously measured. Provided a suitable gate bias is applied, light emission occurs at drain-source voltages (V-ds) above saturation. LETs on plastic substrates could open the way to flexible devices combining the switching function of a transistor and the light emission. (C) 2005 American Institute of Physics.