Influence of stabilizers in ZnO nanodispersions on field-effect transistor device performance

In order to build printable inorganic electronic devices, semiconducting suspensions are needed, which can be processed at low temperatures using low-cost manufacturing techniques. Stabilized suspensions made of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were used to fabricate field-effect transistors by spin coating. The performance of the devices is strongly affected by the nature and concentration of the compounds added to stabilize the nanodispersions. An increase in the field-effect mobility by more than one order of magnitude is obtained upon increasing the stabilizer concentration from 3 to 13 wt %. A further increase in the concentration above 13 wt % results in a decrease in the field-effect mobility. This behavior can be explained by changes in the morphology, the particle-particle junction, and the passivation of surface defect sites.