Bendable GaAs metal-semiconductor field-effect transistors formed with printed GaAs wire arrays on plastic substrates

Micro/nanowires of GaAs with integrated ohmic contacts have been prepared from bulk wafers by metal deposition and patterning, high-temperature annealing, and anisotropic chemical etching. These wires provide a unique type of material for high-performance devices that can be built directly on a wide range of unusual device substrates, such as plastic or paper. In particular, transfer printing organized arrays of these wires at low temperatures onto plastic substrates yield high-quality bendable metal-semiconductor field-effect transistors. Electrical and mechanical characterization of devices on poly(ethylene terephthalate) illustrates the level of performance that can be achieved. These results indicate promise for this approach to high-speed flexible circuits for emerging applications in consumer and military electronic systems. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics.