Abstract
This project was dedicated to the development of solution-processed nanomaterials-based high-performance field-effect transistors (FETs) suitable for a new application area of printed reconfigurable antennas. The focus of research was on implementing solution processed high electron mobility InAs nanowires (NWs) as semiconducting channel in field effect transistors. The key direction of this work was the development of InAs NWs FETs with a designated high frequency waveguide geometry to enable they operation as microwave switch elements. Initially, InAs NW FETs were developed and tested in direct – current mode to allow evaluation and extraction of key transistor performance parameters such charge carrier mobility, threshold, on/off ratio, transconductance, subthreshold swing, and on-channel resistance. The InAs NW were assembled from nanowire ‘inks’ in the FETs channel via electric -field assisted assembly technique, dielectrophoresis. Nanowires were directly incorporated in FETs with bottom-gate architecture on Si/SiO2 substrates, and with top-gate architecture on quartz substrates with polymeric gate dielectrics. Current-voltage characteristics were measured both in controlled dry nitrogen atmosphere and ambient environment, and demonstrated an instability of unprotected InAs NW in ambient air. Protection of nanowire channel with Al2O3 layers has resulted in significant improvement of device stability. Optimised InAs NW FET devices demonstrated electron mobility over 1000 cm2/Vs and on-off current ratios up to 1000. Finally, a proof of principle for solution processed InAs NW field-effect transistors operating as microwave switches in 5-33GHz frequency range have been demonstrated. FET devices were implemented in co-planar waveguide (CPW) microwave transmission line geometry, providing efficient transmission or reflection of microwave signal. The FETs demonstrated high performance with transistor ON-state resistance as small as ≈50 Ω providing an excellent impedance match to that of microwave waveguide. Bringing FETs to the OFF state provided 1000 times resistance increase, resulting in FET microwave switch behaviour, characterised by ~10 dB change in scattering (S)-parameters, such as difference in transmission coefficient S21 between on/off switching states.