Radiation-Tolerant Flexible Large-Area Electronics Based on Oxide Semiconductors

Large-area electronics for applications in environments with radioactive contamination or medical X-ray detectors require materials and devices resistant to continuous ionizing radiation exposure. Here the superior X-ray radiation hardness of oxide thin fi lm transistors (TFTs) based on galliumindium-zinc oxide is demonstrated, when compared to organic ones. In the experiments both TFTs are subjected to X-ray radiation and their performances are monitored as a function of total ionizing dose. Flexible oxide TFTs maintain a constant mobility of 10 cm 2 V −1 s −1 even after exposure to doses of 410 krad(SiO 2 ), whereas organic TFTs lose 55% of their transport performance. The exceptional resistance of oxide semiconductors ionization damage is attributed to their intrinsic properties such as independence of transport on long-range order and large heat of formation.