Plenary lecture 2: “Nanoscale field-effect transistors for flexible displays”

Nanoscale field-effect transistors are of interest not only for ultra-scale integrated circuits, but also for next-generation active-matrix flat-panel displays. High-resolution flat-panel displays are typically composed of several million individual picture elements (pixels), and in active-matrix displays each pixel contains one or more field-effect transistors that precisely control the pixel brightness during the frame time. For large-area displays on glass substrates, the transistors must be manufactured without the use of high process temperatures, so hydrogenated amorphous silicon or laser-crystallized polycrystalline silicon are often utilized as the semiconductor. If the trend towards increased display resolution, higher frame rates, and greater color fidelity is to continue, field-effect transistors with improved high-frequency performance that can be manufactured on glass substrates will be required. In addition, for the realization of flexible and rollable active-matrix displays, the transistor manufacturing process must be compatible with heat-sensitive polymeric substrates. Finally, the true potential of active-matrix displays will be realized by integrating low-voltage, high-efficiency organic light-emitting diodes with low-voltage, high-frequency nanoscale field-effect transistors on flexible, transparent polymeric substrates.