Transparent pyroelectric sensors and organic field-effect transistors with fluorinated polymers: steps towards organic infrared detectors

Polymer electrets from the polyvinylidene family are highly suitable materials for plastic electronics. The high dielectric constant of such polymers in both the ferro- and non-ferroelectric phase is most suitably employed in gate dielectrics in organic field-effect transistors. The pyro- and piezoelectric response makes ferroelectric polymer electrets also an ideal choice for organic temperature, infrared radiation and pressure sensors. Here we report steps towards transparent organic pyroelectric infrared sensors: The infrared sensor element is based on poly (vinylidene fluoride), the top contact pentacene transistor on poly(vinylidene-fluoride tetrafluoroethylene hexafluoropropylene) and poly(vinyl cinnamate) as gate dielectric. Steps for combining the ferroelectric polymer sensors and transistors to a fully organic temperature and infrared sensing element are outlined. The sensor concept may be easily scaled up to the production of sensor arrays for thermal imaging