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 film transistors (TFTs) based on gallium‐indium‐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 cm2 V−1 s−1 even after exposure to doses of 410 krad(SiO2), 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. Flexible oxide and organic thin film transistors are exposed to ionizing X‐ray radiation and their performance is monitored. While oxide devices preserve transport properties and show only temporary charging of the dielectric layers, organic ones degrade irreversibly in mobility, threshold voltage and subthreshold slope.