Solution-processed amorphous ZrO(2) gate dielectric films synthesized by a non-hydrolytic sol–gel route

Solution-processed zirconium oxide (ZrO(2)) dielectrics were formed via a non-hydrolytic sol–gel route at low-temperature, and are suitable for flexible thin film transistor (TFT) devices. Precursor solutions with equimolar zirconium halide and zirconium alkoxide were prepared, and amorphous ZrO(2) films were obtained by spin-coating and annealing at 300 °C through the direct condensation reaction between them. The ZrO(2) films exhibited a high dielectric constant near 10, and a low leakage current density of 5 × 10(−8) A cm(−2) at a field of 1 MV cm(−1). High mobility p-type pentacene TFTs were fabricated using the ZrO(2) dielectrics, with a saturation field-effect mobility of 3.7 cm(2) V(−1) s(−1), a threshold voltage of −2.7 V, an on/off ratio of 1.1 × 10(6) and a subthreshold swing of 0.65 V dec(−1).