Transistor Characteristics of Charge-Transfer Complexes Observed across a Neutral–Ionic Transition

For basic understanding of transistor properties of doped organic semiconductors, 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine charge-transfer complexes are investigated, which change from neutral to ionic by varying the acceptors. When going into the ionic state, the bulk conduction increases more rapidly than the mobility, but sufficiently thin devices exhibit transistor properties. The resulting ambipolar characteristics are analyzed in the linear regions at small drain voltages in analogy with graphene transistors. The model is further extended to include partial overlap of electron and hole transport regions. In the temperature dependence, the activation energy loses gate voltage dependence when the neutral–ionic transition takes place by 0.1–0.2 eV above the equal acceptor and donor levels; the difference comes from the typical trap (polaron) depth or the Madelung energy.