Walking the Route to GHz Solution‐Processed Organic Electronics: A HEROIC Exploration

Abstract Limited charge carrier mobility of organic semiconductors, especially for solution‐processed polymer thin films, has typically relegated organic electronics to low‐frequency operation. Nevertheless, thanks to a steady increase in electronic properties of organics, much higher operation frequencies are feasible, suggesting a possible and appealing scenario where lightweight, cost‐effective, and conformable electronics can integrate both sensing and radio‐frequency transmitting functionalities, which are the key to unlock pervasive networks of distributed sensors revolutionizing human–environment interaction. Few years ago, it was suggested that gigahertz (GHz) field‐effect transistors could be achievable even with solution‐based processes. This was the basis for the European Research Council project high‐frequency printed and direct‐written organic‐hybrid integrated circuits (HEROIC), which in the last few years investigated such unexplored path. Here, the authors report their vision toward the achievement of radio‐frequency organic electronics mainly with solution‐based and scalable processes, with reference to the experience of the HEROIC project and to some of the most notable literature examples. The authors show that the achievement of solution‐processable organic field‐effect transistors with GHz operation is indeed feasible, but requires considering a carefully revised scenario in which the main role is played by charge injection, together with the geometric overlap, the capacitive parasitism associated to fringing and some constraints on the dielectric layer thickness.