New Organic Thin-Film Tunnel Transistors for Ultra-Low-Power Wearable Electronics

Organic thin-film tunnel transistors for wearable electronics

By Quantum Server Networks

As the demand for flexible, wearable, and energy-efficient electronics grows, scientists are pushing the boundaries of transistor technology to meet the needs of next-generation devices. From smartwatches and health monitors to self-powered Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, the challenge lies in building transistors that are not only highly efficient but also mechanically flexible and easy to produce at scale. Now, a team of researchers at Soochow University and collaborating institutions has unveiled a breakthrough: a new class of organic thin-film tunnel transistors (OTFTTs) that operate below the traditional thermionic limit, enabling ultra-low-power electronics for future wearable systems. Their findings, published in Nature Electronics and highlighted by Tech Xplore, could redefine the performance boundaries of organic semiconductors.

Breaking the Thermionic Limit

Traditional thin-film transistors (TFTs) rely on thermionic emission — the movement of charge carriers over an energy barrier — to modulate current. However, this mechanism imposes a theoretical threshold known as the thermionic limit, which dictates that the subthreshold swing (SS) cannot fall below 60 millivolts per decade (mV/dec) at room temperature. This limit restricts how efficiently a transistor can switch between “off” and “on” states, and overcoming it has remained one of the grand challenges in transistor physics for decades.

Professor Jiansheng Jie, who led the study, explained: “Conventional organic thin-film transistors are constrained by this thermionic emission mechanism, which inherently limits their energy efficiency. Our goal was to create a new type of organic transistor that breaks free from this limit, enabling truly ultra-low-power operation suitable for wearable and IoT devices.”

To achieve this, the researchers turned to a quantum mechanical effect known as band-to-band tunneling, the same principle that powers cutting-edge tunnel field-effect transistors (TFETs) in inorganic semiconductors. By designing a hybrid inorganic–organic interface, they successfully demonstrated tunneling behavior in a flexible organic platform — a first for the field.

The Design: Hybrid Inorganic–Organic Tunneling Interface

The key to the team’s success lies in the creation of a unique heterojunction composed of molybdenum trioxide (MoO₃) and the organic semiconductor 2,7-dioctyl[1]-benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (C8-BTBT). This pairing forms a so-called “broken-gap” energy alignment in which the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of C8-BTBT lies above the conduction band of MoO₃. The result is a structure that enables electrons to “tunnel” directly from one material to another, bypassing the thermionic process altogether.

To further optimize the system, the researchers introduced a thin molecular layer of BPE-PDCTI at the interface, which acts as a decoupling barrier to minimize defects and reduce Fermi-level pinning — a common issue in semiconductor interfaces. This precise engineering allowed the transistor to achieve a record-low subthreshold swing (SS) of 24.2 ± 5.6 mV/dec, breaking the theoretical limit and setting a new performance benchmark for organic thin-film transistors.

Ultra-Low Power and High Signal Amplification

The newly developed OTFTT consumes less than 0.8 nanowatts (nW) during operation — an exceptionally low power level that makes it ideal for battery-free or self-powered systems. Even at such low voltages, the transistor exhibits a signal amplification gain exceeding 500 V/V, outperforming all previously reported thin-film transistor technologies. This combination of low energy consumption and high signal gain could enable new classes of flexible amplifiers, biosensors, and low-power neuromorphic circuits.

“Our devices achieved both sub-thermionic switching and ultra-high amplification efficiency,” said Jie. “This opens the door to flexible, energy-autonomous circuits capable of amplifying physiological or environmental signals directly on skin-mounted or textile-integrated platforms.”

Applications in Wearable and Bio-Integrated Electronics

To demonstrate real-world potential, the team integrated the transistor into a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor interface — the same type of system used in smartwatches to measure heart rate and blood oxygen levels. The new transistor successfully amplified weak optical signals from the sensor under 650-nm illumination, proving its suitability for next-generation biomedical and environmental monitoring systems.

With its unique balance of flexibility, low voltage, and high gain, this technology could also accelerate the development of wearable biosensors, implantable devices, and self-powered IoT nodes. These applications require efficient signal amplification under stringent energy constraints — exactly the domain where OTFTTs excel.

Bridging Physics, Chemistry, and Engineering

Beyond its immediate technological applications, this research represents a fundamental advance in quantum materials engineering. By translating tunneling mechanisms from inorganic semiconductors to organic systems, the team has unified two previously distinct branches of materials research. This cross-disciplinary approach could inspire similar breakthroughs in flexible photovoltaics, organic memory devices, and brain-inspired computing architectures.

“Our study bridges the gap between the intrinsic physical limitations of organic semiconductors and the practical needs of energy-efficient electronics,” said Jie. “It represents a significant step toward intelligent, environmentally benign, and pervasive computing systems.”

The Future of Organic Tunnel Transistors

Looking ahead, the researchers plan to optimize their design further by using organic semiconductors with smaller bandgaps and lower carrier masses to enhance tunneling efficiency. They also aim to develop n-type OTFTTs, enabling the construction of fully organic complementary logic circuits. Such devices could form the foundation of all-organic tunneling logic systems — a milestone in the quest for fully flexible, low-power electronics.

As this technology matures, large-scale integration of OTFTTs on flexible substrates could pave the way for mass-produced, energy-efficient wearable and implantable electronics, powering a new era of sustainable smart devices.

Reference: Wei Deng et al., “Organic thin-film tunnel transistors,” Nature Electronics (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41928-025-01462-7. Original report via Tech Xplore.

This article was prepared with the assistance of AI technologies to enhance clarity, scientific communication, and SEO optimization.

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