Device Engineering in Organic Electrochemical Transistors toward Multifunctional Applications

Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) have been widely researched for the next-generation electronic building blocks because of their unique property that combines highly efficient signal transduction with amplification in a single device. By virtue of materials engineering and interfacial modification, multifunctional OECTs have been reported for biological sensing, physiological signal recording, and neuromorphic processing applications. With these significant advancements, it is beneficial to reveal universal device engineering guidelines such that OECTs can be readily tailored to satisfy the specific needs of each application. In this perspective, we systematically discuss the key physical processes that influence OECT operation, which includes both steady state and transient responses. These discussions reveal the important role of fine-tuning the OECT active materials, interfacial properties, and device structures to manipulate their charge transport properties for multifunctional applications. Finally, we also share our perspectives on a few hurdles as the community moves to transform OECTs from laboratory ideas into real-world technologies.