Enabling mechanical responsiveness in field-effect transistors (FETs) offers new techno- logical opportunity beyond the reach of existing platforms. Here we propose a new force- sensing concept by controlling the wettability of a semiconductor surface, referring to the interfacial field-effect transistors (IFETs). We design an IFET made by superhydrophobic semiconductor nanowires (NWs) sandwiched between a layer of two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) and a conductive Cassie-Baxter (CB) sessile droplet. Following the hydrostatic defor- mation of the CB droplet upon mechanical stress, we report an extremely small elastic modulus of 820 pascals vertical to the substrate plane, or ~100 times softer than Ecoflex rubbers, en- abling an excellent stress detection limit down to &lt;10 pascals and a stress sensitivity of 36 kPa<sup>-1</sup>. The IFET exhibits an on/off current ratio exceeding 3x10<sup>4</sup>, as the carrier density pro- file at the NW/2DEG interface is modulated by a partially-penetrated electrostatic field. This study demonstrates a versatile platform that bridges multiple macroscopic interfacial phenom- ena with nanoelectronic responses.

Elastic interfacial transistor enabled by superhydrophobic self-assembled nanowires on graphene

2019 Fall National Meeting

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.