Organic dual-channel transistors for reconfigurable signal modulation and anti-counterfeiting

The development of integrated circuits and artificial intelligence demands electronic devices with versatile functions. While unconventional transistors have broadened application possibilities in recent decades, further innovation remains essential. Here an organic dual-channel transistor (DCT) is proposed. This device features a bottom channel formed through vertical phase separation between an insulating polymer and organic semiconductors, coupled with a distinct top semiconductor channel. By engineering the differences in channel thickness, carrier mobility, and energy levels, we achieved tunable charge accumulation and transport dynamics. The prepared organic dual-channel transistors display unique device characteristics: <i>I</i>_D ∝ <i>V</i>0G when <i>V</i>_D < <i>V</i>_G - <i>V</i>_T and <i>I</i>_D ∝ <i>V</i>1G when <i>V</i>_D ≥ <i>V</i>_G - <i>V</i>_T, which are significantly different from those of conventional devices. Subsequently, we demonstrate applications in signal modulation circuits capable of peak-to-valley ratio tuning and signal erasure. The characteristics of DCTs have four modulation effects on signals, whereas conventional devices can only achieve two. The enhanced functional density endows DCTs with enormous application potential in high-performance chips and related fields. Additionally, DCTs exhibit nonvolatility, allowing the device's states to be altered through programming, thus easily switching between modulation effects (reconfigurable operation). Finally, the anti-counterfeiting implementations highlight their practical versatility. This work provides ideas for the development of multifunctional devices and their application scenarios.