Hysteresis in Organic Electrochemical Transistors: Distinction of Capacitive and Inductive Effects

Abstract

Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) are effective devices for neuromorphic applications, bioelectronics, and sensors. Numerous reports in the literature show persistent dynamical hysteresis effects in the current–voltage curves, attributed to the slow ionic charging of the channel under the applied gate voltage. Here we present a model that considers the dominant electrical and electrochemical operation aspects of the device based on a thermodynamic function of ion insertion. We identify the volume capacitance as the derivative of the thermodynamic function, associated with the chemical capacitance of the ionic–electronic film. The dynamical analysis shows that the system contains both capacitive and inductive hysteresis effects. The inductor response, which can be observed in impedance spectroscopy, is associated with ionic diffusion from the surface to fill the channel up to the equilibrium value. The model reveals the multiple dynamical features associated with specific kinetic relaxations that control the transient and impedance response of the OCET.