Perovskite Semiconductors Boost Future Circuits

The new technology could improve displays and electronics, making them cheaper and easier to make with lower temperatures.

A research team from the Department of Chemical Engineering at POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) has developed a breakthrough technology set to reshape next-generation displays and electronic devices.

When we stream videos or play games on our smartphones, thousands of transistors work silently in the background. These tiny components regulate electric currents to display images and ensure smooth app performance, like traffic signals controlling traffic flow.

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Transistors are typically classified as n-type (electron transport) and p-type (hole transport), with n-type devices usually offering better performance. However, for high-speed computing with low power usage, p-type transistors must match n-type devices efficiently.

To tackle this, the team explored a new p-type semiconductor material with a unique crystal structure: tin-based perovskites. This material has shown great promise for high-performance p-type transistors. Traditionally, it’s been made using a solution process, similar to soaking ink into paper, which has limited scalability and consistency.

In a significant breakthrough, a research team successfully applied thermal evaporation, a process commonly used in industries like OLED TV and semiconductor chip manufacturing, to produce high-quality caesium-tin-iodide (CsSnI3) semiconductor layers. This method involves vaporising high-temperature materials to form thin films on substrates.

Additionally, by incorporating a small amount of lead chloride (PbCl2), the team improved the uniformity and crystallinity of the perovskite thin films. The resulting transistors showed exceptional performance, achieving a hole mobility of over 30 cm²/V·s and an on/off current ratio of 10⁸, comparable to commercially available n-type oxide semiconductors. This indicates rapid signal processing and low power consumption during switching.

This advancement improves device stability and allows the creation of large-area device arrays, overcoming two significant limitations of previous solution-based methods. Crucially, the technology is compatible with existing manufacturing equipment used in OLED display production, offering considerable potential for cost reduction and streamlined fabrication processes.

The technology opens up exciting possibilities for commercialising ultra-thin, flexible, and high-resolution displays in smartphones, TVs, vertically stacked integrated circuits, and wearable electronics, all thanks to its low processing temperatures below 300°C.

Reference: Youjin Reo et al, Vapour-deposited high-performance tin perovskite transistors, Nature Electronics (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41928-025-01380-8