Low-Voltage Redox Gating for Energy-Efficient Electronic Devices

Redox gating is a method for controlling charge transport and electronic phase transitions, offering advantages over traditional electrolyte gating. By combining reversible redox reactions with ionic electrolyte components, this approach achieves high sheet carrier density modulation exceeding 10¹⁶ cm^-2, while maintaining stability over thousands of cycles at voltages below 1 V. Unlike conventional methods, redox gating adds carriers without causing ionic defects or structural damage, preserving material properties and enabling precise control of electronic states. This study demonstrates phase transition modulation in VO₂ and highlights the role of metal-containing poly(ionic liquids) (PILs) in influencing semiconducting metal oxides and materials with strongly correlated electrons. The method separates electrical and structural phase transitions, enabling metal-insulator transitions without structural changes and improving device durability. Redox gating works with various materials, including WO₃, VO₂, and LaNiO₃, making it versatile for different crystal structures and carrier types.

To address challenges in electronics manufacturing, this work explores redox gating with printed hybrid electronics (PHE). Using an aerosol jet printer (AJP), solid-state VO₂ transistors were fabricated, showing redox-modulated conductivity and stable performance at a low gating voltage of 0.4 V. The printed VO₂ films maintained functionality over 6000 cycles without degradation. These results demonstrate that redox gating is a promising approach for low-power, flexible, and energy-efficient electronic devices. Future work will focus on improving materials and processes to expand their use in sustainable semiconductor technologies and quantum devices.