Recent developments in biodegradable nanostructured crystalline silicon and flexible silicon-based electronic devices raise the significant question of the stability of standard amorphous silicon transistor platforms in biologically relevant environments. In this work, we evaluate the biodegradation of hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin film transistors. Specifically, using a combination of gravimetric analysis, optical imaging, and X-ray fluorescence, we investigate the fundamental stability of a simple hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin film transistor structure immersed in phosphate-buffered saline at physiological temperature (37 °C). In addition to the possible galvanic influence of associated metal electrodes in the degradation of such devices, implications for future device platforms are also discussed.

可生物降解的纳米结构晶体硅和基于柔性硅的电子设备的最新发展提出了标准的非晶硅晶体管平台在生物学相关环境中的稳定性的重大问题。在这项工作中，我们评估氢化非晶硅薄膜晶体管的生物降解。具体来说，结合重量分析，光学成像和X射线荧光，我们研究了在生理温度（37°C）下浸入磷酸盐缓冲盐水中的简单氢化非晶硅薄膜晶体管结构的基本稳定性。除了相关金属电极在此类设备退化中可能产生的电流影响之外，还讨论了对未来设备平台的影响。