Preliminary Evaluation of Pentacene Field Effect Transistors with Polymer Gate Electret as Ionizing Radiation Dosimeters

Interest in the use of organic electronic devices in radiation sensing applications has grown in recent years. The numerous device configurations (e.g., diodes, thin film transistors) and potential for improved tissue equivalence compared to their silicon-based analogues make them attractive candidates for various radiation dosimetry measurements. In this work, a variation of the organic thin film transistor (OTFT) is studied, in which a polymer electret is added. An OTFT electret design can be used in either a wired or wireless configuration for in vivo dosimetry with the possibility of real-time detection. The linearity, reproducibility, and dependence on energy of these devices were measured through exposure to 100 kVp photons from an orthovoltage treatment unit (Xstrahl 300) and 6 MV photons from a Varian TrueBeam medical linear accelerator. Prior to irradiation, all transistors were programmed with a −80 V bias applied to the Gate electrode (Vg) for 3 s. In the wireless configuration, after each delivered dose, the transfer characteristic was scanned to readout the amount of erased charges by monitoring the drain current change. When the programmed charge was sufficiently depleted by radiation, transistors were reprogrammed for repeated use. The real-time readout in a wired configuration was performed by measuring the drain current with Vg = −15 V; Vd = −15 V. The 6 MV photon beam was turned on and off at different dose rates of 600, 400, 300, 200, and 60 cGy/min to quantify the sensitivity of the device to changes in dose rate. The wireless transistors showed a linear increase in current with increasing dose. The sensitivities for different energies were 60 ± 5 nA/Gy at 6 MV at a dose rate of 600 cGy/min and 80 ± 10 nA/Gy at 100 kVp at a dose rate of 200 cGy/min. The sensitivity of detectors tested in a wired configuration at Vd = −15 V; Vg = −15 V was 8.1 nA/s at a dose rate of 600 cGy/min. The principle of pentacene OTFTs with polymer electret as radiation detectors was demonstrated. Devices had excellent linearity, reproducibility, and were able to be reprogrammed for multiple uses as wireless detectors. The wired transistors demonstrated an effective response as real-time detectors.

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