Ion Compensation-Assisted Photolithography Enables High-Resolution Electrolytes for Neuromorphic Transistors
Corresponding Author: Chuan Liu
Nano-Micro Letters,
Vol. 18 (2026), Article Number: 434
Abstract
High-density organic electrochemical transistor (OECT) arrays are essential for neuromorphic computing and bioelectronic interfaces, but progress has been limited by the low resolution of electrolyte patterning. Although conventional photolithography offers high feature resolution, it involves a fundamental trade-off among spatial resolution, ionic capacitance, and stability in the electrolyte. Here we report an ion compensation-assisted photolithography (ICAP) strategy that yields electrolyte micro-patterns combining high precision, high capacitance and high stability. A molecularly engineered electrolyte forms, under UV exposure, a physicochemical dual cross-linked network with strong solvent resistance and hydrophobicity, which suppresses swelling during both aqueous development and the subsequent ion-compensation step, preserving pattern fidelity. Ion compensation then restores and enhances the mobile-ion content, increasing areal capacitance. The resulting electrolytes achieve a record 2 μm resolution, 15.6 μF cm−2 capacitance, and strong thermal stability from − 50 to 200 °C. Integrated into OECTs, the ICAP-patterned electrolytes suppress crosstalk by 97.6% and boost on/off ratios by 325%, reducing parasitic coupling by more than 40 times compared to unpatterned arrays. The method is compatible with p-type and n-type organic semiconductors and inorganic oxides, providing a versatile route to scalable neuromorphic circuits and advanced bioelectronics.
Highlights:
1 Ion compensation–assisted photolithography (ICAP) combines UV-triggered dual crosslinking with a post-patterning ion replenishment step, enabling patterned electrolytes with a spatial resolution of 2 μm, a capacitance of 15.6 μF cm−2.
2 ICAP-patterned electrolytes provide array-level ionic isolation by spatially confining ion transport, suppressing lateral ionic leakage and inter-device crosstalk in organic electrochemical transistor arrays.
3 ICAP process is broadly compatible with p-type PEDOT:PSS, n-type benzimidazo-benzophenanthroline, and inorganic WO3, establishing a versatile electrolyte-patterning strategy for high-density electrolyte-gated devices.
Keywords
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A. Savva, R. Hallani, C. Cendra, J. Surgailis, T.C. Hidalgo et al., Balancing ionic and electronic conduction for high-performance organic electrochemical transistors. Adv. Funct. Mater. 30(11), 1907657 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.201907657
J. Cui, F. An, J. Qian, Y. Wu, L.L. Sloan et al., CMOS-compatible electrochemical synaptic transistor arrays for deep learning accelerators. Nat. Electron. 6(4), 292–300 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41928-023-00939-7
L. Chen, P. Liu, B. Feng, Z. Shu, H. Liang et al., Dry-transferable photoresist enabled reliable conformal patterning for ultrathin flexible electronics. Adv. Mater. 35(38), 2303513 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202303513
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