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Crystalline Organic Semiconducting Thin Films Cast from a Novel Thermolytic Thiophene Oligomer

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2011

Paul C. Chang
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley
Amanda R. Murphy
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley
Josephine B. Lee
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley
Jean M. J. Fréchet
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley
Vivek Subramanian
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley
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Abstract

Here we report on OTFTs made from a novel thermoresponsive thiophene based oligomer. The functionalized oligomer is soluble in common solvents, but loses its solubility upon thermolysis. Devices with channel lengths from 5 to 40 νm were fabricated from solution then subjected to thermolysis at temperatures ranging from 150-250°C. The initially amorphous materials reorganize into highly crystalline films upon thermolysis. Crystallinity was characterized by x-ray diffractometry and atomic force imaging. AFM studies depicted the nucleation of molecular terraces, where the formation and overall height of terraces was observed to be dependent upon the thermolysis temperature and solvent choice. These factors correlated to overall performance. For both dip-cast and spin-cast samples, devices were fabricated at a process temperature of 180°C with mobilities of 0.07 cm2/Vs and on/off ratios > 105. The deves were relatively stable in both air and common solvents, with their mobility degrading only by ∼25% upon immersion in the original casting solvents. The solubility characteristics and process temperatures for these devices may be particularly suitable for solution processing on flexible substrates.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2004

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