The role of the electrode configuration on the electrical properties of small-molecule semiconductor thin-films

This paper presents a systematic analysis of the electrode configuration influence on the electrical properties of organic semiconductor (OSC) thin-film devices. We have fabricated and electrically characterized a set of planar two-terminal devices. The differences in I-V characteristics between the top and bottom contact structures are presented and analyzed. Top-contact configurations have a linear current vs. electric field behavior, while the bottom-electrode devices display a transition from ohmic to space-charge-limited conduction regime. The transition is temperature- and thickness-dependent. Finite-element calculations show that when the OSC film is connected using top electrodes, the current flows through the OSC bulk region. On the other hand, the bottom-electrode configuration allows most of the current to flow near the OSC/substrate interface. The current probes interfacial states resulting in a space-charge conduction regime. The results shed some light on the so-called “contact effects” commonly observed in organic thin-film transistors. The findings presented here have implications for both the understanding of the charge transport in OSC films and the design of organic semiconductor devices.     

Direct structuring of C60 thin film transistors by photo-lithography under ambient conditions

Direct structuring techniques are an indispensable need for future low-cost applications of organic semiconductor materials in e.g. active matrix displays or integrated circuits. We demonstrate direct structuring of a small molecule organic semiconductor by a photo-lithography lift off process under ambient conditions. To show compatibility of this process, we fabricate organic thin film transistors (OTFT) containing the benchmark electron transporting semiconductor C60 as active material in a top-contact geometry. C60 as electron transporting semiconductor serves as good indicator for contamination and degradation caused by the structuring procedure. To disclose influences of structuring, we discuss the OTFT performance for different channel lengths from 100 μm down to 2.7 μm. In particular, we show that lithography processing gives rise to increased contact resistances. Apart from that, mobility of C60 as material parameter is only weakly affected which underlines the compatibility of the suggested structuring procedure. The potential of this structuring procedure for future integration of driving transistors in active matrix displays is demonstrated.     

Mechanism of anomalous recovery in advanced SiGe bipolar transistors after low dose rate irradiation for very high total doses

The possible physical mechanism of the anomalous recovery effect in SiGe bipolar transistors is described. The qualitative analysis of saturated oxide trapped charge and interface trap densities at very high total doses as a function of dose rate affords an explain of decreasing excess base current and increasing current gain during further low dose rate irradiation.     

Photo- and electroluminescence of ambipolar,high-mobility,donor-acceptor polymers

Donor-acceptor polymers with narrow bandgaps are promising materials for bulk heterojunction solar cells and high-mobility field-effect transistors. They also emit light in the near-infrared. Here we investigate and compare the photoluminescence and electroluminescence properties of different narrow bandgap (<1.5 eV) donor-acceptor polymers with diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP), isoindigo (IGT) and benzodipyrrolidone (BPT) cores, respectively. All of them show near-infrared photoluminescence quantum yields of 0.03–0.09% that decrease with decreasing bandgap. Bottom-contact/top-gate field-effect transistors show ambipolar charge transport with hole and electron mobilities between 0.02 and 0.7 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ and near-infrared electroluminescence. Their external quantum efficiencies reach up to 0.001%. The effect of polaron quenching and other reasons for the low electroluminescence efficiency of these high mobility polymers are investigated.     

Detailed analysis and contact properties of low-voltage organic thin-film transistors based on dinaphtho[2,3-b:2′,3′-f]thieno[3,2-b]thiophene (DNTT) and its didecyl and diphenyl derivatives

Low-voltage organic thin-film transistors (TFTs) based on four different small-molecule semiconductors (pentacene, DNTT (dinaphtho[2,3-b:2′,3′-f]thieno[3,2-b]thiophene), C₁₀-DNTT and DPh-DNTT) were fabricated, and a detailed comparison of the semiconductor thin-film morphology, of the current-voltage characteristics of transistors with channel lengths ranging from 100 to 1 μm, and of the contact resistances is provided. The three thienoacene derivatives DNTT, C₁₀-DNTT and DPh-DNTT all have significantly larger charge-carrier mobilities and smaller contact resistances than pentacene. In terms of the intrinsic channel mobility (determined using the transmission line method), C₁₀-DNTT and DPh-DNTT perform quite similarly and notably better than DNTT, suggesting that the decyl substituents in C₁₀-DNTT and the phenyl substituents in DPh-DNTT provide a similar level of enhancement of the charge-transport characteristics over DNTT. However, the DPh-DNTT TFTs have a substantially smaller contact resistance than both the DNTT and the C₁₀-DNTT TFTs, resulting in notably larger effective mobilities, especially in transistors with very small channel lengths. For DPh-DNTT TFTs with a channel length of 1 μm, an effective mobility of 0.68 cm²/V was determined, together with an on/off ratio of 10⁸ and a subthreshold swing of 100 mV/decade.     

Improvement charge injection in P-type polymer field-effect transistors with low-cost molybdenum electrodes through dodecanoic acid self assembled monolayer

Most of the merit of organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) is that they can be manufactured using cost effective processes. However, expensive gold (Au) electrodes have usually been used as a source/drain (S/D), due to their benign energy level matching, high air stability, and easy patternability. In this article, we report a simple method for improving the charge injection from a low cost molybdenum (Mo) electrode to organic semiconductors in OTFTs by incorporating a dodecanoic acid (DA)–based self-assembled monolayer (SAM). The OTFT performance is remarkably improved when compared to the devices with a pristine Au electrode. The hole carrier mobilities (hole μ_FET) were ～0.13 (rr-P3HT), ～0.55 (PC12TV12T) and ～0.72 (P2100) cm²/V·sec.     

Transistor Paint: Environmentally Stable N‐alkyldithienopyrrole and Bithiazole‐Based Copolymer Thin‐Film Transistors Show Reproducible High Mobilities without Annealing

New solution processable 4‐(2‐hexyldecan)‐4H‐bisthieno[2,3‐d:3′,2′‐b]pyrrole and 4,4′‐dialkyl‐2,2′‐bithiazole‐based copolymers (PBTzDTPs) are synthesized with excellent FET performance. These novel copolymers have considerable potential in printable electronics as they have high charge carrier mobilities, excellent air stability, good solution processibility, and no requirement for post‐deposition thermal annealing, all requirements for this field of application. The thin film transistors fabricated from PBTzDTPs achieve field effect mobilities as high as 0.14 cm² V^?1 s^?1 with current on/off ratios up to 10⁶ without thermal annealing. In addition, the devices exhibit stable performance in air, showing no significant degradation over 60 days. Moreover, the polymers described here provide an excellent example of the systems in which higher mobility performance does not require higher crystalline, long‐range ordered structures. Such a system appears to be particularly promising for rapid fabrication techniques, where kinetic conditions usually prevent the development of long‐range order.     

ε‐Branched Flexible Side Chain Substituted Diketopyrrolopyrrole‐Containing Polymers Designed for High Hole and Electron Mobilities

Based on the integrated consideration and engineering of both conjugated backbones and flexible side chains, solution‐processable polymeric semiconductors consisting of a diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) backbone and a finely modulated branching side chain (ε‐branched chain) are reported. The subtle change in the branching point from the backbone alters the π?π stacking and the lamellar distances between polymer backbones, which has a significant influence on the charge‐transport properties and in turn the performances of field‐effect transistors (FETs). In addition to their excellent electron mobilities (up to 2.25 cm² V^?1 s^?1), ultra‐high hole mobilities (up to 12.25 cm² V^?1 s^?1) with an on/off ratio (I_on/I_off) of at least 10⁶ are achieved in the FETs fabricated using the polymers. The developed polymers exhibit extraordinarily high electrical performance with both hole and electron mobilities superior to that of unipolar amorphous silicon.     

A Surface Tailoring Method of Ultrathin Polymer Gate Dielectrics for Organic Transistors: Improved Device Performance and the Thermal Stability Thereof

Tailoring the surface of the dielectric layer is of critical importance to form a good interface with the following channel layer for organic thin film transistors (OTFTs). Here, a simple surface treatment method is applied onto an ultrathin (<15 nm) organosilicon‐based dielectric layer via the initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) to make it compatible with organic semiconductors without degrading its insulating property. A molecular‐thin oxide capping layer is formed on a 15 nm thick poly(1,3,5‐trimetyl‐1,3,5‐trivinyl cyclotrisiloxane) (pV3D3) by a brief oxygen plasma treatment. The capping layer greatly enhances the thermal stability of the dielectrics, without degrading the original mechanical flexibility and insulating performance of the dielectrics. Moreover, the surface silanol functionalities formed by the plasma treatment can also be utilized for the surface modification with silane compounds. The surface‐modified dielectrics are applied to fabricate low‐voltage operating (<5 V) pentacene‐based OTFTs. The highest field‐effect mobility of the device with the surface‐treated 15 nm thick pV3D3 is 0.59 cm² V^?1 s^?1, which is improved up to two times compared to the TFT with the pristine pV3D3. It is believed that the simple surface treatment method can widely extend the applicability of the highly robust, ultrathin, and flexible pV3D3 gate dielectrics to design the surface of the dielectrics to match well various kinds of organic semiconductors.     

Diketopyrrolopyrrole?Thiophene‐Based Acceptor–Donor–Acceptor Conjugated Materials for High‐Performance Field‐Effect Transistors

We report the synthesis, morphology, and field‐effect‐transistor (FET) characteristics of new acceptor–donor–acceptor conjugated materials that consist of diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) acceptor groups and one of four different thiophene moieties, that is, dithiophene (2T), thieno[3,2‐b]‐thiophene (TT), dithieno[3,2‐b:2′,3′‐d]‐thiophene (DTT), and 5,5′′′‐di‐(2‐ethylhexyl)‐[2,3′;5′,2′′;4′′,2′′′]quaterthiophene (4T). The optical band gaps of the as‐prepared materials are smaller than 1.7 eV, which is attributed to the strong intramolecular charge transfer and the backbone coplanarity of the thiophene moieties. The order of both crystallinity and FET mobility (×10^?2–×10^?4 cm² V^?1 s^?1) is TT2DPP > 4T2DPP > 2T2DPP >DTT2DP, which differ in the structure of the π‐conjugated cores and core symmetry. Well‐ordered intermolecular chain packing was confirmed by the GIXD and AFM results. In particular, the FET hole mobility of TT2DPP was further improved to 0.1 cm² V^?1 s^?1, which was attributed to the well‐interconnected structure through solution‐shearing. These experimental results suggest the potential applications of the new DPP? thiophene? DPP conjugated materials for organic electronic devices.