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Enhancing Molecular Alignment and Charge Transport of Solution-Sheared Semiconducting Polymer Films by the Electrical-Blade Effect

Journal Article · · Advanced Electronic Materials
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [1];  [1];  [3];  [1]
  1. Stanford Univ., CA (United States)
  2. Stanford Univ., CA (United States); SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
  3. SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations

Controlling polymer chain alignment through processing is a means of tuning the charge transport of solution-based conjugated polymers. In this work, a processing strategy is proposed in which an external electric field (E-field) is applied to the coating blade (E-blade) to align polymer chain during solution-shearing, a meniscus-guided coating technique. A theoretical model based on dielectrophoresis quantitatively describes and predicts the alignment process and is used to guide the selection of the optimal conditions of the applied E-field. Using these conditions, more than two-fold increase in chain alignment is observed for E-bladed thin films of a diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) semiconducting polymer without affecting other morphological aspects such as film thickness, film coverage or fiber-like aggregation. Organic field effect transistors based on the E-bladed DPP polymer are fabricated at ambient conditions and over areas of a few cm2. They display a 3-fold improvement in their mobilities and a strong enhancement in charge transport anisotropy compared to films prepared without E-field. These results reveal a synergistic alignment effect from both the solution-shearing process and the applied E-field, and introduce a novel and general approach to control the morphology and the electrical properties of solutioncoated conjugated polymer thin films.

Research Organization:
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-76SF00515; SC0016523
OSTI ID:
1463390
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1438076
Journal Information:
Advanced Electronic Materials, Journal Name: Advanced Electronic Materials Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 4; ISSN 2199-160X
Publisher:
WileyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (4)

Alignment of Lyotropic Liquid Crystalline Conjugated Polymers in Floating Films journal November 2018
An Intrinsically Stretchable High‐Performance Polymer Semiconductor with Low Crystallinity journal September 2019
Conjugated polymer single crystals and nanowires journal February 2019
Recent progress in printable organic field effect transistors journal January 2019

Figures / Tables (4)

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Figure 3(p. 16)figure Figure 3
Figure 4(p. 21)figure Figure 4

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