(714b) Highly-Aligned, Large Single-Crystalline Domain Organic Semiconductors Via Nucleation Control

Organic semiconductors have great potential for large area, transparent and flexible electronic applications. The main advantages of organic semiconductors lie in their low-temperature (<100 °C), low-cost and high-throughput processing. The morphology and molecular packing of the organic semiconductor material significantly impact the electronic performance of the organic semiconductors. The ideal morphology for organic thin-film semiconductors should comprise of large single-crystalline domains where the charge transport is not hindered by uncontrolled grain boundaries.

Towards this goal, we developed a new method for controlling, even eliminating the grain boundaries by engineering the triple-phase contact line for controlling nucleation. This approach, combined with the solution shearing method developed in-house, (Becerril, et al, Adv. Mater. 2008; Giri, et al, Nature 2011), enables the fabrication of highly aligned, large single-crystalline domains. Looking forward, our approach has the promise to yield unprecedented control over the morphology and structure of organic semiconductor thin films, which is essential for their electronic performances.