EPDT Organic Devices Based on Polythiophene: A Study on Contacts

这项研究的目的是了解半导体聚噻吩膜欧姆接触形成的物理和化学过程，并优化电子器件的接触，如有机场效应晶体管、发光二极管和光伏。该方法强调同时考虑接触-聚噻吩界面上的化学和能级排列。具体地说，通过侧链的区域化学定位，界面上的化学键将得到加强。选定的金属将使用金属对有机和有机对金属两种配置进行沉积。薄膜晶体管结构将被制造和测量，以产生关键的电学性能，如载流子迁移率和接触电阻。更广泛的影响包括开发高度通用和廉价的电子设备所需的技术，例如柔性基板上的电子显示器和大面积太阳能电池。后者的应用尤其令人兴奋，因为有机太阳能电池的低成本和理论效率相结合，使大规模生产可再生能源成为一个现实的目标。该研究计划强调跨学科、跨学院的协作，随着当前和未来设备的日益复杂，这种方法正变得越来越有价值。此外，该项目强调对研究生进行必要未来技术方面的教育和培训，并包括来自历史悠久的黑人大学的少数族裔学生。还将进行一到两个本科生研究项目的督导，以激励本科生继续进行理工科教育和培训。

The objective of this research is to understand the physics and chemistry of ohmic contact formation to semiconducting polythiophene films and to optimize the contacts for electronic devices, such as organic field-effect transistors, light emitting diodes, and photovoltaics. The approach emphasizes a consideration of both the chemistry and the energy level alignment at the contact-polythiophene interfaces. Specifically, chemical bonding at the interfaces will be enhanced via regiochemical positioning of side chains. Selected metals will be deposited using both metal-on-organic and organic-on-metal configurations. Thin-film transistor structures will be fabricated and measured to yield key electrical properties, such as the carrier mobility and the contact resistance. The broader impacts include the technology necessary for the development of highly versatile and inexpensive electronic devices, such as electronic displays on flexible substrates and large-area solar cells. The latter application is particularly exciting, because the low cost in combination with theoretical efficiencies of organic solar cells makes wide-scale production of renewable energy a realistic goal. This research program emphasizes an interdisciplinary, cross-college collaboration, an approach that is becoming more valuable with the increasing complexity of current and future devices. In addition, the project emphasizes the education and training of graduate students in essential future technology and includes minority students from a Historically Black University. The supervision of one or two undergraduate research projects will also be conducted to inspire undergraduate students to continue their education and training in science and engineering.