EPDT Organic Devices Based on Polythiophene: A Study on Contacts

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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.