Device Physics of Organic Transistor Chemical Vapor Sensors

这项研究的目的是了解此类有机晶体管和传感器如何运行的基础器件科学，并创建一个包括物理、化学和器件设计效果的综合模型。 该方法是利用一系列半导体作为传感器中的活性层以及受体分子，并详细表征它们。将采用大量的半导体和受体，并采用扫描探针测量来探测沿多晶通道的电势和局部载流子密度。 基于有机晶体管的化学传感器的响应取决于许多因素。 大多数有源半导体薄膜都是多晶的，晶界效应对于确定传感器的行为非常重要。 预计通过采用这种诊断结构将获得对传感器材料物理的新见解。 将执行相关的电荷传输和传感测量。 由于传感过程密切依赖于有机半导体中的电荷传输和捕获，因此传输和化学传感的同时测量将揭示电荷传输现象和传感器行为的细节。这项工作有可能影响美国有机和混合电子产品商业化的工业努力。 从教育角度来看，其影响将是德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校电气工程、材料科学和自然科学专业的研究生和本科生的研究型教育。 该项目还将帮助招募和留住女性/少数民族研究生。

The objective of this research is to understand the underlying device science of the how such organic transistor and sensors operate and to create a comprehensive model that includes physical, chemical, and device design effects. The approach is to utilize a series of semiconductors as active layers in sensors along with receptor molecules and characterize them in detail. A large number of semiconductors and receptors will be employed and scanning probe measurements that can probe the potentials and local charge carrier densities along the polycrystalline channel will be employed. The response of organic transistor based chemical sensors depends on many factors. Most of the active semiconductor films are polycrystalline and grain boundary effects are very important in determining sensor behavior. It is expected that new insights into the materials physics of sensors will be gained by employing such diagnostic structures. Correlated charge transport and sensing measurements will be performed. Since the sensing process is closely dependent on charge transport and trapping in organic semiconductors, it follows that simultaneous measurements of transport and chemical sensing will throw light on both charge transport phenomena and details of sensor behavior.This work has the potential to impact industrial efforts to commercialize organic and hybrid electronics products in the US. From an educational perspective, the impact will be research-oriented education of both graduate and undergraduate students in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science and Natural Sciences, at UT Austin. This project will also help recruiting and retaining women/minority graduate students.