EPDT Organic Devices Based on Polythiophene: A Study on Contacts

本研究的目的是了解欧姆接触形成半导体聚噻吩薄膜的物理和化学，并优化电子器件，如有机场效应晶体管，发光二极管和photopolics的接触。该方法强调了在接触聚噻吩接口的化学和能级对齐的考虑。具体而言，通过侧链的区域化学定位将增强界面处的化学键合。 选定的金属将使用金属对有机物和有机物对金属配置进行沉积。 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，如柔性基板上的电子显示器和大面积太阳能电池。后一种应用特别令人兴奋，因为有机太阳能电池的低成本与理论效率相结合，使可再生能源的大规模生产成为现实目标。该研究计划强调跨学科，跨学院的合作，这种方法随着当前和未来设备的日益复杂而变得越来越有价值。此外，该项目强调研究生在未来基本技术方面的教育和培训，并包括来自历史上黑人大学的少数民族学生。一个或两个本科生研究项目的监督也将进行，以激励本科生继续他们的教育和科学和工程培训。

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.