University of California

Chan Luo

Alan J Heeger

Michael L Chabinyc

Edward J Kramer

Shrayesh Naran Patel

A method for enhancing charge carrier mobility of a field-effect transistor device. The method comprises generating uniaxial nanogrooves on a substrate and blade coating a solution comprising a semiconducting polymer onto the substrate. The polymer solution is spread onto the substrate in a direction parallel to the nanogrooves and a main-chain axis of the polymer is parallel to the nanogrooves. The semiconducting polymer can be then annealed, so that a polymer film is formed which is layered on top of the substrate, with polymer chains aligned parallel to a direction of charge carrier movement.

Blade coating on nanogrooved substrates yielding aligned thin films of high mobility semiconducting polymers

Embodiments of the invention include methods and materials for preparing organic semiconducting layers, for example one used in an organic semiconductor device including a substrate with a nanostructured surface and a polymeric semiconductor film overlying the nanostructured surface. Aspects of the invention use capillary action to modulate polymer chain self-assembly on a surface and unidirectional alignment at a critical buried interface where charge carriers migrate between a dielectric and the polymer. By controlling the properties of the surfaces upon which polymers are disposed, artisans can enhance the transistor saturated mobilities of conjugated polymers.

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Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America

Chan Luo