Nanoscale Conducting Channels at the Surface of Organic Semiconductors Formed by Decoration of Molecular Steps with Self‐Assembled Molecules

Abstract

Abstract Under certain conditions, self‐assembling molecules preferentially bind to molecular steps at the surface of crystalline organic semiconductors, inducing a strong local doping effect. This creates macroscopically long conducting paths of nanoscale width (a single crystalline analogue of organic nanowires) that can span distances of up to 1 cm between electrical contacts. The observed effect of molecular step decoration opens intriguing possibilities for visualization, passivation, and selective doping of surface and interfacial defects in organic electronic devices and provides a novel system for research on nanoscale charge transport in organic semiconductors. In addition, this effect sheds light on the microscopic origin of nucleation and growth of self‐assembled monolayers at organic surfaces. It can also have implications in electronic patterning, nanoscale chemical sensors, integrated interconnects and charge‐transfer interfaces in organic transistors and solar cells.