High-Performance Semiconducting Polythiophenes for Organic Thin-Film Transistors

TLDR

Conjugated polymers have been widely studied as potential semiconductor materials for organic thin‑film transistors, but they typically exhibit poor transistor performance when fabricated in air. These polythiophenes exhibit unique self‑assembly ability and form highly structured thin films when deposited from solution under appropriate conditions. The liquid crystalline regioregular polythiophenes (PQTs) developed in this study exhibit air stability that enables TFTs fabricated in ambient conditions to achieve a field‑effect mobility of 0.14 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹, current modulation exceeding 10⁷, and other desirable properties, bringing low‑cost organic transistor circuits closer to commercial reality.

Abstract

Conjugated polymers have been widely studied as potential semiconductor materials for organic thin-film transistors (TFTs). However, they have provided functionally poor transistor properties when the TFTs are fabricated in air. We have developed a class of liquid crystalline regioregular polythiophenes, PQTs, that possess sufficient air stability to enable achievement of excellent TFT properties under ambient conditions. These polythiophenes exhibit unique self-assembly ability and form highly structured thin films when deposited from solution under appropriate conditions. TFTs fabricated in air with PQT channel layers have provided high field-effect mobility to 0.14 cm2 V-1 s-1 and high current modulation to over 107, together with other desirable transistor properties. These high-performance polythiophenes will therefore help bring the long-standing concept of low-cost organic/polymer transistor circuits closer to commercial reality.