Morphology control via dual solventcrystallization for high-mobility functionalized pentacene-blend thin film transistors

Abstract

We present an approach to improving the performance of solution processed organic semiconductor transistors based on a dual solvent system. We here apply this to a blend containing the π-conjugated small molecule 6,13 bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) pentacene (TIPS-pentacene) and polystyrene, which acts as an inert binder. Using a semiconductor-binder solution of two solvents, where the main solvent is a better solvent of the small molecule and second solvent is a better solvent of the polymer, crystal morphologies can be altered and transistor mobilities increased by almost an order of magnitude. In this way, air-ambient and solution-processed transistors with linear and saturation mobilities higher than 1 cm² V⁻¹s⁻¹ have been fabricated. We discuss how the solubility properties of the formulation components can be used to identify solvent candidates that promote an efficient self-assembly of the small molecule.