Issue 37, 2019

Metal phthalocyanine organic thin-film transistors: changes in electrical performance and stability in response to temperature and environment

Abstract

Metal phthalocyanines (MPcs) are a widely studied class of materials that are frequently used in organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs), organic photovoltaics (OPVs) and organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). The stability of these devices and the materials used in their fabrication is important to realize their widespread adoption. Seven P-type MPcs: zinc (ZnPc), magnesium (MgPc), aluminum (AlClPc), iron (FePc), cobalt (CoPc), and titanium (TiOPc) were investigated as the semiconductors in OTFTs under varying temperatures (25 °C to 150 °C) and environmental conditions (air and vacuum, P < 0.1 Pa). Devices using the divalent MPcs (except MgPc) showed significant shifts in threshold voltage and field-effect mobility with rising temperature in both air and vacuum. AlClPc and TiOPc, on the other hand, had more stable electrical properties, making them useful for applications requiring consistent performance. Distinct variations in film morphology as determined by atomic force microscopy may explain the different thermal response between the two groups of MPcs, while thermal gravimetric analysis in air and nitrogen (N2) provides additional insight into their susceptibility to oxidation at elevated temperature. To demonstrate proof-of-concept thermal sensing under realistic operating conditions, current changes were monitored in response to temperature stimuli using two more sensitive divalent MPcs. This comparative study of the effect of central atom inclusion in MPcs, the resulting material stability and thin-film characteristics will facilitate design of future sensors and other OTFT applications.

Graphical abstract: Metal phthalocyanine organic thin-film transistors: changes in electrical performance and stability in response to temperature and environment

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
15 mai 2019
Accepted
30 jun 2019
First published
10 jul 2019
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

RSC Adv., 2019,9, 21478-21485

Metal phthalocyanine organic thin-film transistors: changes in electrical performance and stability in response to temperature and environment

N. T. Boileau, R. Cranston, B. Mirka, O. A. Melville and B. H. Lessard, RSC Adv., 2019, 9, 21478 DOI: 10.1039/C9RA03648B

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