Abstract
Next-generation wearable electronics require enhanced mechanical robustness and device complexity. Besides previously reported softness and stretchability, desired merits for practical use include elasticity, solvent resistance, facile patternability and high charge carrier mobility. Here, we show a molecular design concept that simultaneously achieves all these targeted properties in both polymeric semiconductors and dielectrics, without compromising electrical performance. This is enabled by covalently-embedded in-situ rubber matrix (iRUM) formation through good mixing of iRUM precursors with polymer electronic materials, and finely-controlled composite film morphology built on azide crosslinking chemistry which leverages different reactivities with C–H and C=C bonds. The high covalent crosslinking density results in both superior elasticity and solvent resistance. When applied in stretchable transistors, the iRUM-semiconductor film retained its mobility after stretching to 100% strain, and exhibited record-high mobility retention of 1 cm2 V−1 s−1 after 1000 stretching-releasing cycles at 50% strain. The cycling life was stably extended to 5000 cycles, five times longer than all reported semiconductors. Furthermore, we fabricated elastic transistors via consecutively photo-patterning of the dielectric and semiconducting layers, demonstrating the potential of solution-processed multilayer device manufacturing. The iRUM represents a molecule-level design approach towards robust skin-inspired electronics.
Highlights
S, facile patternability and high electrical performance for polymer electronic materials
In summary, we have successfully demonstrated that covalently embedded iRUM formation is a simple and effective molecular design approach to simultaneously achieve mechanical robustness, Fig. 4 The photo-patternability of iRUM-s and iRUM-d, and the integrated patterned elastic transistors on a single substrate. a Schematic illustration of the photo-patterning process for iRUM-s, which involves selective UV exposure and chloroform development
The iRUM strategy is promising for mass production when considering the costeffectiveness and scalability of precursors as well as the reduced cost of expensive active materials resulting from the high content of iRUM precursors (~50–75%)
Summary
S, facile patternability and high electrical performance for polymer electronic materials. The core idea is the good mixing combined with finely controlled composite film morphology built on azide chemistry, which takes advantage of its different reactivities with C–H and C=C bonds. Our iRUM approach results in an elastic, long-cycling semiconductor whose charge carrier mobility is comparable to that of amorphous Si and further increase is possible with other recently reported high mobility polymers. The developed materials are compatible with solutionprocessed multilayer device fabrication and can be incorporated into future complex integrated circuits. The iRUM strategy is promising for mass production when considering the costeffectiveness and scalability of precursors as well as the reduced cost of expensive active materials resulting from the high content of iRUM precursors (~50–75%). In addition to the transistors demonstrated in this work, the vertical uniformity of iRU
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