High-performance solution-processed triisopropylsilylethynyl pentacene transistors and inverters fabricated by using the selective self-organization technique

Abstract

To obtain selectively self-organized active layers of organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) and inverters from a solution-phased triisopropylsilylethynyl pentacene (TIPS-PEN) semiconductor, we locally patterned an oxide dielectric, covered with a hydrophobic fluoropolymer, using O2 plasma etching. Drop-cast TIPS-PEN molecules were selectively crystallized on the O2-plasma-etched area, where a hydrophilic oxide surface was produced. Modification of the patterned oxide dielectrics with hexamethyldisilazane led to a field-effect mobility of the TIPS-PEN OFETs of 0.185 cm2 V−1 s−1, a substhreshold swing of 0.738 V/decade and an on/off ratio of 107. Moreover, an inverter composed of two of these OFETs showed good device operation and inverter gain of 5.6.