Organic single crystal phototransistors: Recent approaches and achievements

Abstract

Organic phototransistors (OPTs), compared to traditional inorganic counterparts, have attracted a great deal of interest because of their inherent flexibility, light-weight, easy and low-cost fabrication, and are considered as potential candidates for next-generation wearable electronics. Currently, significant advances have been made in OPTs with the development of new organic semiconductors and optimization of device fabrication protocols. Among various types of OPTs, small molecule organic single crystal phototransistors (OSCPTs) standout because of their exciting features, such as long exciton diffusion length and high charge carrier mobility relative to organic thinfilm phototransistors. In this review, a brief introduction to device architectures, working mechanisms and figure of merits for OPTs is presented. We then overview recent approaches employed and achievements made for the development of OSCPTs. Finally, we spotlight potential future directions to tackle the existing challenges in this field and accelerate the advancement of OSCPTs towards practical applications.