Review of the Common Deposition Methods of Thin-Film Pentacene, Its Derivatives, and Their Performance.

Yusniza Yunus,Mingqing Wang,Tg Hasnan Tg Abd Aziz,Atiqah Mohd Afdzaluddin,Hafeez Anwar,Mohamed Nainar Mohamed Ansari,Ahmad Ghadafi Ismail,Nurul Adlin Mahadzir

doi:10.3390/polym14061112

Abstract

Pentacene is a well-known conjugated organic molecule with high mobility and a sensitive photo response. It is widely used in electronic devices, such as in organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs), organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), photodetectors, and smart sensors. With the development of flexible and wearable electronics, the deposition of good-quality pentacene films in large-scale organic electronics at the industrial level has drawn more research attention. Several methods are used to deposit pentacene thin films. The thermal evaporation technique is the most frequently used method for depositing thin films, as it has low contamination rates and a well-controlled deposition rate. Solution-processable methods such as spin coating, dip coating, and inkjet printing have also been widely studied because they enable large-scale deposition and low-cost fabrication of devices. This review summarizes the deposition principles and control parameters of each deposition method for pentacene and its derivatives. Each method is discussed in terms of experimentation and theory. Based on film quality and device performance, the review also provides a comparison of each method to provide recommendations for specific device applications.

Highlights

Accepted: 9 November 2021Since the discovery of pentacene in 1912, many studies have been conducted over the decades to improve the conjugated organic molecule in terms of its solubility, stability, and sensitivity to oxygen and moisture [1,2]
This study showed that the possibility of using multiple-nozzle inkjet printing on a plastic substrate to fabricate organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) and to obtain good carrier mobility
One of the outcomes of those studies has been the synthetization of pentacene derivatives, which are separated into two types: pentacene precursors and pentacene substitutes

Summary

Introduction

Since the discovery of pentacene in 1912, many studies have been conducted over the decades to improve the conjugated organic molecule in terms of its solubility, stability, and sensitivity to oxygen and moisture [1,2]. Many pentacene precursors and substitutes have been made, and these pentacene derivatives had been synthesized and characterized for suitable usage in organic thin film transistors (OTFTs, this term is used interchangeably with organic field-effect transistor, OFET) [3,4], organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) [5,6], and other organic electronic devices, such as thin-film sensors [7–14]. Pentacene is preferable due to its excellent semiconducting properties, being well understood and relatively cheap compared to the latest generation of organic semiconductors. With the newer improved pentacene derivatives, solution–process deposition has been made possible. Pentacene itself contains five linearly fused aromatic rings and is known as a polyaromatic hydrocarbon.

Objectives

Methods

Conclusion