Transport Pathways in Semiconducting Polymers
University of California Santa Barbara
Abstract:
Organic semiconductors provide the opportunity for low-cost fabrication of novel flexible thin film electronics. There has been significant progress in organic light emitting diodes (commercial products), solar cells (efficiencies of 10%), and thin film transistors (carrier mobilities > 1 cm2/Vs). Despite these successes important questions remain unanswered about the connection between microstructure and optoelectronic properties. Our ability to determine charge transport pathways in organic materials has benefitted from soft x-ray scattering and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. In both cases, long-range correlation of conjugated backbones in high carrier mobility polymers is observed providing a clear connection between morphology and charge transport. We have also discovered the existence of quadrites in donor-acceptor polymers suggesting a strategy for future materials design. Recent work on the prospects of organic materials for application as thermoelectric materials will be presented.
Biosketch:
Professor Michael Chabinyc is Associate Chair of the Materials Department at the University of California. His research group studies fundamental properties of organic semiconducting materials and thin film inorganic semiconductors with a focus on materials useful for energy conversion. He is currently an editor of Journal of Materials Chemistry A.