This technology involves immersing a thin film made of a conductive polymer—composed of alternating dithienosilole and benzothiadiazole units—into one or more organic solvents, such as methylene chloride, hexane, or acetone, to dissolve and remove low-molecular-weight substances. The process requires no specialized equipment and is completed with just 1 to 15 minutes of immersion.
Low-molecular-weight substances remaining in polymer thin films for organic thin-film transistors have historically formed independent microstructures, reducing conjugation length. These low-molecular-weight chain ends interfere with crystalline packing and charge carrier transport, hindering improvements in charge mobility and molecular alignment.
This technology selectively removes only the low-molecular-weight components via organic solvent immersion after film formation, improving the molecular arrangement of polymer chains and increasing the thin film's charge mobility. The process is simple and cost-effective, allowing it to be easily integrated as a post-processing step in solution-based lines like roll-to-roll manufacturing. It can be applied to the production of organic thin-film transistors and field-effect transistors for flexible displays, enhancing device performance without requiring a change in materials.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology for the development of high-performance organic electronic devices using the self-assembly of π-electron molecules.
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