title: Chemically tunable ultrathin silsesquiazane interlayer for n-type and p-type organic transistors on flexible plastic.
abstract: In organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), surface modification of the gate-dielectric is a critical technique for enhancing the electrical properties of the device. Here, we report a simple and versatile method for fabricating an ultrathin cross-linked interlayer (thickness ∼3 nm) on an oxide gate dielectric by using polymeric silsesquiazane (SSQZ). The fabricated siloxane film exhibited an ultrasmooth surface with minimal hydroxyl groups; the properties of the surface were chemically tuned by introducing phenyl and phenyl/fluorine pendent groups into the SSQZ. The growth characteristics of two semiconductors-pentacene (p-type) and N,N'-ditridecyl-3,4,9,10-perylene tetracarboxylic diimide (PTCDI-C13, n-type)-on this ultrathin film were systematically investigated according to the type of pendent groups in the SSQZ-treated gate dielectric. Pentacene films on phenyl/fluorine groups exhibited large grains and excellent crystalline homogeneity. By contrast, PTCDI-C13 films exhibited greater crystalline order and perfectness when deposited on phenyl groups rather than on phenyl/fluorine groups. These microstructural characteristics of the organic semiconductors, as well as the dipole moment of the pendent groups, determined the electrical properties of FETs based on pentacene or PTCDI-C13. Importantly, compared to FETs in which the gate dielectric was treated with a silane-coupling agent (a commonly used surface treatment), the FETs fabricated using the tunable SSQZ treatment showed much higher field-effect mobilities. Finally, surface treatment with an ultrathin SSQZ layer was also utilized to fabricate flexible OFETs on a plastic substrate. This was facilitated by the facile SSQZ deposition process and the compatibility of SSQZ with the plastic substrate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Organic and Nano System Engineering, Konkuk University , Seoul 143-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Wi Hyoung
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Seung Goo
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Young-Je
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kwark
authors.forename: Dong Ryeol
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Shichoon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jeong Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Cho
keywords: N,N′-ditridecyl-3,4,9,10-perylene tetracarboxylic diimide; organic field-effect transistors; pentacene; silsesquiazane; surface modifier