Universal Route to Impart Orthogonality to Polymer Semiconductors for Sub‐Micrometer Tandem Electronics

• DOI: 10.1002/adma.201901400
• Publication Date: 2019-05-07T19:15:26Z
• Authors: Han Wool Park; Keun‐Yeong Choi; Jihye Shin; Boseok Kang; Haejung Hwang; Shinyoung Choi; Aeran Song; Jaehee Kim; Hyukmin Kweon; Seunghan Kim; Kwun‐Bum Chung; BongSoo Kim; Kilwon Cho; Soon‐Ki Kwon; Yun‐Hi Kim; Moon Sung Kang; Hojin Lee; Do Hwan Kim
• Keywords: Semiconducting films; Photolithography; orthogonal polymer semiconductor gel; sub-micrometer tandem electronics; Conventional photolithography; Solution process; Submicrometers; Polymer films; sequential solution processes; Polymer semiconductors; semi-interpenetrating diphasic polymer network; 02 engineering and technology; Micrometers; Organic light emitting diodes (OLED); Logic devices; Etching; Polymer light emitting diode; High-resolution patterns; Polymer networks; Complementary inverters; 0210 nano-technology

AbstractA universal method that enables utilization of conventional photolithography for processing a variety of polymer semiconductors is developed. The method relies on imparting chemical and physical orthogonality to a polymer film via formation of a semi‐interpenetrating diphasic polymer network with a bridged polysilsesquioxane structure, which is termed an orthogonal polymer semiconductor gel. The synthesized gel films remain tolerant to various chemical and physical etching processes involved in photolithography, thereby facilitating fabrication of high‐resolution patterns of polymer semiconductors. This method is utilized for fabricating tandem electronics, including pn‐complementary inverter logic devices and pixelated polymer light‐emitting diodes, which require deposition of multiple polymer semiconductors through solution processes. This novel and universal method is expected to significantly influence the development of advanced polymer electronics requiring sub‐micrometer tandem structures.