Silole-Based Polymers for Stable Organic Transistors

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current organic semiconductor materials, particularly polythiophenes, face challenges with poor air stability and lower carrier mobility when used in organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs), limiting their appeal as cost-effective alternatives to silicon-based chips.

Innovation Solution

Development of silole-containing conjugated polymeric compounds with specific repeating units that promote semiconductor activity, enabling the creation of solution-processable films with improved air stability and carrier mobility for OTFTs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If polythiophenes are used as organic semiconductor materials in OTFTs, then device fabrication cost is reduced and solution processing is enabled, but air stability deteriorates and carrier mobility decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesolution processing capabilityVSAvoidair stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs copolymerization to create composite polymer structures combining electron-rich thiophene units with electron-deficient silole units. This composite approach allows the material to simultaneously achieve solution processability from the thiophene segments while the silole segments provide enhanced air stability and controlled electronic properties, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Ease of manufacture

If polythiophenes are used as organic semiconductor materials in OTFTs, then device fabrication cost is reduced and solution processing is enabled, but carrier mobility deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesolution processing capabilityVSAvoidcarrier mobility

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating alternating sequences of electron-rich and electron-deficient units within the polymer chain. This local differentiation of electronic properties allows specific regions to contribute to charge transport (maintaining mobility) while other regions enable solution processing, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and carrier mobility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of manufacture

If conventional polythiophenes are used, then chemical availability is high, but structural ordering from solution deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvechemical availabilityVSAvoidstructural ordering

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical parameters of the polymer by incorporating silole units with different steric and electronic properties compared to conventional polythiophenes. This parameter modification enables the polymer to maintain solution processability while achieving improved structural ordering upon film formation, resolving the contradiction between chemical availability and manufacturing precision

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS7816480B2Silole-based polymers and semiconductor materials prepared from the same

Publication Date: 2010.10.19 NORTHWESTERN UNIV

AI summary

The present teachings provide silole-based polymers that can be used as p-type semiconductors. More specifically, the present teachings provide polymers that include a repeating unit of Formula I:wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5R6, Z, x, and x′ are as defined herein. The present teachings also provide methods of preparing these polymers, and relate to various compositions, composites, and devices that incorporate these polymers.