To
apply the solution-processed organic field-effect transistors
(OFETs) to practical device manufacturing, there is a need for a processing
technology capable of patterning organic semiconductors with high
reproducibility and uniform shape in a large area. Herein, the facile,
scalable strategy to fabricate poly(3-hexylthiopehene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT)
patterns through the flow-blade coating process. Controlling the stick–slip
motion by the coffee-ring effect in low-/high-speed conditions induces
the repetition of the advancing and receding of the contact line of
the solution, which enables us to fabricate deposition of P3HT in
low-speed regions and spacing in high-speed regions. Various surface-modified
dielectrics with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) influenced the morphological
properties of patterned P3HT and indicated that the optimum condition
for OFETs was achieved in alkyl-terminated SAM-treated cases. Additionally,
various analysis tools including grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray
diffraction and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure reveals
that the flow-blade coating produces P3HT patterns with enhanced edge-on
orientation compared to spin-casting and forms electrically and morphologically
consistent films regardless of the pattern width. As a result, the
practical large-area integrated OFET arrays on 4 in. wafer substrate
exhibited highly uniform electrical characteristics (average field-effect
mobility of 0.095 cm2/(V s)) with a deviation value of
0.0109.
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