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In‐Situ Monitoring of the Solid‐State Microstructure Evolution of Polymer:Fullerene Blend Films Using Field‐Effect Transistors
Author(s) -
Labram John G.,
Domingo Ester Buchaca,
Stingelin Natalie,
Bradley Donal D. C.,
Anthopoulos Thomas D.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.201001446
Subject(s) - materials science , organic field effect transistor , fullerene , eutectic system , field effect transistor , microstructure , annealing (glass) , electron mobility , phase (matter) , polymer , polymer blend , transistor , percolation (cognitive psychology) , chemical engineering , chemical physics , nanotechnology , optoelectronics , composite material , organic chemistry , copolymer , chemistry , voltage , engineering , physics , quantum mechanics , neuroscience , biology
Organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs) are used to investigate the evolution of the solid‐state microstructure of blends of poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]‐phenyl C 61 ‐butyric acid methyl ester (PC 61 BM) upon annealing. Changes in the measured field‐effect mobility of holes and electrons are shown to reveal relevant information about the phase‐segregation in this system, which are in agreement with a eutectic phase behavior. Using dual‐gate OFETs and in‐situ measurements, it is demonstrated that the spatial‐ and time‐dependence of microstructural changes in such polymer:fullerene blend films can also be probed. A percolation‐theory‐based simulation is carried out to illustrate how phase‐segregation in this system is expected to lead to a substantial decrease in the electron conductivity in an OFET channel, in qualitative agreement with experimental results.