pps proceeding - Abstract Preview
pps proceeding
Symposium: S08 - Colloidal Materials and Advanced Coatings
Oral Presentation
 
 

Directed Assembly of Colloids for Nanomanufacturing of Hierarchically Ordered Electronic Films

Yazdani Amir (1), Pan Hao (1), Sobkowicz-Kline Margaret Jean (1), Budhlall Bridgette Maria (1)*

(1) University of Massachusetts - MA - USA

One area of nanomanufacturing in which morphology plays a significant role is in organic thin film electronics. Numerous research publications have established the relationship between the morphology of the active layer in organic field effect transistors (oFETs) and their performance. Common methods in manufacturing organic nanodevices are based on (solvent) solution processing using techniques such as doctor blade coating, which produce disordered particle aggregates with limited order in the films’ morphology or structure. In this work we demonstrate how the structure of colloidal suspensions, which are subjected to an AC electric field, control the morphology of the active layer in films formed from aqueous colloids of Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). Colloidal particles experience dielectrophoresis (DEP) when subjected to a non-uniform (AC) electric field. We found that DEP could be utilized as an effective deposition method for the P3HT colloidal particles allowing for a great degree of control over the morphology of the particles that makeup the film in the active layer. The parameters that influence the structure of particles subjected to an external electric field were found to include the particle size, electric properties of particles and the suspending medium, volume fraction of the particles, electric field strength, frequency, and geometry of the electrodes. A phase diagram (voltage vs. frequency) resulting from this study forms a basis for tailoring the structure and morphology of films from P3HT particles for optimal oFET performance.