Crystal step edges can trap electrons on the surfaces of n-type organic semiconductors

Nature Communications
Tao HeC Daniel Frisbie

Abstract

Understanding relationships between microstructure and electrical transport is an important goal for the materials science of organic semiconductors. Combining high-resolution surface potential mapping by scanning Kelvin probe microscopy (SKPM) with systematic field effect transport measurements, we show that step edges can trap electrons on the surfaces of single crystal organic semiconductors. n-type organic semiconductor crystals exhibiting positive step edge surface potentials display threshold voltages that increase and carrier mobilities that decrease with increasing step density, characteristic of trapping, whereas crystals that do not have positive step edge surface potentials do not have strongly step density dependent transport. A device model and microelectrostatics calculations suggest that trapping can be intrinsic to step edges for crystals of molecules with polar substituents. The results provide a unique example of a specific microstructure-charge trapping relationship and highlight the utility of surface potential imaging in combination with transport measurements as a productive strategy for uncovering microscopic structure-property relationships in organic semiconductors.

References

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Citations

Nov 23, 2018·Chemical Communications : Chem Comm·Agnieszka Nowak-KrólFrank Würthner
Jul 12, 2019·Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology·Masato MiyazakiYasuhiro Sugawara
Jan 23, 2020·Advanced Materials·Guillaume SchweicherYves H Geerts
Mar 21, 2020·Advanced Science·Nguyen Ngan NguyenKilwon Cho
Aug 19, 2020·ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces·Zhuoran ZhangC Daniel Frisbie
Nov 6, 2018·Journal of the American Chemical Society·Ganna Gryn'ovaClémence Corminboeuf
Jul 13, 2018·ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces·Jae Joon KimAlejandro L Briseno

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
atomic force microscopy
light microscopy
X-ray
AFM
profiler

Software Mentioned

SKPM

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