Energy Level Engineering in Organic Thin Films by Tailored Halogenation

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

Abstract

In modern electronics, it is essential to adapt band structures by adjusting energy levels and band gaps. At first sight, this "band structure engineering" seems impossible in organic semiconductors, which usually exhibit localized electronic states instead of Bloch bands. However, the strong Coulomb interaction in organic semiconductors allows for a continuous shift of the ionization energy (IE) over a wide range by mixing molecules with halogenated derivatives that exhibit different quadrupole moments. Here, this effect of energy level engineering on blends of pentacene and two fluorinated derivatives, in which the position but not the number of fluorine atoms differ, is studied. Structural investigations confirm that pentacene forms intermixed phases in blends with the fluorinated species. The investigation of electronic properties and simulations reveals a much larger shift of the ionization energy (1.5 eV) than in previous studies, allowing to test this model in a range not investigated so far, and emphasizing the role of the position of the halogen atoms. The tuning effect is preserved in electronic devices such as field-effect transistors and significantly influences device characteristics.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number2002987
Number of pages9
JournalAdvanced functional materials
Volume30
Issue number32
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2020
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

Scopus 85087121863
ORCID /0000-0002-9773-6676/work/142247028

Keywords

Keywords

  • charge carrier transport, energy level tuning, long-range electrostatic forces, organic electronics, structure-property relationship, INITIO MOLECULAR-DYNAMICS, CHARGE-TRANSFER, BASIS-SETS, HETEROSTRUCTURES, THERMOCHEMISTRY, TRANSITION, PENTACENE, ELEMENTS, STATES, ATOMS