Multifunctional Electronic Materials for Thin Film Devices

Organic electronics have garnered a wide range of attention for their potential advantages such as bio-compatiblility, large area compatiblility, and multifunctionality. Herein, we present a polymer blend thin film with semi-conductive, adhesive, and water-proof characteristics that can be utilized as an interfacial layer in three-dimensional organic-based thin film electronic devices for bioelectronics applications. By mixing a semiconducting polymer with conjugated backbone and an adhesive polymer with strong underwater adhesion, we were able to fabricate phase-separated thin films that possess a strong bonding force and exhibit semiconducting behavior applicable to organic thin film transistors (OTFT). Electrical testing demonstrated that blend films of 50 wt% semiconductor and 50 wt% adhesive retains ~ 85% of average saturation mobility of that of 100 wt% semiconductor films. In addition, a 73% reduction in average hysteresis was observed in the blend films compared to that of the neat semiconductor films. Characterizations under spectroscopic ellipsometry and secondary ion mass spectroscopy suggest a vertical separating behavior between the semiconducting layer and the adhesive layer, which allows for multifunctionality of the blend film.