Crystalline Thin-Film Organic Devices

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Karl Leo
• Subject Area: Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 456344071

With this project, we introduce a radically new paradigm into organic electronics: Highly crystalline organic semiconductors will be grown as thick multilayer films on various substrates, allowing to avoid the detrimental influence of static disorder and realize high-performance vertical transport devices. Key issues are to find general rules how such ordered growth can be achieved, including substrate properties, growth method, growth conditions, doping of the layers, and choice of molecules. The properties of the films will be investigated by a variety of structural, spectroscopic and electronic methods. The novel highly ordered films will be used to realize advanced device concepts not possible so far: in particular, we wish to realize high-performance vertical organic transistorsreaching switching speeds far beyond current organic transistors. Also, we wish to realize the first organic bipolar transistor, leveraging the long carrier diffusion lengths in highly ordered organic films. Finally, we strive to realize an electrically pumped organic microcavity laser.

• DFG Programme: Reinhart Koselleck Projects