Shear‐Free Static Micro‐Inclined Film Formation (SMICFF): Gravity and Marangoni‐Driven Fabrication of High‐Performance Organic Semiconductors

Abstract The advancement of organic electronics necessitates innovative film formation technologies to address challenges in crystallinity control, uniformity, and reproducibility. This study introduces static micro‐inclined film formation (SMICFF), a novel technique inspired by natural fluid dynamics, to fabricate high‐performance organic semiconductor thin films. By leveraging gravity and Marangoni flow, SMICFF enables precise control over molecular alignment and film uniformity, eliminating the need for external shear forces. Using two model materials poly(3,3′‐difluoro‐5,5″″‐dimethyl‐3″,4″″‐bis(2‐octyldodecyl)‐2,2′:5′,2″:5″,2″′:5″′,2″″‐quinquethiophene) (P5TCN‐2F) and low‐solubility poly(4‐(3‐(3‐decylpentadecyl)‐3″,4′‐difluoro‐5″‐methyl‐[2,2′:5′,2″‐terthiophen]‐5‐yl)‐7‐(4‐(3‐decylpentadecyl)‐5‐methylthiophen‐2‐yl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole‐5,6‐dicarbonitrile) (PDCBT‐DP2F), SMICFF‐produced films achieved carrier mobilities of 2.41 cm 2 /V s and 0.31 cm 2 /V s, respectively, representing over 5‐fold enhancements compared to blade‐coated, bar‐coated, and drop‐cast counterparts. Statistical analysis revealed Gaussian‐distributed device parameters with reduced batch‐to‐batch variability, underscoring SMICFF′s inherent optimization capability. The technique′s compatibility with high‐surface‐tension systems is demonstrated through solvent screening and temperature‐controlled evaporation protocols. These findings establish SMICFF as a robust platform for the rapid evaluation of materials and the high‐throughput fabrication of flexible electronics, overcoming the critical limitations of traditional solution‐processing methods.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Functional Materials
Published
2025-06-02
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202506218
Primary Topic
Nanofabrication and Lithography Techniques
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Shear‐Free Static Micro‐Inclined Film Formation (SMICFF): Gravity and Marangoni‐Driven Fabrication of High‐Performance Organic Semiconductors

Jian Deng, Zengqi Xie, Chunhui Duan, Kangzhe Liu et al.
Advanced Functional Materials
Nanofabrication and Lithography Techniques
article

Shear‐Free Static Micro‐Inclined Film Formation (SMICFF): Gravity and Marangoni‐Driven Fabrication of High‐Performance Organic Semiconductors

Jian Deng, Zengqi Xie, Chunhui Duan, Kangzhe Liu, Shaohua Tong, Yuguang Ma, Liqun Liu, Ding Tang, Xiyue Yuan
article en

Abstract

Abstract The advancement of organic electronics necessitates innovative film formation technologies to address challenges in crystallinity control, uniformity, and reproducibility. This study introduces static micro‐inclined film formation (SMICFF), a novel technique inspired by natural fluid dynamics, to fabricate high‐performance organic semiconductor thin films. By leveraging gravity and Marangoni flow, SMICFF enables precise control over molecular alignment and film uniformity, eliminating the need for external shear forces. Using two model materials poly(3,3′‐difluoro‐5,5″″‐dimethyl‐3″,4″″‐bis(2‐octyldodecyl)‐2,2′:5′,2″:5″,2″′:5″′,2″″‐quinquethiophene) (P5TCN‐2F) and low‐solubility poly(4‐(3‐(3‐decylpentadecyl)‐3″,4′‐difluoro‐5″‐methyl‐[2,2′:5′,2″‐terthiophen]‐5‐yl)‐7‐(4‐(3‐decylpentadecyl)‐5‐methylthiophen‐2‐yl)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole‐5,6‐dicarbonitrile) (PDCBT‐DP2F), SMICFF‐produced films achieved carrier mobilities of 2.41 cm 2 /V s and 0.31 cm 2 /V s, respectively, representing over 5‐fold enhancements compared to blade‐coated, bar‐coated, and drop‐cast counterparts. Statistical analysis revealed Gaussian‐distributed device parameters with reduced batch‐to‐batch variability, underscoring SMICFF′s inherent optimization capability. The technique′s compatibility with high‐surface‐tension systems is demonstrated through solvent screening and temperature‐controlled evaporation protocols. These findings establish SMICFF as a robust platform for the rapid evaluation of materials and the high‐throughput fabrication of flexible electronics, overcoming the critical limitations of traditional solution‐processing methods.

Advanced Functional MaterialsVol. 35(42)
Guangzhou Experimental Station (CN), South China University of Technology (CN)
Guangdong Innovative and Entrepreneurial Research Team Program, National Key Research and Development Program of China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence from Molecular Aggregates, South China University of Technology, Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation of Guangdong Province
Openalex Percentile: Top 89%
Nanofabrication and Lithography Techniques
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.