Charge carrier trapping in thin films of lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals (LCLCs) based on ionic perylene diimide derivative and in chemically-similar neutral N,N′-dipentyl-3,4,9,10-perylene-dicarboximide (PTCDI-C5) films is investigated by thermally-stimulated luminescence (TSL) technique. The LCLC films comprise elongated molecular aggregates featuring a long-range orientational order. The obtained results provide direct evidence for the improved energetic ordering (smaller effective energetic disorder) in aggregated LCLC films as compared to conventional PTCDI-C5 films. The width of the density-of-state distribution of 0.09 eV and 0.13 eV was estimated for the LCLC and PTCDI-C5 films, respectively. Relatively small effective energetic disorder in LCLC films is ascribed to formation of macroscopically larger LCLC aggregates.

Short channel organic thin film transistors in bottom-gate, bottom contact configuration use typically gold metallization for the source and drain contacts because this metal can easily be cleaned from photoresist residuals by oxygen plasma or ultraviolet-ozone and allows also surface modification by self-assembled monolayers (e.g. thiols). Alternative low-cost bottom contact metallization for high performance short-channel organic thin film transistors are scarce because of the incompatibility of the bottom contact material with the cleaning step. In this work a new process flow, involving a temporary thin aluminum protection layer, is presented. Short channel (3.4 μm) pentacene transistors with lithographical defined and thiol modified silver source/drain bottom contacts (25 nm thick, on a 2 nm titanium adhesion layer) prepared according to this process achieved a saturation mobility of 0.316 cm2/(V.s), and this at a metal cost below 1% of the standard 30 nm thick gold metallization.

Thin film growth by high vacuum evaporation of the n-type organic semiconductor 5, 5″′-diperfluorohexylcarbonyl-2,2′:5′,2″:5″,2″′-quaterthiophene (DFHCO-4T) on poly-(α-methylstyrene)-coated n++-Si/SiO2 substrates is investigated at various deposition fluxes and substrate temperatures. Film characterization by atomic force microscopy reveals typical Stransky-Krastanov growth. Transistors with Au source-drain top contacts and optimized DFHCO-4T deposition conditions attain an apparent saturation mobility of 4.6 cm2/Vs, whereas this parameter is 100× lower for similar transistors with LiF/Al top contacts. We explain this lower performance by the formation of a thin interfacial layer with poor injection properties resulting from a redox reaction between Al and DFHCO-4T.

Memory cells based on Cu+ and Ag+ metal-organic charge-transfer complexes, as for example CuTCNQ (where TCNQ denotes 7,7',8,8'-tetracyanoquinodimethane), are well known for their bistable resistive electrical switching since 1979. The switching mechanism however remained unclear for very long time. In this contribution we describe the different views (bulk vs. interfacial switching), give evidence for interfacial switching in the case of CuTCNQ, and present a model allowing explaining the bipolar resistive electrical switching by an interfacial effect, even for experiments considered until now as proof for bulk switching. The proposed switching mechanism is based on bridging of an ion-permeable layer (or gap) by conductive Cu channels, which are formed and dissolved by an electrochemical reaction implying monovalent Cu+ cations, originating from a solid ionic conductor (as for example CuTCNQ). The model was furthermore generalized to other memory systems consisting of a permeable layer and a solid ionic conductor, including also inorganic solid ionic conductors as for example Ag2S.

CuTCNQ (TCNQ=7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane) is a resistive switching charge-transfer complex which can be used for organic nonvolatile memories. In this contribution we report on a thorough investigation of the electrical switching of CuTCNQ memories. Our memories currently achieve an endurance of up to 10000 write/erase cycles with a clear distinction between ON and OFF reading currents. ON and OFF threshold voltages follow a Gaussian distribution. Temperature dependent measurements of CuTCNQ based organic memories show a semiconductor like behavior for the ON state. The retention time of the ON state exceeded 60 hours at room temperature. Electrical switching of CuTCNQ memories in air was virtually not affected by temperatures up to 80°C, but becomes erratic at 120°C. The CuTCNQ material itself already starts to decompose around 200°C in presence of oxygen as shown by thermogravimetric analysis.

In this work, we report on high-performance low voltage pentacene Organic Thin-Film Transistors (OTFT's) and circuits. Inverters and ring oscillators have been designed and fabricated. At 15 V supply voltage, we have observed invertors showing a voltage gain of 9 and an output swing of more than 13 V. As for the ring oscillators, oscillations started at supply voltages as low as 8.5 V. At a supply voltage of only 15 V, a stage delay time of 3.3 νs is calculated from experimental results.

We believe that these results show for the first time a high speed ring oscillator at relatively low supply voltages. The required supply voltages can be obtained by rectification using an organic (pentacene) diode. These results may have an important impact on the realization of RF-ID tags: by integrating our circuits with an organic diode, the fabrication of organic RF-ID tags comes closer.