Structures and Properties of Poly(3-Alkylthiophene) Thin-Films Fabricated Though Vapor-Phase Polymerization

Organic semiconducting polymer thin-films of 3-hexylthiophene, 3-octylthiophene, 3-decylthiophene, containing highly oriented crystal were fabricated by gas-phase polymerization using the CVD technique. These poly(3-alkylthiophene) films had a crystallinity up to 80%, and possessed a Hall mobility up to 10 cm²/Vs. The degree of crystalinity and the mobility values increased as the alkyl chain length increased. The crystal structure of the polymers was composed of stacked layers constructed by a side-by-side arrangement of alkyl chains and in-plane π–π stacking. These thin films are capable of being applied to organic electronics as the active materials used in thin-film transistors and organic photovoltaic cells.