GOALI: Multilayered Polymer Hybrid Optoelectronic Devices

University Of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz CA

Investigators

Abstract

0101794 Carter Liquid processable solid state semiconductors show promise of dramatically changing future technologies by offering improved and new device functionality at significantly lower energy, environmental and processing costs than traditionally processed semiconductors. In the class of liquid processable materials for optoelectronic applications, polymer-based semiconductors offer some of the highest charge carrier recombination and generation efficiencies combined with advantages of being highly tunable, flexible, light weight and dopable. Nonetheless, significant challenges exist for making high performance polymer-base devices due to difficulties in achieving both efficient charge injection into the polymer and high current densities with long device lifetimes under ambient conditions. Recent work on multilayered and blended polymer-based structures that contain charge-transport layers has been undertaken to overcome these limitations. While this direction is promising, it has also introduced a new challenge, namely how do we understand charge injection, transport, generation and recombination in multilayered heterostructures of polymer-based devices? The objective of this proposal is to address this question through systematic experiments and simulations on multicomponent polymer-based light emitting diodes and photovoltaics. To accomplish this objective, they have brought together an interdisciplinary team of three scientists from academic, industrial and government labs. Sue Carter, a physics professor at the University of California, is an expert in electrical and optical characterization of polymer-based optoelectronic devices. J. Campbell Scott, a Research Staff Member at IBM Almaden Research Center, is an expert in the design, characterization and simulation of organic-based light emitting devices. Finally, David Ginley, a principle scientist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratories, is an expert in photovoltaic technologies and the synthesis of inorganic semiconducting nanoparticles. This extensive experience, combined with their demonstrated commitment to the education of students and to the advancement of these fields, should enable them to achieve their goal to have significant impact on their understanding of multilayered polymer-based optoelectronic devices, increasing their potential for scientific innovation and technological viability.