Granted Patent B1

US 7,067,349 · App. 10/968,705 · Granted Jun 27, 2006

Abstract

Claims (32)

1. A method for improving at least one of carrier ion/charge mobility, permeability and distribution in a semiconducting polymer layer of a polymer memory cell, comprising:

providing a first electrode on a substrate;

forming a passive layer over the first electrode;

forming a semiconducting polymer layer over the passive layer, wherein the semiconducting polymer layer comprises at least one semiconducting polymer comprising one or more ion-complexing side-chain groups that reversibly binds, complexes, or accepts carrier ions/charges, the proportion of ion-complexing side-chain groups to a monomeric precursor of the semiconducting polymer ranges from about 0.01:1 to about 1:1 to facilitate carrier ion/charge mobility by providing a path for carrier ion/charge motion from one ion-complexing side-chain group to another; and

providing a second electrode over the semiconducting polymer layer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ion-complexing side-chain group comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of pyridine, bipyridine, terpyridine, quaterpyridine, quinquepyridine, sexipyridine, phenanthroline, ethers, thioethers, and derivatives thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ion-complexing groups are incorporated into monomeric precursors of the semiconducting polymers before forming the semiconducting polymer layer.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ion-complexing groups are introduced into the semiconducting polymer after the formation of the semiconducting polymer layer.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ion-complexing groups are introduced into the semiconducting polymer during the formation of the semiconducting polymer layer.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the semiconducting polymer containing ion-complexing side-chain groups comprises more than one type of ion-complexing side-chain groups.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the semiconducting polymer layer comprises from about 1% to about 99.99% by weight of the semiconducting polymer with ion-complexing side-chain groups and from about 99% to about 0.01% by weight of the semiconducting polymer with no ion-complexing side-chain groups.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ion-complexing side-chain groups are linked to the semiconducting polymer via covalent linkage.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein each monomeric precursor comprises one or more ion-complexing side-chain groups.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ion-complexing side-chain groups comprise at least one of bipyridine, terpyridine, quaterpyridine, quinquepyridine, sexipyridine, phenanthroline, ethers, thioethers, and derivatives thereof.

11. A method of fabricating an organic thin film transistor, comprising:

depositing a gate electrode;

forming an insulator adjacent to the gate electrode;

forming source and drain regions; and

forming a semiconducting polymer layer, wherein the semiconducting polymer layer comprises at least one semiconducting polymer with one or more ion-complexing side-chain groups that reversibly binds, complexes, or accepts ions/charges, the proportion of ion-complexing side-chain groups to a monomeric precursor of the semiconducting polymer ranges from about 0.01:1 to about 1:1 to facilitate ion/charge mobility by providing a path for ion/charge motion from one ion-complexing side-chain group to another.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the ion-complexing side-chain groups comprise at least one of pyridine, bipyridine, terpyridine, quaterpyridine, quinquepyridine, sexipyridine, phenanthroline, ethers, thioethers, and derivatives thereof.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the ion-complexing groups are introduced into the semiconducting polymer during the formation of the semiconducting polymer layer.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein each monomeric precursor comprises one or more ion-complexing side-chain groups.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the semiconducting polymer layer comprises from about 1% to about 99.99% by weight of the semiconducting polymer with ion-complexing side-chain groups and from about 99% to about 0.01% by weight of the semiconducting polymer with no ion-complexing side-chain groups.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the ion-complexing groups are incorporated into monomeric precursors of the semiconducting polymers before forming the semiconducting polymer layer.

17. A method of fabricating an organic thin film transistor, comprising:

depositing a gate electrode;

forming an insulator adjacent to the gate electrode;

forming source and drain regions; and

forming a semiconducting polymer layer, wherein the semiconducting polymer layer comprises semiconducting polymers randomly oriented with one or more ion-complexing side-chain groups that reversibly binds, complexes, or accepts ions/charges, the proportion of ion-complexing side-chain groups to a monomeric precursor of the semiconducting polymer ranges from about 0.01:1 to about 1:1 to facilitate ion/charge mobility by providing a path for ion/charge motion from one ion-complexing side-chain group to another.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the ion-complexing side-chain groups comprise at least one of pyridine, bipyridine, terpyridine, quaterpyridine, quinquepyridine, sexipyridine, phenanthroline, ethers, thioethers, and derivatives thereof.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the ion-complexing side-chain groups comprise at least one of bipyridine, terpyridine, quaterpyridine, quinquepyridine, sexipyridine, phenanthroline, ethers, thioethers, and derivatives thereof.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein each monomeric precursor comprises one or more ion-complexing side-chain groups.

Assignments (7)