Systems and methods for organic semiconductor devices with sputtered contact layers

1. An organic semiconductor device, the device comprising:

a first contact layer comprising a first sputter-deposited transparent conducting oxide;

an electron transport layer interfacing with the first contact layer;

a second contact layer comprising a second sputter-deposited transparent conducting oxide;

a hole transport layer interfacing with the second contact layer;

an organic semiconductor active layer having a first side facing the electron transport layer and an opposing second side facing the hole transport layer; and

a plurality of scribes that extend into the electron transport layer, the hole transport layer, and the organic semiconductor active layer;

wherein either the electron transport layer or the hole transport layer comprises a buffering transport layer;

wherein either the first sputter-deposited transparent conducting oxide or the second sputter-deposited transparent conducting oxide extends into the plurality of scribes and is configured to electrically connect the first contact layer on a first side of each of the plurality of scribes to the second contact layer on a second side of each of the plurality of scribes.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the buffering transport layer comprises a transparent polymer material, a semi-transparent polymer material, a transparent oxide material or semi-transparent oxide material.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the organic semiconductor active layer comprises either an organic bulk heterojunction structure or a bilayer structure.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the organic semiconductor active layer comprises an organic bulk heterojunction absorber layer.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the organic semiconductor active layer comprises an organic emissive electroluminescent layer.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first sputter-deposited transparent conducting oxide and the second sputter-deposited transparent conducting oxide both comprise sputter-deposited indium zinc oxide (IZO).

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first sputter-deposited transparent conducting oxide or the second sputter-deposited transparent conducting oxide comprise at least one of:

sputtered indium zinc oxide (IZO);

sputtered indium tin oxide (ITO);

sputtered aluminum doped zinc oxide (AZO); or

sputtered gallium doped zinc oxide (GZO).

8. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a substrate layer adjacent to either the first contact layer or the second contact layer.

9. An organic semiconductor device, the device comprising:

a substrate;

one or more backside device layers adjacent to the substrate;

an organic semiconductor active layer having an interface with the one or more backside device layers;

a buffering transport layer applied over the organic semiconductor active layer;

a plurality of scribes that extend into the buffering transport layer, the organic semiconductor active layer and the one or more backside device layers; and

a sputter-deposited transparent material contact layer applied over the buffering transport layer and into the plurality of scribes, wherein the sputter-deposited transparent material contact layer defines a front contact layer on a first side of each of the plurality of scribes and is configured to electrically connect the front contact layer to a back contact layer within the one or more backside device layers on a second side of each of the plurality of scribes.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the sputtered transparent material contact layer comprises a sputter-deposited transparent conducting oxide.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the sputter-deposited transparent conducting oxide comprises a sputtered indium zinc oxide (IZO).

12. The device of claim 9 , wherein the buffering transport layer comprises at least one of, a transparent polymer material, a semi-transparent polymer material, a transparent oxide material or semi-transparent oxide material.

13. The device of claim 9 , wherein the organic semiconductor active layer comprises either an organic bulk heterojunction structure or a bilayer structure.

14. A device comprising in order:

a front contact layer comprising a sputter-deposited transparent conducting oxide;

a buffering transport layer;

an organic semiconductor active layer; and

a plurality of scribes that extend into the buffering transport layer and the organic semiconductor active layer;

wherein the sputter-deposited transparent conducting oxide is applied over the buffering transport layer and into the plurality of scribes, wherein the sputter-deposited transparent conducting oxide is configured to electrically connect the front contact layer on a first side of each of the plurality of scribes to a back contact layer on a second side of each of the plurality of scribes.