Aligned Carbon Nanotube/Organic Semiconductor Heterojunction in Phototransistors

Photodetectors are one of the fundamental elements of optoelectronic circuits. Phototransistors produce current both by absorbing light and also taking advantage of the gate electrode to increase gain. Solution-processed electronics has many advantages, including low-cost and low-temperature fabrication. In thin-film transistors (TFTs), the channel can be made with carbon-based semiconductors such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs). CNTs are flexible, have mechanical strength, and require low processing temperatures. In a heterojunction with a polymer in a phototransistor, the polymer acts as the absorber to convert photons into electrical charges, and the CNTs transport the carriers to the terminals. The proposed research project will focus on studying inkjet printing of CNTs as a scalable, patterned thin-film deposition technique. We will study the effect of printed film morphology and CNT alignment during drying on the blend interfaces and phototransistor performance. Our hypothesis is that the CNT alignment will affect the transport of photogenerated carriers and charge transfer in the device.

Faculty Supervisor:

Gerd Grau

Student:

Partner:

Karlsruher Institut für Technologie

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Education

University:

York University

Program: