Green Solvent Engineering for Solution-Sheared TIPS-Pentacene Thin-film Transistors
When and Where
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Abstract
The replacement of hazardous chlorinated and aromatic solvents is becoming increasingly important for the sustainable manufacturing of organic electronics. However, identifying environmentally friendly solvents that provide excellent semiconductor crystallization and device performance remains a significant challenge. In this work, we investigate green solvent engineering for solution-sheared 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene (TIPS-pentacene) thin-film transistors (TFTs). Green solvents, including esters, carbonates, ethers, and bio-derived solvents, were evaluated using a bottom-gate/top-contact TFT architecture. The solution-shearing process was optimized for each solvent by controlling the coating conditions and post-deposition thermal treatment to achieve highly ordered semiconductor films.
Several green solvents successfully produced highly crystalline TIPS-pentacene thin films with field-effect mobility of 1.3-2.5 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ comparable to or exceeding those obtained using conventional chlorinated solvents. Atomic force microscopy revealed micrometer-scale crystalline domains, and X-ray diffraction confirmed highly crystalline microstructures. These characteristics strongly correlate with the improved electrical performance achieved using the selected green solvents.
The results demonstrate that appropriate solvent selection enables environmentally friendly processing without sacrificing device performance. Green solvents such as isobutyl acetate and anisole provide an attractive combination of sustainability, excellent film-forming ability, and high transistor performance, offering practical alternatives to conventional hazardous solvents for scalable organic thin-film electronics.
