High field-effect mobility from poly(3-hexylthiophene) thin-film transistors by solvent–vapor-induced reflow

Room-temperature exposure of spin-coated poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) films to ortho-dichlorobenzene vapor increases the field-effect mobility of the P3HT organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs). The mobility increases moderately with unsaturated vapor exposure, owing to increased crystallinity of the P3HT films; on the other hand, the mobility increases abruptly with saturated vapor exposure, to 0.11 cm2/V s. The saturated vapor exposure causes the P3HT films to reflow, leaving in the active area approximately 2–3 P3HT monolayers whose molecular ordering is enhanced by the flow-generated shear against the gate dielectric. Although the reflowed OTFTs degrade in air much faster than do the non-reflowed OTFTs due to the susceptibility of the ultra-thin reflowed films, they become highly stable when encapsulated, obtaining a lifetime of more than 3000 h.