Tutorial EP01—Fundamentals of Liquid-Crystalline Semiconductors

In organic electronics, it is critically important to understand how chemical structure influences molecular packing, carrier transport and ultimately device performance. The self-assembly properties of liquid-crystalline semiconductors offer many interesting advantages for fabricating highly ordered molecular films with interesting properties, including high carrier mobilities and good thermal stability. 

This tutorial will provide a comprehensive overview of molecular self-assembly and liquid crystallinity in organic electronics. We aim to highlight the great potential for exploiting these effects in large-scale applications. We will begin by introducing the basics of liquid-crystalline small molecules and polymers, liquid-crystalline mesophases, film processing and characterization and device physics. Relevant experimental and theoretical tools for studying this class of materials will be introduced. Finally, we will survey state-of-the-art results on the application of liquid-crystalline semiconductors in high-performance organic electronics

This tutorial is aimed at experimentalists and theorists in physics, chemistry and materials science.

1:30 pm
Jun-ichi Hanna, Tokyo Institute of Technology

The basics of liquid-crystalline small-molecule semiconductors will be introduced, with focus on controlling molecular order via liquid-crystalline mesophases, electrical transport in liquid-crystalline films, device physics and applications.

2:30 pm—BREAK

3:00 pm
Enrique Gomez, The Pennsylvania State University

The basics of polymeric liquid-crystalline semiconductors will be introduced, with focus on molecular design, controlling molecular order, film characterization, electrical and optical properties.

4:00 pm
Elizabeth von Hauff, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Concepts of carrier transport in organic semiconductors will be discussed, with focus on how molecular ordering determines transport phenomena.