Electric Field Tuning Molecular Packing and Electrical Properties of Solution‐Shearing Coated Organic Semiconducting Thin Films

Recent improvements in solution‐coated organic semiconductors (OSCs) evidence their high potential for cost‐efficient organic electronics and sensors. Molecular packing structure determines the charge transport property of molecular solids. However, it remains challenging to control the molecular packing structure for a given OSC. Here, the application of alternating electric fields is reported to fine‐tune the crystal packing of OSC solution‐shearing coated at ambient conditions. First, a theoretical model based on dielectrophoresis is developed to guide the selection of the optimal conditions (frequency and amplitude) of the electric field applied through the solution‐shearing blade during coating of OSC thin films. Next, electric field‐induced polymorphism is demonstrated for OSCs with both herringbone and 2D brick‐wall packing motifs in 2,7‐dioctyl[1]benzothieno[3,2‐b][1]benzothiophene and 6,13‐bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) pentacene, respectively. Favorable molecular packing can be accessible in some cases, resulting in higher charge carrier mobilities. This work provides a new approach to tune the properties of solution‐coated OSCs in functional devices for high‐performance printed electronics.