High-Throughput Printing of Semiconducting Polymers by Meniscus Oscillated Self Assembly

초록

Controlled evaporative self-assembly of semiconducting polymers has mostly been limited to time-consuming solvent evaporation or non-continuous blade-casting techniques. In this study, we report a novel high-throughput continuous printing of poly (3-hexylthiophene 2,5-diyl) (P3HT) by a custom-made oscillatory roller. The roller oscillation generates a cycle of meniscus stick and slip motion per single rotation of the roller that induces a rapid self-assembly of P3HT lines. The printed P3HT lines demonstrate hierarchical structures: nanometer scale thickness, micron scale width, sub-millimeter pattern intervals, and millimeter to centimeter scale length with highly defined boundaries. Remarkably, the line width and the interval of P3HT patterns can be independently controlled by varying polymer concentrations, the rotation rates of the roller, and the stage speed. Furthermore, grazing incidence wide angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) revealed that the roller-blading technique dramatically enhances crystallinity of P3HT by shear-induced crystallization. This high-throughput printing process for hierarchical assembly will open new opportunities for printed electronics with wide ranges of engineering capability.