"If implemented in electrical circuits, such an enhancement – achieved by very slight bending – would mean a major leap toward realising next-generation, high-performance organic electronics,” said senior author Vitaly Podsorov, a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy in the School of Art and Sciences at the Rutgers University - New Brunswick.
Semiconductors include materials that conduct electricity and their conductivity can be tuned by different external stimuli. Organic semiconductors are made of organic molecules (mainly consisting of carbon and hydrogen atoms) that form light, flexible crystals called van der Waals molecular crystals. These materials are described a 'promising' for applications in optoelectronics, which harness light and include flexible and printed electronics, sensors and solar cells. Traditional semiconductors made of silicon or germanium have limitations, including cost and rigidity.
One of the most important characteristics of organic and inorganic semiconductors is how fast electricity can flow through electronic devices.
Thanks to progress over the last decade, organic semiconductors can perform roughly 10 times better than traditional amorphous silicon transistors. Tuning semiconductors by bending them is called “strain engineering,” which would open a new avenue of development in the semiconductor industry if implemented successfully.
But until now, there were no conclusive experimental results on how bending organic semiconductors, including those in transistors, may affect the speed of electricity flowing in them.
The Rutgers-led study reports the first such measurement, and a 1 percent bend in an organic transistor can roughly double the speed of electrons flowing through it.
To find details of the study follow the link below.
