Chemical Effects in Organic Electronics

Effects of the chemical environment on devices utilizing organic semiconductors are discussed. It is convenient and justified to use silicon-based insulated gate field-effect transistors (IGFET) as the yardstick by which the performance of organic field-effect transistors (OFET) are measured. However, the same issues may apply to other types of devices utilizing organic semiconductors (OS). The focus of this article is on chemical modulation of the critical parts of these devices, specifically on the bulk electronic properties, contacts between the metal and OS, and interface between the OS and the insulating support. Controlled interactions between the chemical environment and the solid-state devices have been well documented and utilized in chemical sensors. On the other hand, uncontrolled chemical interactions with a solid-state device may lead to experimental artifacts in electronics that is intended for signal and information processing.