The Influence of the Solvent Evaporation Rate on the Phase Separation and Electrical Performances of Soluble Acene‐Polymer Blend Semiconductors

Abstract The phase‐separation characteristics of spin‐cast difluorinated‐triethylsilylethynyl anthradithiophene (F‐TESADT)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) blends are investigated with the aim of fabricating transistors with a high field‐effect mobility and stability. It is found that the presence of PMMA in the F‐TESADT/PMMA blends prevents dewetting of F‐TESADT from the substrate and provides a platform for F‐TESADT molecules to segregate and crystallize at the air–film interface. By controlling the solvent evaporation rate of the spin‐cast blend solution, it is possible to regulate the phase separation of the two components, which in turn determines the structural development of the F‐TESADT crystals on PMMA. At a low solvent evaporation rate, a bilayer structure consisting of highly ordered F‐TESAT crystals on the top and low‐trap PMMA dielectric on the bottom can be fabricated by a one‐step spin‐casting process. The use of F‐TESADT/PMMA blend films in bottom gate transistors produces much higher field‐effect mobilities and greater stability than homo F‐TESADT films because the phase‐separated interface provides an efficient pathway for charge transport.