Organic electronics is an interdisciplinary research field involving organic chemistry, physics, electronic engineering and materials science. Organic optoelectronic devices, such as organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs), organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs), perovskite solar cells (PSCs) and organic thin film transistors (OTFTs), have attracted significant attention in both academia and industries due to their potential applications in displays, lighting, renewable energy, photocatalyst, and data transport, processes and storage, etc. For example, OLEDs have been recognized as one of the most promising flat-panel display technologies owing to the advantages of self-emission, full color capability and flexibility. OPVs and PSCs are considered as rapidly-developing green energy technologies because of their low cost and simple fabrication processes. OTFTs are becoming a research hotspot as they also possess the merits of low cost, flexibility and large area capability. However, there are still many scientific and technical issues remaining to be solved in organic electronics, such as material instability, low efficiency, size- and flexibility-induced performance uncertainty, and insufficient encapsulation, which hinder the commercialization of OLEDs, OPVs, PSCs and OTFTs. Especially the theory in organic electronics, which is very different from the classical models in inorganic semiconductors, is yet not completely understood. For example, the charge behaviors in organic semiconductors and the conversion mechanism in these organic-based optoelectronic devices are still under debate.

Accordingly, the Laboratory for Organic Optoelectronic Devices and Materials in FUNSOM dedicates itself to the studies of organic optoelectronic materials, devices and related manufacturing techniques along the chain of “Molecular Design and Synthesis → High-Performance Device → Device Physics → Technology Application” with any technological achievements for commercialization. The lab will focus on the studies in organic electronics as following:

1. Device technologies.

High-efficiency, large-area white OLEDs for solid-state lighting, full-color OLEDs in display application; high-performance OPVs and PSCs with high conversion efficiency and low cost; high-performance OTFTs; and large-area and flexible organic electronic devices.

2. Device physics.

The charge behaviors including charge injection and transport, exciton formation and separation in organic semiconductors; the mechanisms of energy transfer and energy conversion; the physical and chemical properties at device interfaces; the basis for synthesizing new organic semiconductors and designing highly functional organic electronic devices.

3. Thin film encapsulation.

Thin film packaging is the most important part in the preparation of flexible OLEDs. The encapsulation layers have to protect the OLED against water and oxygen permeations and provide the ability to conform, bend or roll a display/lighting panel into shapes. Our research focuses on the development of advanced thin film encapsulation techniques for flexible OLED by using multi-layers of inorganic thin films with very low water permeability and organic thin films with hydrophobic in nature, which not only repel moisture but also act as a stress relieving and planarization film.

Editor: Danting Xiang