Solution-processable pentacene microcrystal arrays for high performance organic field-effect transistors

The authors report the fabrication of one-dimensional crystal arrays of triisopropylsilylethynyl pentacene (TIPS PEN) via simple drop casting on a tilted substrate. By pinning a solution droplet on the tilted substrate, an array of ribbon-shaped crystals aligned in the tilted direction was formed on the substrate. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that these crystals were oriented in the crystal growth direction. A thin film transistor based on such an array of TIPS PEN crystals was found to have a high field-effect mobility of 0.3 cm²/V s, which results from the directed organization of the π-conjugated molecules.