ELECTRICAL DEVICES BASED ON SPIN-COATABLE POLYANILINES

THERE IS A STATED NEED FOR LOW-TEMPERATURE PROCESSES FOR THEDEPOSITION OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES ON TOP OF INSULATORS. IN PARTICULAR, NONLINEAR DEVICES ARE NEEDED IN THE LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY INDUSTRY IN ACTIVE MATRIX LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAYS. THE MAXIMUM SIZE OF DISPLAYS IS LIMITED IN PART BY THE DIFFICULTY IN PRODUCING SMALL, NONLINEAR DEVICES OVERLARGE AREA GLASS SUBSTRATES. THIS PROPOSAL ADDRESSES A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM: THE FABRICATION OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES THROUGH THE USE OF A SPIN-COATABLE SEMICONDUCTING POLYMER COATING. PREVIOUSLY, THE INSOLUBILITY OF SEMICONDUCTING POLYMERS HAS LIMITED THEIR USE IN DEVICES. RECENTLY, WE HAVE DEVELOPED A SEMICONDUCTING POLYMER COATING WHICH IS SUFFICIENTLY SOLUBLEIN ORGANIC SOLVENTS TO PRODUCE SPIN-COATED FILMS OF THICKNESSES FROM 0.1 MICRON TO 4 MICRONS WITH A RESISTIVITY RANGING FROM 10 TO 300 OHM CM. THE POLYMER IS A SUBSTITUTEDVERSION OF POLYANILINE. WE PROPOSE TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF USING BREWER SCIENCE'S SPIN-COATABLE SEMICONDUCTING POLYMER TO MAKE NONLINEAR ELECTRICAL DEVICES,SUCH AS DIODES AND THIN FILM TRANSISTORS, OF THE TYPE THAT WOULD BE USED IN ACTIVE MATRIX LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAYS. THESE DEVICES COULD BE USED IN OTHER GENERAL APPLICATIONS ASWELL.