X-rays reveal molecular arrangements for better printable electronics

By employing powerful X-rays that can see down to the molecular level of organic materials used in printable electronics, researchers are now able to determine why some materials perform better than others. Their findings, published in the journal Nature Materials, could lead to cheaper, more efficient printable electronic devices.

"This work is exciting because it helps reveal in new detail how we can achieve high performance transistors and solar cells with polymers," said UC Santa Barbara professor of materials Michael Chabinyc, who, with UCSB chemistry graduate student Justin Cochran and North Carolina State physicists Harald Ade and Brian Collins, set out to find out which materials and which processing steps worked better, in what is still a largely trial-and-error process for manufacturers of printable electronics. This effort also involved collaboration with an international team, including researchers from Monash University in Australia and Univeristät Erlangen-Nümberg in Germany.