Grant: Special Research Opportunity Program - Inter-American Collaboration in Materials Research

The proposed project deals with the development of novel flexible organic-metal hybrid transistors in vertical structure through a synergistic collaboration between the two teams at the Department of Chemistry of Carleton University in Canada and at the Department of Physics of Universidade Federal do Paran¦ in Brazil. Each team will contribute specific expertise, facility, and equipment necessary for achieving the project objectives: (1) to correlate the transistor characteristics with a series of indenofluorene derivatives and polymers, (2) to realize the flexible organic-metal hybrid transistors, and (3) to demonstrate transistor-driven electrochromic display devices. Novel organic semiconductor compounds and polymers will be synthesized by the team at Carleton University and investigated for use in organic-metal hybrid transistors by the team in Brazil. The two teams will further work together on the design, fabrication and testing of transistor-driven electrochromic display devices. Various synthetic and processing methodologies will be employed, in order to effectively control and tune the molecular structures, thin-film morphology and properties. The project provides advanced training to students in the areas of organic chemistry, polymer chemistry, materials science, and organic electronics. The students will also have an opportunity of learning device physics and micro-fabrication techniques. The project offers a special opportunity for Canada to capture a significant technological breakthrough in the flexible transistor-based technology. Besides a large, high-resolution, flexible transistor-driven electrochromic display, other flexible transistor-driven devices can also be realized, such as controllable light-reflective or light-transmissive devices for optical information and storage, anti-glare car rear-view mirrors, sunglasses, protective eyewear, glare-reduction systems for offices, and "smart windows" for use in cars and in buildings.