Exploring Wide‐Range Alkyl Bridge Length Variations in Polymer Semiconductors: From Pristine to Blend Films for High‐Mobility Stretchable TFTs

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Authors: Hyunbum Kang, Hyungjun Kim, Yasutaka Kuzumoto, B. H. Lee, EunA Kim, Ajeong Choi, Kyunghun Kim, Sung‐Gyu Kang, Joo‐Young Kim, Jaebong Jung, Sangah Gam, Jisoo Shin
+4 more Younhee Lim, Seon‐Jeong Lim, Youngjun Yun, Gae Hwang Lee
Cited by: 2
References: 47

Abstract

ABSTRACT The development of intrinsically stretchable thin‐film transistors (TFTs) with high mobility is essential for next‐generation deformable electronics, including wearable displays and bio‐integrated systems. However, most approaches to improve stretchability in polymer semiconductors compromise charge transport due to disrupted molecular ordering. Here, we report a systematic exploration of wide‐range of alkyl bridge length variations of donor–acceptor‐type conjugated polymers to control crystallinity and morphology without altering the polymer backbone. We also propose a method to quantify the relative degree of crystallinity, enabling comparison across different polymer systems. When blended with an elastomer and aligned via solution shearing, the optimized polymer exhibited a maximum mobility of 6.4 cm 2 V −1 s −1 at 0% strain ( V DS = −40 V). The polymer stretchable device maintained measurable mobility (0.6 cm 2 V −1 s −1 ) at 100% strain under the perpendicular to the channel direction under a low V DS of −10 V. Furthermore, wafer‐scale photopatterning enabled fabrication of a 38‐device intrinsically stretchable TFT array with high uniformity and an average mobility of 5.5 cm 2 V −1 s −1 at 0% strain. This work establishes a molecular design framework that elucidates the link between structure, mechanical resilience, and electrical performance, offering generalizable principles and a scalable platform for high‐performance deformable electronics.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials Organic Electronics and Photovoltaics Thin-Film Transistor Technologies

Publication details

Journal / source
Small
Publisher
Wiley
Volume
22
Issue
13
Pages
e11011–e11011
Publication date
12 January 2026
Language
EN