Spray printing of organic semiconducting single crystals

Single-crystal semiconductors have been at the forefront of scientific interest for more than 70 years, serving as the backbone of electronic devices. Inorganic single crystals are typically grown from a melt using time-consuming and energy-intensive processes. Organic semiconductor single crystals, however, can be grown using solution-based methods at room temperature in air, opening up the possibility of large-scale production of inexpensive electronics targeting applications ranging from field-effect transistors and light-emitting diodes to medical X-ray detectors. Here we demonstrate a low-cost, scalable spray-printing process to fabricate high-quality organic single crystals, based on various semiconducting small molecules on virtually any substrate by combining the advantages of antisolvent crystallization and solution shearing. The crystals’ size, shape and orientation are controlled by the sheer force generated by the spray droplets’ impact onto the antisolvent’s surface. This method demonstrates the feasibility of a spray-on single-crystal organic electronics

Designs are cultural alloys; STEMPJE in design methodology

... the scholar who says he detests any kind of science is not only ridiculous: his attitude is decidedly harmful. Harmful because it encourages those who are responsible for decisions that may determine the fate of mankind to be intentionally ignorant about the material background against which their decisions should be taken. Harmful also because authors and scholars, while gladly using modern commodities, fail to see the philosophical implications of science and tend to deny scientists and engineers their legitimate place in culture. But we, scientists and engineers, we know that we have not only created material things and above all we know that we contribute to better relations between nations and peoples. For us it is easy to have understanding of and objective appreciation for the work of others, and from there it is not difficult to arrive also at human understanding and appreciation [H.B.G. Casimir, 1965; italics added