Professor Lewis Rothberg

Organic Device Science

Professor of Chemistry and
Acting Director, Center for Photoinduced Charge Transfer

Department of Chemistry
University of Rochester
Rochester, NY 14627-0216
Tel: (716) 273-4725
Fax: (716) 242-9485
email: ljr@chem.chem.rochester.edu

Summary of Research Interests

My research centers on understanding the materials science necessary to make viable optoelectronic devices from organic materials. These include, for example, light-emitting diodes, thin-film transistors, photodetectors, Xerographic photoreceptors and ele ctrooptic modulators. The promise of organic materials is that they are amenable to processing and device fabrication schemes which can make them significantly less expensive than conventional alternatives. The three basic components to my research progra m are outlined below. Exciting new science and technology will likely emerge from the interplay among them.

The first research mission involves study of the fundamental photophysics and charge transport properties of several classes of organic materials including conjugated polymers and oligomers, molecularly doped polymers and molecular crystals. Specifically , measurements of transient excited state spectroscopy, photoconductivity and photoluminescence are of import to determine the fundamental performance limits for organic electronics.

The second line of research is the fabrication and characterization of organic devices. The purpose of these studies, in conjunction with the fundamental studies, is to understand the mechanism by which these devices work and to ascertain the practical li mits on them. These are deduced from electrical and spectroscopic measurements on functioning devices. A related goal involves developing good contacts to organic materials, a critical technology where an enormous amount of basic science remains to be don e. Systematic studies of the chemical degradation mechanisms and impurities which affect device function are also essential.

The final area of experimentation is aimed at developing new ways to make these devices and systems based upon them which take advantage of the processability of organics. This involves research into the workings of various patterning and layering schemes such as "self-assembly" to create useful supramolecular structures. The ultimate vision motivating this avenue of investigation would be to make circuitry or displays on plastic using simple printing technology or electrophotography which could bypass th e need for expensive lithography and vacuum deposition.

If you would like more information, see my cv and publications.

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