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arXiv · 2606.09527

Controlled component segregation in vapor-deposited organic semiconductor glass mixtures

Shinian Cheng·Yejung Lee·Lian Yu·Mark D. Ediger·Dean M. DeLongchamp·Camille E. Bishop
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Abstract

Multicomponent vapor-deposited organic glasses are essential in organic electronic applications, but achieving controlled component segregation at the nano- and mesoscale remains a challenge, hindering the rational development of high-performance devices. In this study, we investigate binary organic semiconductor mixtures of TPD (N,N'-Bis(3-methylphenyl)-N,N'-diphenylbenzidine) and TCTA (Tris(4-carbazoyl-9-ylphenyl)amine). Despite being miscible in the bulk liquid state, the co-deposited glassy films of these two organic semiconductors exhibit a range of segregation behaviors, from homogenous to clearly phase-separated structures. We employed differential scanning calorimetry and resonant soft X-ray scattering (RSoXS) to study the component segregation behavior and used the National Institute of Standards and Technology RSoXS Simulation Suite, paired with Atomic Force Microscopy, to interpret the energy-dependent RSoXS spectra. Our results indicate that component segregation in co-deposited TPD-TCTA films is due to a kinetically-arrested nucleation-and-growth mechanism, in contrast to the segregation mechanism of a previously reported TPD-DO37 (disperse orange 37) mixture which is strongly immiscible in bulk. This work provides a demonstration of tunable molecular aggregation in organic semiconductor glasses, enabling access to a continuum of morphologies from homogeneously mixed to segregated phases.

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Shinian Cheng, Yejung Lee, Lian Yu, Mark D. Ediger, Dean M. DeLongchamp, Camille E. Bishop. 2026-06-08. Controlled component segregation in vapor-deposited organic semiconductor glass mixtures. https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.09527

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