Self-assembled 1D Semiconductors: Liquid Crystalline Columnar Phase

Organic semiconducting materials have emerged as potential alternative to inorganic silicon based semiconductors for the production of low-cost, flexible and light weight plastic electronic devices. When compared with crystalline and polymeric structures, liquid crystalline (LC) ordering in organic semiconductors favors their self-assembly into large area monodomain thin-film structures with carrier mobilities in the range from 10−3 cm2 V−1 s−1 to 10−1 cm2 V−1 s−1. The LC nature enables a self-healing process of structural defects such as grain boundaries within the material which is especially exploited during post production thermal treatment for device improvement. The main objective of this chapter is to review the research progress in the field of columnar LC semiconductors with the emphasis on molecular structure—charge transport property relationship, control of alignment, and their prospective applications in molecular electronics.