Strong acceptors in donor–acceptor polymers for high performance thin film transistors

Recent progress in the development of conjugated semiconducting polymers for thin film transistor applications has yielded materials with mobilities consistently exceeding 0.1 cm2 V−1 s−1. Even more significant are recent reports of polymers with TFT mobilities surpassing 1 cm2 V−1 s−1. With performance comparable to those of amorphous silicon TFTs, and with improved material stability, one can realistically envision promising future applications of these polymers. In reviewing the development of conjugated semiconducting polymers, two particularly interesting and significant observations are made. First, most of these high-performance materials are donor–acceptor polymers; and second, high mobilities of above 1 cm2 V−1 s−1 generally involve donor–acceptor polymers with strongly electron accepting moieties. The present perspective covers these latter polymers. We will cover the features that are common among these high-performance polymers and discuss unresolved issues that may determine their performance.