Low-Temperature Cross-Linking Benzocyclobutene Based Polymer Dielectric for Organic Thin Film Transistors on Plastic Substrates

Boosting Hole Mobility: Indenofluorene-Arylamine Copolymers and Their Impact on Solution-Processed OLED Performance

We introduce three newly designed thermally cross-linkable hole transport copolymers (PIF-TPD, PIF-F2PCz, and PIF-TPAPCz) for improving the performance of solution-processed organic light-emitting diodes (s-OLEDs). These copolymers, designed through a strategic molecular approach with benzocyclobutene (BCB) and styrene-based cross-linking monomers, show high solvent resistance at a low cross-linking temperature (150 °C). Furthermore, these conjugated copolymers based on planar indenofluorene with three different hole transport (HT) units, exhibit outstanding charge carrier mobility (1.61 × 10-2 cm2 V-1s-1), demonstrated by comparing hole reorganization energy and electronic coupling strength of HT units. Despite these copolymers showing the overall vertical orientation in the horizontal dipole moment measurement results, we demonstrated that the HT units can exhibit the preferred orientation, contributing to high hole transport properties. As a result, they perform exceptionally well as hole transport layers in green phosphorescent s-OLEDs, achieving a maximum external quantum efficiency of 15.3% and a maximum current efficiency of 53.9 cd A-1 with a small efficiency roll-off despite their relatively low triplet energy levels. These results are comparable to vacuum-deposited OLEDs, highlighting the potential of these copolymers in advancing OLED technology for display panels and lighting applications.

Recent Progress of Low Dielectric and High-Performance Polybenzoxazine-Based Composites

With the rapid advancement of intelligent electronics, big data platforms, and other cutting-edge technologies, traditional low dielectric polymer matrix composites are no longer sufficient to satisfy the application requirements of high-end electronic information materials, particularly in the realm of high integration and high-frequency, high-speed electronic communication device manufacturing. Consequently, resin-based composites with exceptional low dielectric properties have garnered unprecedented attention. In recent years, benzoxazine-based composites have piqued the interest of scholars in the fields of high-temperature-resistant, low dielectric electronic materials due to their remarkable attributes such as high strength, high modulus, high heat resistance, low curing shrinkage, low thermal expansion coefficient, and excellent flame retardancy. This article focuses on the design and development of modification of polybenzoxazine based on low dielectric polybenzoxazine modification methods. Studies on manufacturing polybenzoxazine co-polymers and benzoxazine-based nanocomposites have also been reviewed.

Recent Progress in Thin-Film Transistors toward Digital, Analog, and Functional Circuits

Thin-film transistors have been extensively developed due to their process merit: high compatibility with various substrates, large-area processes, and low-cost processes. Despite these advantages, most efforts for thin-film transistors still remain at the level of unit devices, so the circuit level for practical use needs to be further developed. In this regard, this review revisits digital and analog thin-film circuits using carbon nanotubes (CNTs), organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs), organic semiconductors, metal oxides, and two-dimensional materials. This review also discusses how to integrate thin-film circuits at the unit device level and some key issues such as metal routing and interconnection. Challenges and opportunities are also discussed to pave the way for developing thin-film circuits and their practical applications.

Thermal Insolubilization of Electrically n-Doped Films Achieved Using 7-Alkoxy-Benzocyclobutene-Substituted Fullerene and Dopant Molecules

Insoluble electrically n-doped fullerene-containing films have been obtained by thermal annealing of a fullerene compound and a 1,3-dimethyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzo[d]imidazole n-dopant moiety, both of which are functionalized with a 7-butoxybenzocyclobutene group. The covalent tethering and electrical doping reactions are studied by mass spectrometry as well as electron paramagnetic resonance. Optical absorption spectra on BBCB-N-DMBI-H-doped BBCBP indicate films heated at 150 °C for 10 min are unaffected by immersion for 10 min in ortho-dichlorobenzene. Although films containing a 10 mol % loading of the dopant showed electrical conductivity values of 1.1 × 10^-5 ± 3.4 × 10^-7 S cm^-1 prior to heating, the thermal insolubilization process led to values around two orders-of-magnitude lower. However, the thermal insolubilization also leads to immobilization of the dopant molecule and the corresponding cation, reducing their ability to diffuse into an adjacent layer of a stronger electron acceptor.

Research progress of low dielectric constant polymer materials

The advent of high frequency communication era presents new challenges for further development of dielectric polymer materials. In the field of communication, efficient signal transmission is critical. The lower the dielectric constant of the dielectric material used, the lower the signal delay and the higher the signal fidelity. The preparation of polymer materials with low dielectric constant or reduce the dielectric constant of polymer materials becomes a key research topic. Summarizing past progress and providing perspective, this paper primarily discusses the intrinsic low dielectric polymers, fluorine doped low dielectric polymers, and microporous low dielectric polymers, while predicting the research trend of low dielectric materials.

High-Density Patterned Array Bonding through Void-Free Divinyl Siloxane Bis-Benzocyclobutene Bonding Process

Divinylsiloxane-bis-benzocyclobutene (DVS-BCB) has attracted significant attention as an intermediate bonding material, owing to its excellent properties. However, its applications are limited, due to damage to peripheral devices at high curing temperatures and unoptimized compressive pressure. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the compressive pressure condition for DVS-BCB bonding. This study demonstrates an optimization process for void-free DVS-BCB bonding. The process for obtaining void-free DVS-BCB bonding is a vacuum condition of 0.03 Torr, compressive pressure of 0.6 N/mm2, and curing temperature of 250 °C for 1 h. Herein, we define two factors affecting the DVS-BCB bonding quality through the DVS-BCB bonding mechanism. For strong DVS-BCB bonding, void-free and high-density chemical bonds are required. Therefore, we observed the DVS-BCB bonding under various compressive pressure conditions at a relatively low temperature (250 °C). The presence of voids and high-density crosslinking density was examined through near-infrared confocal laser microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared microscopy. We also evaluated the adhesion of the DVS-BCB bonding, using a universal testing machine. The results suggest that the good adhesion with no voids and high crosslinking density was obtained at the compressive pressure condition of 0.6 N/mm2. We believe that the proposed process will be of great significance for applications in semiconductor and device packaging technologies.

Photodegradation Elevated the Toxicity of Polystyrene Microplastics to Grouper (Epinephelus moara) through Disrupting Hepatic Lipid Homeostasis

Microplastics (MPs) have caused increasing global concerns due to their detrimental effects on marine ecosystems. However, the role of photodegradation in altering toxicity of MPs to marine organisms is poorly understood. We therefore investigated the photolytic transformation of pristine polystyrene fragments (P-PS) by 60-day ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, and compared the toxicity of P-PS, photodegraded PS (PD-PS), and commercially available polystyrene microbeads (C-PS) to juvenile grouper (Epinephelus moara). Photodegradation reduced the size from ∼55.9 μm of P-PS to ∼38.6 μm of PD-PS, even produced nanoparticles (∼75 nm) with a yield of 7.03 ± 0.37% (w/w), and induced surface oxidation and formation of persistent free radicals (e.g., CO^•, COO^•). Also, endogenous pollutants (chemical additives and polymer fragments) were leached out. Thus, PD-PS had the highest growth inhibition and lipidosis-driven hepatic lesions of grouper, followed by P-PS and C-PS, which was mainly explained by increased hepatic bioaccumulation of MPs/NPs and released endogenous toxicants. Furthermore, oxidative stress-triggered mitochondrial depolarization, suppression of fatty acid oxidation and transport, and promotion of inflammation were identified as the key mechanisms for the enhanced hepatotoxicity after photodegradation. This work provides new insight into the potential hazard and harm of MPs in marine environments after photodegradation.