Quantitative Image Analysis of Fractal‐Like Thin Films of Organic Semiconductors

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Abstract
Morphology modulation offers significant control over organic electronic device performance. However, morphology quantification has been rarely carried out via image analysis. In this work, we designed a MATLAB program to evaluate two key parameters describing morphology of small molecule semiconductor thin films: fractal dimension and film coverage. We then use this program in a case study of meniscus‐guided coating of 2,7‐dioctyl[1]benzothieno[3,2‐b][1]benzothiophene (C8‐BTBT) under various conditions to analyze a diverse and complex morphology set. The evolution of morphology in terms of fractal dimension and film coverage was studied as a function of coating speed. We discovered that combined fractal dimension and film coverage can quantitatively capture the key characteristics of C8‐BTBT thin film morphology; change of these two parameters further inform morphology transition. Furthermore, fractal dimension could potentially shed light on thin film growth mechanisms. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2019, 57, 1622–1634
Funding Information
  • National Science Foundation (18‐47828)
  • University of Illinois

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