Development towards simple fabrication steps for flexible optoelectronic films

Recent developments in flexible circuits and optoelectronic materials have the potential to provide innovative solutions for wearable sensing. The presented work explores how materials from these developments can reduce the complexity of developing flexible optoelectronics. The work uses simplified fabrication methods to develop a large area thin film optoelectronic device using conjugated polymers and Quantum Dots, with the goal of providing evidence that such devices can be developed outside of a clean room facility. Electroluminescence testing using a power source and an imaging spectrometer show that both conductive polymers and Quantum Dots in the functional layer contribute to light emission. High voltages needed for light emission are likely a result of the observed uneven thicknesses in the active layer, which should be the main focus for improvement in continued work. To study flexibility, the effects of cyclic bending using an Instron machine is observed. Visual analysis identifies four main flaw features that can occur from the fabrication process, and that cyclic bending causes cracking only at these flaw features. This work serves as evidence that use of clean room facilities are not necessary to provide significant contributions towards flexible optoelectronic materials development.