Polycrystalline Organic Semiconductors for Low-Power AI-Integrated Devices: Fabrication and Characterization
Keywords:
organic semiconductors, polycrystalline films, neuromorphic devices, edge computing, intelligent electronics, sensing systemsAbstract
Polycrystalline organic semiconductors constitute a promising class of functional materials, combining architectural flexibility, compatibility with low-temperature processing, and tunable electronic properties. Owing to their ability to form ordered morphologies with defined crystallinity, these materials can be seamlessly integrated into energy-efficient intelligent systems—such as neuromorphic components, sensing nodes, and photo-analytical elements. In the context of rapidly growing interest in edge computing and Internet-of-Things infrastructures, they offer advantages over silicon counterparts, including mechanical robustness, spectral sensitivity, and the capacity for on-site primary signal processing. This study reviews methods for producing polycrystalline films, examines how fabrication parameters influence morphological and electrical structure, and surveys quality-control techniques at both micro- and structural levels. Organic semiconductors thus fulfil a strategic role in the design of adaptive, miniaturized, and self-learning devices operating under unstable conditions, forming the basis for subsequent advances in intelligent organic electronics.
References
[1]. Guo, Z., Zhang, J., Liu, X., Wang, L., Xiong, L., & Huang, J. (2023). Optoelectronic synapses and photodetectors based on organic semiconductor/halide perovskite heterojunctions: Materials, devices, and applications. Advanced Functional Materials. https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202305508
[2]. Hossein, M. J. M., & Nawrocki, R. (2021). A review of the progress of thin-film transistors and their technologies for flexible electronics. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352094841
[3]. Jiang, S., Li, Y., Dai, Q., & Guo, J. (2022). In-situ/operando characterization techniques for organic semiconductors and devices. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/360346994_In-situoperando_characterization_techniques_for_organic_semiconductors_and_devices
[4]. Kim, Y., Lee, C. W., & Jang, H. W. (2024). Neuromorphic hardware for artificial sensory systems: A review. Journal of Electronic Materials. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-025-11778-x
[5]. Krauhausen, I. (2024). Organic neuromorphic electronics for smart sensing and processing (Doctoral dissertation, Eindhoven University of Technology). https://pure.tue.nl/ws/portalfiles/portal/320157850/20240410_Krauhausen_hf.pdf
[6]. Krauhausen, I., Coen, C.-T., Spolaor, S., Gkoupidenis, P., & van de Burgt, Y. (2023). Brain-inspired organic electronics: Merging neuromorphic computing and bioelectronics using conductive polymers. Advanced Functional Materials. https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202307729
[7]. Liu, K., Ouyang, B., Guo, X., Guo, Y., & Liu, Y. (2022). Advances in flexible organic field-effect transistors and their applications for flexible electronics. npj Flexible Electronics, 6, Article 30. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41528-022-00133-3
[8]. Na, J. Y., Kang, B., Sin, D. H., Cho, K., & Park, Y. D. (2015). Understanding solidification of polythiophene thin films during spin-coating: Effects of spin-coating time and processing additives. Scientific Reports, 5, Article 13288. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep13288
[9]. Pathak, D., Kumar, S., & Thomas, J. (2021). New tailored organic semiconductors thin films for optoelectronic applications. The European Physical Journal Applied Physics, 95(1). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352259190_New_tailored_organic_semiconductors_thin_films_for_optoelectronic_applications
[10]. Someya, T., Bao, Z., & Malliaras, G. G. (2016). The rise of plastic bioelectronics. Nature, 540(7633), 379–385. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature21004
[11]. Stoddart, A. (2020). Predicting perfect pores. Nature Reviews Materials, 5(8), 563–584. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41578-020-0200-6
[12]. Xie, Y., Ding, C., Jin, Q., Zheng, L., Xu, Y., Xiao, H., Cheng, M., Zhang, Y., Yang, G., Li, M., Li, L., & Liu, M. (2024). Organic transistor-based integrated circuits for future smart life. SmartMat, 5(2), e1261. https://doi.org/10.1002/smm2.1261
[13]. Zhang, M., Zhou, M., Sun, J., Tong, Y., Zhao, X., Tang, Q., & Liu, Y. (2025). Recent progress in intrinsically stretchable sensors based on organic field-effect transistors. Sensors, 25(3), 925. https://doi.org/10.3390/s25030925
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Sidra A. Shaikh

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Authors who submit papers with this journal agree to the following terms.