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Department of Physics and Astronomy “Augusto Righi” – DIFA

Organic and hybrid semiconductors and nanostructured thin films for advanced electronic devices

Areas: Physics of condensed matter, atoms and molecules

Innovative semiconductor materials such as polymers, small organic molecules, oxides, and perovskites possess unique mechanical, electrical, and optical properties, making them ideal for the development of new flexible, transparent, and wearable electronic devices (e.g., sensors integrated into smart textiles, large-area photodetectors, transducers for soft bioelectronics). The possibility of using low-cost solution-based fabrication techniques makes these materials highly promising for future technologies.

The group's research focuses on optoelectronic processes (charge generation, transport, and collection) and radiation-matter interactions, which are still not fully understood. Experimental activities include:

  • Organic/hybrid single crystals and thin films (e.g., TIPS-pentacene, perovskites): study of ionizing radiation–matter interactions for the development of direct and indirect ionizing radiation detectors (X-rays, protons, alpha particles, neutrons) operating in real time, based on solution-processed materials. Projects: FORTRESS, FIRE, ANEMONE, IDEATE, RELOAD, IRIS, PEROSTAR.
  • Nanostructured organic semiconductors and conductive polymers: investigation of ion-to-electron conversion properties, charge transport and collection, for applications in wearable sensing and bioelectronics. Innovative devices are being developed using nanometric PEDOT films for biosensors and organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) on fabrics and flexible plastics. Projects: TEXSTYLE, LIONHEARTED, WEARME, SENSIDROGEN, HYFIND.
  • High-mobility oxides (e.g., ZTO, GIZO) for flexible and transparent TFTs, with mobility >10 cm²/Vs and operating voltages <10 V, on lightweight unconventional substrates.

    Collaborations

    Universidad de Valencia (Spain),

    New University of Lisbon (PT),

    CEA (France),

    University of Kentucky (USA),

    University of Surrey (UK),

    University of Cambridge (UK),

    University of Linz (Austria),

    University of Wollongong (Australia),

    IIT Milan,

    Elettra synchrotron radiation laboratory (Italy),

    TIFPA Proton Irradiation facility (Trento)

    University of Cagliari,

    Ecole Normale Des Mines EMSE (France),

    Ludwig-Maximillian Universitat Munich (Germania),

    Max Planck Institute Mainz (Germany),

    Los Alamos National Laboratory (USA),

    Institut de Ciencia de Materials (ICMAB-CSIC) Barcelona (Spain)

    Links