Patterning of active organic materials by direct transfer for organic electronic devices

We demonstrate the localized patterning of organic thin films based on direct material transfer from a stamp to a substrate. This process, based on van der Waals bonding between contacting organic films, extends the range of application of patterning via stamping to devices where the active organic materials must be locally deposited on the substrate. A mechanical analysis combined with finite element numerical simulations successfully describes the details of the material transfer process over substrate irregularities and step edges. To demonstrate local patterning, we fabricate an array of organic light-emitting devices, showing that the organic-organic interface formed by the transfer process does not significantly affect device performance. This technique expands the application of a unique attribute of organic materials-the ability to compositionally pattern materials to locally modify, or optimize a device function or property within the substrate plane. (C) 2005 American Institute of Physics.