Organic semiconductors of phthalocyanine compounds for field effect transistors (FETs)

Various functional phthalocyanines as well as their tetrapyrrole analogs, porphyrins, have been extensively studied as organic semiconductors since the first report of organic field effect transistors (OFETs) in 1986. The large conjugated system, excellent photoelectric characteristics, intriguing and unique optical properties, high thermal and chemical stability, and most importantly the easy functionalization of phthalocyanines render them ideal organic semiconductormaterials as active layers for OFETs. In this chapter, the semiconducting properties of monomeric phthalocyanines as well as monomeric porphyrins, bis(phthalocyaninato) rare earth double-deckers, and tris(phthalocyaninato) rare earth triple-deckers in terms of their semiconducting nature (p-type, n-type, or ambipolar), carrier mobility, and current modulation reported in the past two decades have been summarized. Theoretical studies toward understanding the relationship between molecular structures as well as molecular electronic structures of phthalocyanines and their semiconducting properties have also been included.