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PurdueX: The Physics of Electronic Polymers (PEP)

Discover how controlling the local nanoscale structure and physics of semiconducting polymers allows for revolutionary new devices across the globe.
10 weeks
3–4 hours per week
Instructor-paced
Instructor-led on a course schedule
This course is archived

About this course

Skip About this course

Polymer-based electronic devices are emerging in next-generation applications that range from advanced display designs to real-time biomedical monitoring. After ~30 years since the first report of a complete organic electronic device (i.e., the organic light-emitting diode), the polymer electronics community has reached a point where the fundamental knowledge of these unique semiconductors has allowed their utilization in key flexible and stretchable electronic applications that have been, or soon will be, commercialized.

In this course, you will gain an understanding of the basic principles and physics of these materials -- which operate in a manner that is distinctly different than traditional (e.g., silicon-based) semiconductors -- and quickly come up to speed in a paradigm-altering field.

In particular, this course will focus on the nanoscale phenomena regarding the physics of semiconducting polymers. This includes how molecular architecture impacts nanoscale structure (e.g., crystalline texture), optical properties, and electronic properties. You will learn to design new materials, consider structure/processing windows, and develop fundamental concepts regarding the physics of charged species in polymer electronics through participation in this course.

At a glance

  • Institution: PurdueX
  • Subject: Engineering
  • Level: Advanced
  • Prerequisites:
    • 2 semesters of undergraduate chemistry
    • 2 semesters of undergraduate physics
    • 1 semester of undergraduate calculus
  • Language: English
  • Video Transcript: English
  • Associated skills:Nanoscopic Scale, Semiconductors, Physics

What you'll learn

Skip What you'll learn
  • Design of semiconducting polymers
  • How macromolecular design impacts nanostructure
  • Common structure-property relationships of semiconducting polymers
Module 1: Introduction to Polymer Physics
Module 2: Thermodynamics and Crystallinity in Macromolecules
Module 3: Nanoscale Structure in Functional Polymers
Module 4: Controlling Charge Flow through Polymer Nanostructure
Module 5: Device Application of Polymer Semiconductors

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