Basic Electronic Structures and Charge Carrier Generation in Organic Optoelectronic Materials

This chapter briefly introduces some fundamental concepts and principles in a mainly qualitative way (for students with diverse backgrounds at the college senior level) related to electronic structures, energy and charge carrier transfers of electronic and optoelectronic materials, with emphasis on organic and polymeric π-conjugated materials. Specifically, the basic concepts and principles of quantum theory, electrons, orbitals, bands, ground and excited states, excitons and charge carriers, charge carrier generation mechanisms, charge and exciton/energy transfers are briefly discussed. Both exciton and band models are presented to illustrate electronic transitions, carrier generations, and carrier transport processes.