The Effects of Annealing on Doped P3HT Thin Films for Potential Electronic Applications
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MRS Advances © 2019 Materials Research Society DOI: 10.1557/adv.2019.281
The Effects of Annealing on Doped P3HT Thin Films for Potential Electronic Applications Faniya C. Doswell1,3, Harold O. Lee III1,*, Jonathan J. Montes1,3, Sam-Shajing Sun1,2,3
1
Center for Materials Research, Norfolk State University, Norfolk, VA 23504, USA
2
PhD Program in Materials Science and Engineering, Norfolk State University, Norfolk, VA 23504, USA
3
Department of Chemistry, Norfolk State University, Norfolk, VA 23504, USA
ABSTRACT
Polymeric conjugated materials are convenient for developing future soft-material-based semiconductors, conductors, electronic and optoelectronic devices due to their inherent features. Similar to their inorganic counterparts, the addition of certain minority molecules, or dopants, to polymeric conjugated materials can significantly alter the electronic and optoelectronic properties of the host conjugated polymers or composites. This allows for tunability of a variety of electronic and optoelectronic applications. One way to improve device performance is through the process of thermal annealing. Annealing allows for a polymer matrix to self-assemble into a lower energy state, which leads to an increase in crystallinity and higher charge mobility. Previous research does not explicitly define how dopants can affect this process. This study involves an evaluation of the effects of annealing with doped P3HT films to demonstrate changes in optoelectronic and electronic properties.
INTRODUCTION Conjugated polymers are considered the most convenient for developing electronic and optoelectronic devices that need flexibility, processability, chemical versatility, light weight, and cost efficiency [1]. One method of used to increase the efficiency of organic/polymeric electronic and optoelectronic devices molecular doping2. Doping involves the introduction of impurities or small molecules into a
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pure semiconductor host and serve as electron acceptors or donors either p- or ndoping the host [1,2]. Dopants for organic materials can essentially be viewed as oxidizing or reducing agents for p- and n- doping respectively [3]. Since all electronic states are occupied, the altered density of states for p-doping causes a shift of electron chemical potential from mid-gap towards the valence band edge of the host and causing acceptor states to be occupied and mobile holes in the valence band [1]. Furthermore, p-type doping forms positive charges that causes a structural changes that involve ring distortions of benzenoid to a quinoid-like structure [4]. An example would be Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), which is a conjugated polymer that shows high performance in polymer transistors and solar cells [5]. P3HT films are typically doped with an electron acceptor, such as iodine which causes t
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