Transparent conducting oxide top contacts for organic electronics
Type
ArticleAuthors
Franklin, Joseph B.Gilchrist, James B.
Downing, Jonathan M.
Roy, Kirsty A.
McLachlan, Martyn A.
Date
2014Permanent link to this record
http://hdl.handle.net/10754/600071
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
A versatile method for the deposition of transparent conducting oxide (TCO) layers directly onto conjugated polymer thin film substrates is presented. Using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) we identify a narrow window of growth conditions that permit the deposition of highly transparent, low sheet resistance aluminium-doped zinc oxide (AZO) without degradation of the polymer film. Deposition on conjugated polymers mandates the use of low growth temperatures (<200°C), here we deposit AZO onto poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT) thin films at 150°C, and investigate the microstructural and electrical properties of the AZO as the oxygen pressure in the PLD chamber is varied (5-75 mTorr). The low oxygen pressure conditions previously optimized for AZO deposition on rigid substrates are shown to be unsuitable, resulting in catastrophic damage of the polymer films. By increasing the oxygen pressure, thus reducing the energy of the ablated species, we identify conditions that allow direct deposition of continuous, transparent AZO films without P3HT degradation. We find that uptake of oxygen into the AZO films reduces the intrinsic charge carriers and AZO films with a measured sheet resistance of approximately 500 Ω □-1 can be prepared. To significantly reduce this value we identify a novel process in which AZO is deposited over a range of oxygen pressures-enabling the deposition of highly transparent AZO with sheet resistances below 50 Ω □-1 directly onto P3HT. We propose these low resistivity films are widely applicable as transparent top-contacts in a range of optoelectronic devices and highlight this by demonstrating the operation of a semi-transparent photovoltaic device. © 2014 The Royal Society of Chemistry. 2014.Citation
Franklin JB, Gilchrist JB, Downing JM, Roy KA, McLachlan MA (2014) Transparent conducting oxide top contacts for organic electronics. J Mater Chem C 2: 84–89. Available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c3tc31296h.Sponsors
The authors are grateful to Sebastian Wood (IC Physics) for his assistance in preparing the polymer substrates. JBF is grateful to KAUST for research funding through the Imperial College Academic Excellence Alliance. JD was supported through the ESPRC. first-grant scheme EP/F056362/1.Publisher
Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)Journal
J. Mater. Chem. Cae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1039/c3tc31296h