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Three-Phase Morphology Evolution in Sequentially Solution-Processed Polymer Photodetector: Toward Low Dark Current
Hanyu Wang1,2, Shen Xing1, Yifan Zheng1,2
1State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, School of Optoelectronic Information, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) , Chengdu 610054, P. R. China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|January 18, 2018
Summary
Sequentially solution-processed polymer photodetectors (SSP PPDs) achieve a 5.3-fold higher detectivity by optimizing morphology. This involves tuning the cosolvent ratio for enhanced photocurrent and reduced dark current in poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT)/[6,6]-phenyl C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) devices.
Area of Science:
- Organic electronics
- Materials science
- Device physics
Background:
- Polymer photodetectors (PPDs) are crucial for various optical sensing applications.
- Bulk heterojunction (BHJ) PPDs often face limitations in performance due to morphology control challenges.
- Achieving high detectivity in PPDs requires optimizing charge generation, transport, and minimizing dark current.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop sequentially solution-processed PPDs (SSP PPDs) with enhanced performance.
- To investigate the impact of cosolvent ratio on the morphology and optoelectronic properties of P3HT/PC71BM active layers.
- To understand the structure-property relationships governing the improved detectivity in SSP PPDs.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of SSP PPDs using poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM).
- Controlled deposition of PC71BM top layers using a cosolvent mixture of 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) and o-dichlorobenzene (ODCB).
- Morphological characterization using techniques to analyze phase separation and interdiffusion.
- Performance evaluation through measurements of dark current, photocurrent, and detectivity at 550 nm.
Main Results:
- Optimized SSP PPDs achieved a maximum detectivity of 1.23 × 10^12 Jones, a 5.3-fold improvement over conventional BHJ PPDs.
- Tuning the 2-CP/ODCB ratio in the top PC71BM layers led to decreased dark current and increased photocurrent.
- Morphological studies revealed an optimal three-phase structure with interdiffusion and pure phases, forming high Schottky barriers (>2.0 eV) that block charge injection.
- Improved performance was attributed to enhanced optical absorption, increased P3HT crystallinity, higher charge carrier mobilities, and suppressed bimolecular recombination.
Conclusions:
- SSP PPDs offer a viable strategy for fabricating high-performance organic photodetectors.
- Precise control over active layer morphology via sequential processing and cosolvent engineering is key to device optimization.
- The developed SSP PPDs demonstrate significant potential for advanced optical sensing applications requiring high sensitivity and low noise.
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