Electrical Characterization of Thin PEDOT:PSS Films on Alumina and Thiol-Ene Substrates

Transparent polymer layers that heal minor scratches and maintain the optical properties of the devices for a long time are highly desirable in optoelectronics. This paper presents the results of the electrical characterization of thin PEDOT:PSS films on the novel, optically transparent thiol-ene substrates capable of healing scratches under room-temperature conditions. Electrical properties of the PEDOT:PSS films deposited on the conventional alumina ceramic substrates were also tested for comparative purposes. This study demonstrated that the substrate can have a significant effect on the electrical properties of PEDOT:PSS films, and the electrical resistance of the films on thiol-ene substrates is not as stable as on alumina ceramics. However, the changes in electrical resistance of the films on thiol-ene are small enough over a sufficiently wide range of operating temperatures and relative humidities and allow the application of such bilayers in various polymeric optoelectronic devices.