Doping of the Metal Oxide Nanostructure and its Influence in Organic Electronics

✍ Scribed by Mi-Hyae Park; Juo-Hao Li; Ankit Kumar; Gang Li; Yang Yang

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 310 KB
• Volume: 19
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1616-301X
• DOI: 10.1002/adfm.200801639

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Synthesizing metal oxides through the sol–gel process provides a convenient way for forming a nanostructured layer in wide band gap semiconductors. In this paper, a unique method of introducing dopants into the metal oxide semiconductor is presented. The doped TiO~2~ is prepared by adding a Cs~2~CO~3~ solution to a nanocrystalline TiO~2~ solution that is synthesized via a non‐hydrolytic sol–gel process. The properties of the TiO~2~:Cs layer are investigated and the results show stable nanostructure morphology. In addition to providing morphological stability, Cs in TiO~2~ also gives rise to a more desirable work function for charge transport in organic electronics. Polymer solar cells based on the poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT): methanofullerene (PC~70~BM) system with the addition of a TiO~2~:Cs interfacial layer exhibit excellent characteristics with a power conversion efficiency of up to 4.2%. The improved device performance is attributed to an improved polymer/metal contact, more efficient electron extraction, and better hole blocking properties. The effectiveness of this unique functionality also extends to polymer light emitting devices, where a lower driving voltage, improved efficiency, and extended lifetime are demonstrated.