Work function fluctuation analysis of polyaniline films
Author(s)
West, Ryan Matthew
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Abstract
In this thesis, the development of a novel experimental technique for measuring the spontaneous, stochastic work function (WF) fluctuations of conducting polymer films, at equilibrium, is discussed. Polyaniline (PANI) is studied as a representative conducting polymer. This technique utilizes an insulated-gate field-effect transistor (IGFET) with PANI gate electrode (PANI-IGFET). The fluctuations of PANI WF are transduced into measurable drain current fluctuations of the device. By analyzing these fluctuations while systematically controlling the temperature, electric field and doping level, a model of WF fluctuations in PANI films is developed. These experiments suggest that the source of WF fluctuations is the hopping of charge carriers, or trapping/detrapping of charge carriers, around the Fermi level of the PANI film at the PANI-insulator interface. This process is thermally activated with a field and doping dependent activation energy in the range of 0.1 to 0.5 eV. Thus, this new technique provides detailed information about charge-carrier dynamics in the space-charge region of the PANI film, at equilibrium. These results have important implications for organic electronics and furthering fundamental understanding of the relationship between doping, disorder and work function in organic semiconductors.
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Date
2013-03-20
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Dissertation