X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) has been used to study the electronic structures of indium tin oxide (ITO) surfaces treated by O+, Ar+, and NHx+ plasmas. The XPS data show that there is a significant change in core level energies (In 3d5/2 O 1s, and Sn 3d5/2), in donor concentration (Sn4+), in valence band maximums (VBM), and in work functions on ITO surfaces being treated by O+ and NHx+ plasmas, compared with that of virgin and Ar+ plasma treated surfaces. Based on these experimental data, a surface band-bending theory is proposed. The theory explains that when Fermi energy of the plasma-treated surface is shifted towards the middle of the band gap: core levels will shift their energies to lower binding energies, VBM will bend upward, and work function will increase, as observed.

Although transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are attractive for the next‐generation nanoelectronic era due to their unique optoelectronic and electronic properties, carrier scattering during the transmission of electronic devices, and the distinct contact barrier between the metal and the semiconductors, which is caused by inevitable defects in TMDs, remain formidable challenges. To address these issues, a facile, effective, and universal patching defect approach that uses a nitrogen plasma doping protocol is developed, via which the intrinsic vacancies are repaired effectively. To reveal sulfur vacancies and the nature of the nitrogen doping effects, a high‐resolution spherical aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy is used, which confirms the N atoms doping in sulfur vacancies. In this study, a typical TMD material, namely tungsten disulfide, is employed to fabricate field‐effect transistors (FETs) as a preliminary paradigm to demonstrate the patching defects method. This doping method endows FETs with high electrical performance and excellent contact interface properties. As a result, an electron mobility of up to 184.2 cm2 V−1 s−1 and a threshold voltage of as low as 3.8 V are realized. This study provides a valuable approach to improve the performance of electronic devices that are based on TMDs in practical electronic applications.

In this paper we investigate the performance and stability of small-molecule organic solar cells with respect to the indium tin oxide (ITO)/organic interface. Different zinc-phthalocyanine (ZnPc)/fullerene (C 60 ) cell architectures with and without ITO O 2 -plasma treatment are compared and tested with respect to their degradation behavior under illumination in inert atmosphere. Photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS and XPS) shows that the O 2 -plasma treatment increases the ITO work function from 4.3 eV up to 5.6 eV. We find that both the increased ITO work function as well as the introduction of an electron blocking layer between ITO and the mixed donor/acceptor layer increases the open-circuit voltage V oc by more than 200 mV. For both cases our continuum approach device simulation quantitatively relates the increase of V oc to a reduced contact recombination and thus a reduced dark current. For cells built on ozone treated ITO we find a fast cell degradation caused by the UV part of the AM 1.5 spectrum. We identify the degradation, which manifests itself in a decrease of V oc of up to 25%, as a partial reversion of the plasma induced ITO work function increase. Additionally, we demonstrate that the degradation can be reduced by structural changes in the cell architecture, leading to improved cell stability. We present a comprehensive study of the recombination at the ITO/organic interface and its influence on the open-circuit voltage and the cell stability.

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