The Effect of Local Doping of the Polymer–Polymer Interface Using Cu2O Particles

Abstract

Electrically conductive polymer materials are increasingly being used as electronic materials, for example, in thin-film transistors. However, the low mobility of charge carriers limits their use. One of the ways to increase the mobility of charge carriers can be the use of interface conductivity along the regions separating the two polymer films. It is important that it could be realized with non-conjugated polymers. There is no direct experimental evidence that the transport of charge carriers occurs along such an interface. It is impossible to deny the possibility of transport on the surfaces of polymer films. The purpose of this work is to study the current flow path in a multilayer sample by marking the polymer–polymer interface with a doping nanolayer of a Cu2O island film. Spectral methods in the field of electronic absorption of copper oxide were used to control the island film. The electronic parameters of the polymer–polymer interface were studied using injection methods and volt-ampere characteristics. Atomic force microscopy was used to control the thickness and uniformity of the samples. It was found that the doping of the polymer–polymer interface using Cu2O particles strongly affects the transport of charge carriers; in particular, the conductivity of the structure increases. It is established that this is due to an increase in the mobility of the charge carriers and a decrease in the height of the potential barrier at the 3D metal–2D interface area. Thus, it is established that the transport of charge carriers occurs along the polymer–polymer interface at the structure parameters specified in this work.

Non-Conjugated Poly(Diphenylene Phthalide)—New Electroactive Material

“…The gap between the electrodes was varied using a wire with a diameter of 10–60 μm. The thickness of the deposited metal layer was estimated using the mass of the evaporated metal and the distance from the evaporator to the sample surface [ 22 ]. A thickness of 150 nm was maintained for all samples.…”

“…The study of the electrophysical characteristics of experimental structures was carried out on the basis of the injection model of the space-charge-limited current (SCLC) [52,53]. This model has previously been successfully used to study the boundaries of organic dielectrics [17,21,22]. Figure 4b shows the IVC dependencies in semi-logarithmic coordi-nates.…”

“…These discoveries can be considered a fundamentally new technological approach for obtaining electronic materials of low dimension with high electronic characteristics. The active study of such quasi-two-dimensional structures is still ongoing [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ].…”

“…Thus, it is possible to change the electronic properties along the interface by choosing macromolecules with a suitable set ( n , P 0 , α) [ 21 ]. Also, interface properties depend on the modification of the polymer/polymer interface, for example, by introducing a two-dimensional system comprising an island film of copper oxides [ 22 ].…”

“…Thus, it is possible to change the electronic properties along the interface by choosing macromolecules with a suitable set (n, P 0 , α) [21]. Also, interface properties depend on the modification of the polymer/polymer interface, for example, by introducing a two-dimensional system comprising an island film of copper oxides [22]. Apparently, it is possible to observe the influence of the surface states of two-layer structures on the transport properties along the interface with a small thickness of polymer films forming the polymer/polymer interface.…”