Electrical properties of nitric acid and DMSO treated PEDOT:PSS/n-Si hybrid heterostructures for optoelectronic applications

Organic/inorganic heterostructures are an emerging and interesting field of research for optoelectronics. In this work, an efficient organic/inorganic hybrid heterojunction between PEDOT:PSS and n-type Silicon has been fabricated for optoelectronic applications. Samples with varying thickness of PEDOT:PSS were prepared by spin coating technique and the electrical conductivity of organic layers was modified using DMSO as additive. Post fabrication, the hybrid heterostructures were treated with HNO₃ vapor so as to enhance the conductivity of the organic layer. Surface treatment with HNO₃ was found to lower the roughness of the organic layer and enhance the transparency of the layer. I–V characteristics reveal optimized behavior of HNO₃ treated PEDOT:PSS layer with a low Ideality factor (n~3.2) and a barrier height (Φ_B) of 0.8 eV. The findings of the study provide a promising efficient method to enhance the electrical and device properties of PEDOT:PSS/n-Si heterostructures for optoelectronic applications. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48952.