Toward Faster Organic Photodiodes: Tuning of Blend Composition Ratio

The ability of a light-sensor to detect fast variation in incident light intensity is a vital feature required in imaging and data transmission applications. Solution-processed bulk heterojunction (BHJ) type organic photodiodes (OPDs) have gone through key developments, including dark current mitigation and longer linear dynamic range. In contrast, there has been less focus on increasing OPD response speed (f_–3dB). Here, bulk heterojunction OPDs based on electron-donating polymer polythiophene-2,5-diyl-alt-5,10-bis((2-hexyldecyl)oxy)dithieno3,2-c:3′,2′-h]1,5]naphthyridine-2,7-diyl] (or PTNT) and electron-accepting phenyl-C₇₁-butyric acid methyl ester (or PC₇₁BM) are reported. The intrinsic charge transport characteristics required for fast speed OPDs are discussed, and an analytical model for the same is developed. The OPDs present 0.8 MHz f_–3dB under no applied voltage bias for a typical blend ratio of 1:1 by weight. It is shown that balanced electron and hole mobility is a critical criterion for faster speed OPDs, which can be realized by tuning the composition ratio of the bulk heterojunction. By tuning PTNT and PC₇₁BM blend ratio, the f_–3dB was successfully raised by more than quadruple to 4.5 MHz. The findings provide a tool to set device architecture for faster next-generation light sensors.