Proceedings of the International Conference on Science and Technology of Synthetic Metals Electronic properties of polypyrrole (polystyrene-sulphonate)/metal junctions

• The nature of polymer/metal interfaces is decisive for the operation of polymer based electronic devices. At such interfaces charge transport may be affected by barrier formation, or by formation of insulating interfaces of various types. We have prepared thin films of conducting polypyrrole doped with large polymeric anions of polystyrenesulphonate for studies in metal/polymer junctions. Aluminium and gold contacts are vacuum deposited to form metal/polymer/gold sandwich structures. The current-voltage characteristics show that the interface between polypyrrole and gold is ohmic with no current limitation. However, the aluminium/polypyrrole interface forms highly resistive and nonohmic contacts. Photoelectron spectroscopy using UV and X-ray photons reveals a decrease of the work function upon Al deposition, reactions between Al and the sulphonate anions, and immediate oxidation of the aluminium upon exposure to oxygen. These observations corroborate the interpretation that the current limitation found at Al/polypyrrole junctions is due to formation of insulating aluminium oxide, not excluding reactions between the metal and dopant. It is also pointed out that interfaces between reactive metals and polymers are prone to such oxide interface formation, considering the high diffusivity of oxygen in many polymers.

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NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Fysikalisk kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Physical Chemistry (hsv//eng)

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