The surfaces and electrode interfaces of a polymer blend used in prototype solar cells have been characterized with photoelectron spectroscopy. The polymer blend in question is a 1 : 4 mixture of APFO-3 : PCBM. Based on surface analysis of the pristine film we can conclude that the surface of the blend is a 1 : 1 mixture of APFO-3 and PCBM. The electrode systems studied are the widely used Al and Al/LiF contacts. LiF prevents formation at the Al/organic interface of Al-organic complexes that destroy the -conjugation. In addition to this, there are two other beneficial, thickness dependent, effects. Decomposition of LiF occurs for thin enough layers in which the LiF species are in contact with both the organic film and the Al atoms, which creates a low workfunction contact. For thicker (multi)layers, the dipole formed at the LiF/organic interface is retained as no decomposition of the LiF occurs upon Al deposition.

Thin films of V(TCNE)x were deposited in ultrahigh vacuum using a film growth technique based on in situ chemical vapor deposition of tetracyanoethylene, TCNE, and bis-benzene vanadium, V(C6H6)2. The in situ preparation method enabled, for the first time, experimental analysis of oxygen-free films. X-ray magnetic circular dichroism measurements recorded at the V L(2,3) edge confirmed room temperature magnetic ordering. A combination of conventional photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) and resonant photoemission (RPE) measured at the V L3 edge shows that the highest occupied electronic state is V(3d) derived. The rearrangements of the TCNE- related valence electronic states observed in PES and the evidence of V(3d) and TCNE- pi(pi*) orbital overlap contained in RPE spectra, indicate that strong, covalent type bonding occurs between the vanadium and the TCNE molecules.

The schematic visualization of the Alq3 moleculeon the Fe substrate with the optimized geometry at lowest total energy. When the Alq3 molecule is relaxed on the surface, only two of the wings are lying down on the Fe surface, and the third wing remains perpendicular to the surface, showing a strong hybridization occurance.

The electronic structures of the 8-hydroxyquinoline-aluminum (Alq(3))/Al2O3/Co interfaces were studied by photoelectron spectroscopy. A strong interface dipole was observed, which leads to a reduction in the electron injection barrier. The x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra further indicate that the Al2O3 buffer layer prevents the chemical interaction between Alq(3) molecules and Co atoms. X-ray magnetic circular dichroism results demonstrate that a Co layer deposited on an Al2O3 buffered Alq(3) layer shows better magnetic ordering in the interface region than directly deposited Co, which suggests a better performance of spin valves with such a buffer layer. This is consistent with the recent results from [Dediu , Phys. Rev. B 78, 115203 (2008)].

Original Publication:Yiqiang Zhan, Xianjie Liu, Elin Carlegrim, Fenghong Li, I Bergenti, P Graziosi, V Dediu and Mats Fahlman, The role of aluminum oxide buffer layer in organic spin-valves performance, 2009, APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS, (94), 5, 053301.http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3078274Copyright: American Institute of Physicshttp://www.aip.org/

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