The effect of replacing a conventional metal with an organic conductive polymer in a metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) diode is examined theoretically and experimentally. Two sets of MIS diodes, one with gold and the other with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) as the top “metal”, have been manufactured in parallel. Despite the two conductors having similar reported work functions of 5.1 eV to 5.2 eV, the hybrid devices exhibited far lower current densities as compared to their inorganic counterparts. Simulating the device behaviour reveals the limited width of the energy bands in the conductive polymer as the reason for low current density in the hybrid MIS.

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This thesis explores the feasibility of a hybrid metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) diode with poly(3,4-ethylendioxythiophene) (PEDOT) conductor for photovoltaic (PV) applications and advances the understanding of conductive polymers and their effects on hybrid systems.