Improved rectification and transport properties of hybrid PEDOT:PSS/Ge/Si heterojunctions with Ge nanoclusters

Abstract

The electrical characteristics and deep-level transient spectroscopy of a hybrid poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)/GeNCs/Si heterojunction with Ge nanoclusters grown by molecular beam epitaxy on a p-type Si(001) substrate are investigated. The heterostructure shows good rectifying J–V characteristics, the dark current exhibits an activation energies of 280 meV and 550 meV, while the reverse bias leakage current is suppressed due to the coating of Ge nanoclusters with PEDOT:PSS. We show that recombination via deep hole states close to grain boundaries can be partly suppressed by the PEDOT:PSS thin films, leading to a decrease in the saturation current and an improvement of the rectification without deterioration of forward current.

Raman Spectroscopy and Thermoelectric Characterization of Composite Thin Films of Cu2ZnSnS4 Nanocrystals Embedded in a Conductive Polymer PEDOT:PSS

“…A solution to this problem may lie in forming composites of NCs with polymers. In this work, we investigate, for the first time, the composites of CZTS NCs with PEDOT:PSS, a well-known p-type conductive polymer, which has found wide application not only as a transparent electrode in electronics [ 16 , 17 , 18 ] and photovoltaics [ 17 , 19 , 20 ] but also as an active layer in thermoelectrics [ 21 , 22 , 23 ]. Taking into account that CZTS is a good solar light absorber, PEDOT:PSS is conductive and a good thermoelectric (TE) material, the combination of these materials can be promising, not only for photovoltaic and TE applications separately but also in their combination, i.e., towards solving the existing challenge of converting the heat generated by solar cells into electricity as well.…”