Interface Fermi Level Pinning at Contacts Between PEDOT: PSS and Molecular Organic Semiconductors

Photoemission studies of interfaces between molecular organic semiconductors and the conducting polymer PEDOT:PSS [mixture of PEDOT (poly-3,4-ethylenedioxy-thiophene) and PSS (polystyrenesulfonate)] demonstrate that it is impossible to control the charge injection barriers at such contacts by either a systematic change of the work function of the conducting polymer or that of the organic semiconductor. Instead, these interfaces are, in all cases, characterized by a charge transfer across the interface and a resulting Fermi level pinning. Thus interfacial charge barriers do not explain observed changes in device parameters as a function of the work function of the polymer electrode.