Fabrication of p-n junction diodes from phthalocyanine and electropolymerized perylene derivatives

Perylene derivative films doped with metal ion were deposited on indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass electrodes by electrodeposition from solutions of N,N'-4-hydroxyphenyl-3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic-diimide (hph-PTC) and CaCl2, PbCl2, ZnCl2 or CoBr2 as a supporting electrolyte in N,N-dimethylformamide (DME). The pn junction diodes consisting of a p-type phthalocyanine (Pc) sublimed film and an n-type hph-PTC electrodeposited film doped with metal ion exhibited Zener-type breakdown and photocurrent enhancement. The device with a p-n junction consisting of a Pc sublimed film and an hph-PTC electrodeposited film doped with Ca2+ showed the largest amplification of photocurrent. This result suggests that the dopant ion in hph-PTC is an important factor in the preparation of p-n junction diodes. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.