Factors controlling conductivity of PEDOT deposited using oxidative chemical vapor deposition

This study is aimed to enhance the understanding of the processing-structure-property relationship in oxidative chemical vapor deposition (oCVD) conjugated polymers. Particular focus is made on the substrate and oxidant temperatures for the oCVD poly(3 4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) growth and their effects on the structure and electrical properties on resulting thin films. Doping levels are evaluated using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which is complemented by Hall Effect investigations. Further, the relationship between doping level and conjugation length is described with discussion on mean free path, where the mean free path of oCVD PEDOT (up to similar to 5 nm) is significantly larger than typical organic semiconductors and comparable to conventional inorganic counterparts. The mechanisms that govern oCVD film growth are suggested, which is strongly dependent on both substrate and oxidant sublimation temperatures. Finally, the carrier transport behaviors, dominated by conjugation and doping levels are discussed.