Electrical Characterization of Thin PEDOT:PSS Films on Alumina and Thiol-Ene Substrates

Polymers (Basel). 2021 Oct 13;13(20):3519. doi: 10.3390/polym13203519.

Abstract

Transparent polymer layers that heal minor scratches and maintain the optical properties of the devices for a long time are highly desirable in optoelectronics. This paper presents the results of the electrical characterization of thin PEDOT:PSS films on the novel, optically transparent thiol-ene substrates capable of healing scratches under room-temperature conditions. Electrical properties of the PEDOT:PSS films deposited on the conventional alumina ceramic substrates were also tested for comparative purposes. This study demonstrated that the substrate can have a significant effect on the electrical properties of PEDOT:PSS films, and the electrical resistance of the films on thiol-ene substrates is not as stable as on alumina ceramics. However, the changes in electrical resistance of the films on thiol-ene are small enough over a sufficiently wide range of operating temperatures and relative humidities and allow the application of such bilayers in various polymeric optoelectronic devices.

Keywords: I–V curves; PEDOT:PSS; alumina ceramics; electrical resistance; gauge factor; relative humidity; stability; temperature; thiol–ene; transparent.