Organic Schottky diode based on conducting polymer-nanoclay composite

Abstract

We report the fabrication and characterization of an electrochemically synthesized polycarbazole-organically modified nanoclay composite-based organic Schottky diode. The morphology of the nanocomposite is studied using scanning electron microscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy images, before fabrication of the diode. An intercalated, homogeneous nanocomposite is formed using an electrochemical method to get a uniform thin film directly onto the metal surface to create a better metal-organic junction, which plays a crucial role in the fabrication of a Schottky diode. The current density-voltage and capacitance-voltage characteristics of the Schottky diode are subsequently used for extracting electronic parameters of the device such as the ideality factor, barrier height, reverse saturation current, built-in potential, depletion width and doping concentration etc. Excellent rectifying behavior is observed with an ideality factor of 1.8. We also evaluate the photovoltaic characteristics of the device under illuminating conditions. Optical characterization of the device shows a high value of photo responsivity (8.22 × 10-4 A W-1) at -6 V. © 2012 The Royal Society of Chemistry.