Semiconducting Polymer-Buckminsterfullerene Heterojunctions: Diodes, Photodiodes, and Photovoltaic Cells

N. S. Sariciftci, University of California at Santa Barbara
David Braun, University of California at Santa Barbara
C. Zhang, University of California at Santa Barbara
V. I. Srdanov, University of California at Santa Barbara
A. J. Heeger, University of California at Santa Barbara
G. Stucky, University of California at Santa Barbara
F. Wudl, University of California at Santa Barbara

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Copyright © 1993 American Institute of Physics. This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and the American Institute of Physics. The following article appeared in Applied Physics Letters and may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.108863.

NOTE: At the time of publication, the author David Braun was not yet affiliated with Cal Poly.

Abstract

The characterization of rectifying heterojunctions (diodes) fabricated from a semiconducting polymer, a soluble derivative of poly(phenylene-vinylene), and buckminsterfullerene, C₆₀, are reported. Rectification ratios in the current versus voltage characteristics exceed 10⁴. When illuminated, the devices exhibit a large photoresponse as a result of photoinduced electron transfer across the heterojunction interface from the semiconducting polymer (donor) onto C₆₀ (acceptor). The photodiode and photovoltaic responses are characterized. Photoinduced electron transfer across the donor-accepted rectifying heterojunction offers potential for photodetector and for solar cell applications.