Effects of thermal cycling on the conductivity of poly(3-octylthiophene)

Abstract The change in conductivity in poly(3-octylthiophene)has been studied in different controlled Atmospheres using a temperature cycle between two room and 70°C. The decrese in the conductivity in dry air is very small and dependent on the conductivity of the sample. In humid atmospheres the degradation of highly doped samples is much faster than lightly doped samples. The decrease in conductivity slows down after heating the samples (annealing) which indicates an increase in the order (crystallinity) of the sample. The effect of sample thickness and light is also briefly discussed.