Polymer layer ordering of polyaniline derivatives in PLED devices: Surface adsorption and characterization[Polymer Light Emitting Diodes]

The fabrication and characterization of polyaniline (PANI) derivatives deposited on ITO coated glass is investigated as possible hole injection layers for MEH-PPV based polymer light emitting diode (PLED) devices. This involved multilayer ordering by the alternate polyelectrolyte adsorption of polyaniline and sulfonated polyaniline with an oppositely charged polyelectrolyte from solution. A combination of spectroscopic and microscopic techniques was utilized to determine the layer ordering, film structure, morphology, and homogeneity. The deposition process generally showed a linear behavior for all pairs as shown by ellipsometry and UV-vis spectroscopy. However, surface plasmon spectroscopy (SPS) and AFM revealed that thicker films are accompanied by increased surface roughness regardless of concentration. Comparison in performance was made between bare ITO and PANI or SPANI coated devices. Initial investigations of PLED performance showed significant improvements in lifetime and efficiency compared to bare ITO.