Formation and properties of electrically conductive Langmuir-Blodgett multilayer thin films of the poly(3-alkyl thiophenes)

Abstract Langmuir-Blodgett multilayer thin films were fabricated from mixed monolayers containing stearic acid and various poly(3-alkyl thiophenes). It was found that stable monolayers and highly ordered multilayers could be formed with poly (3-alkyl thiophenes) fitted with alkyl chain lengths ranging from four carbons to eighteen carbons. X-ray diffraction revealed that the multilayers formed from these materials have well defined layer spacings. Chemical oxidation and ion implantation techniques were used to render the thin films electrically conductive. X-ray diffraction and optical measurements revealed that significant disorder results from the ion implantation process.