Characterization of thick film poly(triarylamine) semiconductor diodes for direct x-ray detection

Abstract

Thick film (≥5 μm thick) semiconducting polymer diodes incorporating poly(triarylamine) (PTAA) have been produced and applied as direct x-ray detectors. Experiments determined that a rectifying diode behavior persists when increasing the thickness of the active layer above typical thin film thicknesses (<1 μm), and the electrical conduction mechanism of the diodes has been identified. Direct current and photoconductivity measurements on indium tin oxide/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(styrenesulfonate)/PTAA/metal diodes confirm that carrier conduction occurs via a Poole–Frenkel mechanism. The energy band structure of diodes (having gold or aluminum top electrodes) has been elucidated and used to explain the resulting electrical characteristics. Theoretical calculations show that, upon irradiation with x-rays, the diode quantum efficiency increases with increasing polymer film thickness. The diodes produced here display characteristics similar to their thin film analogs, meaning that they may be operated in a similar way and therefore may be useful for radiation dosimetry applications. Upon irradiation, the diodes produce an x-ray photocurrent that is proportional to the dose, thus demonstrating their suitability for direct x-ray detectors. The x-ray photocurrent remains the same in a device after a cumulative exposure of 600 Gy and after aging for 6 months.