Electronic transport in aliphatic polysilylenes and polygermylenes

Abstract

Time of Flight (TOF) measurements of electronic transport in amorphous Si and Ge backbone polymers containing only aliphatic pendants are compared with analogous data collected on polysilylenes and polygermylenes which contain aromatic side groups. In all cases transport proceeds by hopping among energetically inequivalent localized states which are primarily chain backbone derived. It is nevertheless demonstrated that choice of side group substituent can systematically influence temperature dependence of the drift mobility above and below the glass transition. The underlying mechanisms are discussed.