Simultaneous measurement of electrical characteristics and microstructure of crystallised PEDOT:PSS based OECTs under strain

Abstract

Abstract Here is reported the evolution of the transconductance and resistance, along with microstructure, of organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) under progressively greater strain. A decrease in transconductance and increase in resistance over several orders of magnitude are reported for strains up to 75%. These changes in electrical characteristics are correlated with changes in the microstructure of the PEDOT:PSS characterised by a positive shift, and reduction in amplitude, of the characteristic (100) peak of the grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) profile, recorded in tandem with the electrical characteristics during stretching. The (100) peak is associated with the lamella stacking of the PEDOT and PSS chains, and it is shown that this lamella spacing is reduced by up to around 3.5 A on application of strain up to 75%.