ISSN 1063-7826, Semiconductors, 2010, Vol. 44, No. 7, pp. 875–878. © Pleiades Publishing, Ltd., 2010.
Original Russian Text © Sh.M. Hasannli, N.N. Mursakulov, U.F. Samedova, N.N. Abdulzade, B.A. Mamedov, R.K. Guseynov, 2010, published in Fizika i Tekhnika Poluprovodni-
kov, 2010, Vol. 44, No. 7, pp. 905–909.
875
1. INTRODUCTION
Recently, scientific interest in the study of thin
films based on different polymers has been increasing
from year to year. This is because the dielectric-to-
(high-conductivity) state transition, which can be ini-
tiated by such physical influences as the electric field
[1, 2], temperature [3], low uniaxial pressure [2], and
others, is observed in some thin polymer films. We
note that field-effect transistors [3, 4], light-emitting
diodes [5], sensor and electrochemical transducers,
polymer batteries, electroluminescent devices, Schot-
tky diodes, and organic transistors based on conduct-
ing polymers have already been implemented or are at
the implementation stage at the present time. Photo-
sensitive polymer semiconductors, due to a combina-
tion of photoconductive properties with thermal sta-
bility and mechanical and other specific properties of
polymers, have become irreplaceable in developing
flexible photovoltaic elements for solar energy con-
verters. Polymer applications are the result of features
of the intermolecular interaction and the possibility of
forming donor–acceptor charge–transfer complexes
in polymers. It is the complexing ability and efficient
charge transfer in complex molecules that result in
their polarizability upon exposure to light and, hence,
medium photopolarization causing photovoltaic and
nonlinear-optical properties.
It should be emphasized that the vast majority of
studies of electrical characteristics of conducting poly-
mers have been carried out for polyacetylene [6] and
poly(diphenyl phthalide) [1].
At the same time, fabrication of various multilayer
film structures based on semiconductor materials and
polymers and the study of their properties [2] remain
an urgent problem due to relatively low-cost technol-
ogies of polymer films. In this case, researchers' atten-
tion has been directed not only to the possibility of
using an increasing number of various polymer films
and improving such parameters as the operating volt-
age and the ratio of currents in turn-on and -off states
[7], but also to the study of electrical properties of
polymers used and charge transport mechanisms in
them [8].
In [9–11], we studied the features of the mecha-
nism of the charge-carrier photogeneration in a
molecular solid. The role of the weak intermolecular
interaction causing carrier photogeneration via Cou-
lomb-bound pair states was shown. The objective of
research is to experimentally study the conduction and
carrier transport mechanisms in heterostructures con-
sisting of silicon and thin films of wide-gap polymers
such as oligo-β-naphthol.
2. EXPERIMENTAL
The samples to be studied were Si/oligo-β-naph-
thol/metal structures. The sample areas were 12–
200 mm
2
. Films of oligo-β-naphthol 1–10 μm thick
were used as a polymer component. The choice of
oligo-β-naphthol as an object of study is caused by its
good characteristics of filming on both metal and
semiconductor substrates.
In Si/oligo-β-naphthol/metal structures, both p-
and n-Si (100) were used as a substrate (only the data
on n-Si are considered in this paper). Reference
metal–polymer–metal sandwich structures were also
prepared. When fabricating the sandwich structure, a
copper plate was used as a bottom electrode onto
which a polymer film was deposited; silver paste was
used as a top electrode. In Si/oligo-β-naphthol/metal
structures, the ohmic contact to polymer was formed
SEMICONDUCTOR STRUCTURES,
INTERFACES, AND SURFACES
Features of Conduction Mechanisms in Si/oligo-β-Naphthol/Metal
Heterostructures
Sh. M. Hasannli
a
^, N. N. Mursakulov
a
, U. F. Samedova
a
, N. N. Abdulzade
a
,
B. A. Mamedov
a
, and R. K. Guseynov
b
a
Institute of Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan, pr. H. Javid 33, Baku, Az-1143 Azerbaijan
^e-mail: Hasanli_sh@rambler.ru
b
Ganja State University, pr. Khatai 187, Ganja, AZ-2000 Azerbaijan
Submitted September 15, 2009; accepted for publication December 18, 2009
Abstract—Conduction mechanisms in Si-polymer-metal heterostructures with oligo-β-naphthol as a wide
band-gap polymer have been studied. The results obtained are explained within the models of hopping trans-
port via trap levels, Schottky emission, and field tunneling emission. Different charge transport mechanisms
operate in different temperature ranges and under different electric fields.
DOI: 10.1134/S1063782610070080