Dependence on substrate temperature of the conformation and structure of a poly[3-(4-octyloxyphenyl)thiophene] (POOPT) thin film obtained by matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE)

In this paper, the substrate temperature influence on the structural and main opto-electronic properties of poly[3-(4-octyloxyphenyl)thiophene] (POOPT) films, deposited by matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE), was analyzed. Fourier transform infrared analysis of films was performed to verify that laser irradiation has not induced polymer modifications or decomposition, confirming the reliability and high control of the MAPLE deposition technique. UV–Visible spectroscopy allowed gaining insights about films conformation and packing, while conductivity values have been measured by basic current–voltage measurements. In agreement with the experimental observations reported for other growth techniques, our results highlight the substrate temperature effect in promoting the film structural organization and improving their charge transport capability. At substrate temperature of 453?K, films deposited by MAPLE show a higher conjugation length in comparison with spin-coated films. The substrate temperature increase also favors side-chains commutation to different steric configurations.