Surface Modification of Poly(3,4-ethylene dioxthiophene):Poly(styrene sulfonic acid) (PEDOT:PSS) Films by Atmospheric-Pressure Argon Plasma for Organic Thin-Film Solar Cells

Highly-conductive poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonic acid) (PEDOT:PSS) films obtained by the addition of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and the argon plasma exposure were used as a transparent conductive anode (TCA) for copper-phthalocyanine (CuPc)/C60 organic thin-film solar cells (OSCs). The CuPc/C60 OSCs on as-grown DMSO added PEDOT:PSS layer showed a power efficiency of 0.6%, whereas it was improved markedly to 1.34% after the atmospheric-pressure argon plasma exposure, which was comparable to that formed on indium-tin-oxide layer. Effects of the DMSO addition and the argon plasma exposure in the spin-coated PEDOT:PSS films is demonstrated in terms of the in-depth characterization of optical and electrical properties.