| The study of metal-polymer and polymer-polymer interfaces is applied to conjugated polymer electronic devices. Conjugated polymers are a class of organic materials which have metallic or semiconducting properties which are being investigated as alternatives to traditional semiconducting materials. When conjugated polymers are used in devices, the interfaces are found to be critical to device performance.; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), which give information about the atomic and chemical composition, workfunction, and ionization potential of materials, are used to study these interfaces.; In studying metal-polymer interfaces, it is shown that the interface between the conjugated polymer fully sulfonated polyaniline (NSPAN) and an aluminum alloy is an active interface, in which copper is extracted by the polymer from the aluminum alloy. This results in the aluminum alloy becoming more resistant to corrosion in a salty environment.; The interface between aluminum and NSPAN, as it is found in some light emitting devices (LEDS), is also studied. It is concluded that negative charge is transferred from the aluminum to the polymer, resulting in a thin layer of oxidized aluminum and a more reduced form of the polymer at the interface.; In studying polymer-polymer interfaces, it is proposed that NSPAN protonates a pyridine containing polymer at an interface which is also found in some LEDs. This is proposed to be responsible for color variation found in some LEDs. A model system was studied, and protonation at the polymer-polymer interface was directly observed, supporting the earlier proposals.; Polymer-polymer interfaces found in SCALE devices, which are LEDs made with three polymer layers, are studied by UPS to determine the band structure of these devices. It is concluded that the EB layers decrease the hole barrier and increase the electron barrier, which leads to better charge balance and a better device. The EB layers also create a symmetric device, which enables it to emit light under both forward and reverse bias.; Finally, a new type of all polymer transistor device is studied, with an emphasis on how modifying the charge on the polymer surface affects device performance. |
