High-Performance Organic Small-Molecule Panchromatic Photodetectors

Abstract

High-performance panchromatic organic photodetectors (OPDs) containing small molecules lead phthalocyanine (PbPc) and C₇₀ fullerene as donor and acceptor, respectively, were demonstrated. The OPDs had either a PbPc/C₇₀ planar heterojunction (PHJ) or a PbPc/PbPc:C₇₀/C₇₀ hybrid planar-mixed molecular heterojunction (PM-HJ) structure. Both the PHJ and the PM-HJ devices showed a broad-band response that covered wavelengths from 300 to 1100 nm. An external quantum efficiency (EQE) higher than 10% and detectivity on the order of 10¹² Jones were obtained in the wavelength region from 400 to 900 nm for the PHJ device. The EQE in the near-infrared region was enhanced by using the PM-HJ device structure, and a maximum EQE of 30.2% at 890 nm was observed for the optimized device with a 5% PbPc-doped C₇₀ layer. Such an EQE is the highest at this wavelength of reported OPDs. The detectivity of the PM-HJ devices was also higher than that of the PHJ one, which is attributed to the increased efficiency of exciton dissociation in bulk heterojunction structure, increased absorption efficiency caused by formation of triclinic PbPc in the PbPc:C₇₀ mixed film when it was deposited on a pristine PbPc layer, and high hole mobility of the PbPc-doped C₇₀ layer