Photoelectron studies of electrochemical diffusion of conducting polymerrtransparent conductive metal oxide film interfaces

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy XPS.investigations of conducting polymer polythiophene PT.rindium tin oxide ITO.and PTrSnO2 interfaces have been conducted. Interfacial electrochemical diffusion of the metal oxide substrate species has been observed in both cases through electrochemical reduction process. XPS investigation has focused on the core-level energies and spectral profiles of the diffused substrate species into polymer matrix. A larger part of the diffused species is metal oxides in both cases determined by measuring chemical shifts of core-levels of In 3d5r2and Sn 3d5r2 . However, increase in lower binding energy components of In 3d5r2and Sn 3d5r2 spectra of the diffused species indicates that the diffused species in polymer matrix are a mixture of metallic and oxide states of In and Sn. Furthermore, with regard to PT backbone-originated S 2p lines, a large splitting was observed indicating the large interaction between diffused metal oxides and sulfur sites of the polymer backbone. q1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved