Optical properties in terms of the complex-valued dielectric function were determined for spin-coated films of a Rose Bengal derivative using variable angle of incidence spectroscopic ellipsometry in the visible and infrared wavelength regions. In addition, the thickness and roughness of the films were determined and related to the solution concentration of Rose Bengal. Switching between two different oxidation states of the Rose Bengal derivative was investigated. The two states were chemically induced by exposure to vapors of hydrochloric acid and ammonia, respectively. A substantial and reversible change of the optical properties of the films was observed.

Organic semiconductor blends are commonly used in organic based (opto-)electronic devices. They are composed of two types of (macro-) molecules, referredto as the guest and host. To achieve optimum device operation, the chemicalnature, electronic structure, molecular order and the relative concentration of theguests and host are crucial. Here, we present simulation results of the currentdensity versus the voltage (J-V) behavior of a two-terminal device based on avariable-range hopping model in which the electronic states of the guest and hostare represented by two Gaussian distributions. The J-V behavior is investigatedfor various energetic mismatches between guest and host states, widths of thedistribution as well as the guest concentration. Finally, a simple tool enablingeasy prediction of the J-V behavior of organic host-guest diodes is derived.

Diarylethene molecules are photochromics (PCs) currently investigated for use in optical write/electrical read memory applications. The impact of the photoisomerization of PCs on the device behavior is analyzed with charge transport models. These results indicate that good electrical current switching can be achieved in a device when the PCs are combined with an organic semiconductor (in multilayered structures or blends). The frontier energy levels and dipole moment of a series of diarylethene compounds have been calculated using density functional theory. A good agreement is found between the calculated electronic structure and the measured ultraviolet photoelectron spectra. Shirts in the frontier energy levels and dipole moment are generated through two different approaches for chemical modification: (i) by changing the chemical nature of the aryl rings or (ii) by adding substituents on the ethylene, bridge. The frontier energy levels can be tuned by more than 2 eV via such chemical modifications. We find that, for this family of photochromic compounds, the photoinduced current switch effect in diodes is mainly due to the modulation in the frontier energy levels rather than the changes in the amplitude of the dipole moment.

Since the discovery of conducting polymers three decades ago the field of organic electronics has evolved rapidly. Organic light emitting diodes have already reached the consumer market, while organic solar cells and transistors are rapidly maturing. One of the great benefits with this class of materials is that they can be processed from solution. This enables several very cheap production methods, such as printing and spin coating, and opens up the possibility to use unconventional substrates, such as flexible plastic foils and paper. Another great benefit is the possibility of tailoring the molecules through carefully controlled synthesis, resulting in a multitude of different functionalities.

This thesis reports how charge transport can be altered in solid-state organic electronic devices, with specific focus on memory applications. The first six chapters give a brief review of the field of solid-state organic electronics, with focus on electronic properties, resistance switch mechanisms and systems. Paper 1 and 3 treat Rose Bengal switch devices in detail – how to improve these devices for use in cross-point arrays as well as the origin of the switch effect. Paper 2 investigates how the work function of a conducting polymer can be modified to allow for better electron injection into an organic light emitting diode. The aim of the work in papers 4 and 5 is to understand the behavior of switchable charge trap devices based on blends of photochromic molecules and organic semiconductors. With this in mind, charge transport in the presence of traps is investigated in paper 4 and photochromic molecules is investigated using quantum chemical methods in paper 5.

Elektroniska komponenter har traditionellt sett tillverkats av kisel ellerandra liknande inorganiska material. Denna teknologi har förfinats intillperfektion sedan mitten av 1900-talet och idag har kiselkretsar mycket högprestanda. Tillverkningen av dessas kretsar är dock komplicerad och är därförkostsam. Under 1970-talet upptäcktes att organiska polymerer (dvs plast) kanleda ström under vissa förutsättningar. Genom att välja lämplig polymer ochbehandla den med vissa kemikalier (så kallad dopning) kan man varieraledningsförmågan från isolerande till nästintill metallisk. Det öppnarmöjligheten för att skapa elektroniska komponenter där dessa organiskamaterial utgör den aktiva delen istället för kisel. En av de stora fördelarna medorganiska material är att de vanligtvis är lösliga i vanliga lösningsmedel. Det göratt komponenter kan tillverkas mycket enkelt och billigt genom att användakonventionell tryckteknik, där bläcket har ersatts med lösningen av detorganiska materialet. Det gör också att komponenterna kan tillverkas påokonventionella ytor såsom papper, plast eller textil. En annan spännandemöjlighet med organiska material är att dess funktioner kan skräddarsys genomvälkontrollerad kemisk syntes på molekylär nivå. Inom forskningsområdetOrganisk Elektronik studerar man de elektroniska egenskaperna i de organiskamaterialen och hur man kan använda dessa material i elektroniskakomponenter.

Vi omges idag av apparater och applikationer som kräver att data sparas,som till exempel digitala kameror, datorer och mobiltelefoner. Eftersom det finnsett stort intresse från konsumenter för nya smarta produkter ökar behovet avmobila lagringsmedia med stor lagringskapacitet i rasande fart. Detta harsporrat en intensiv utveckling av större och billigare fickminnen, hårddiskar ochminneskort. Många olika typer av minneskomponenter baserade på organiskamaterial har föreslagits de senaste åren. I vissa fall har dessa påståtts kunna erbjuda både billigare och större minnen än vad dagens kiselteknologi tillåter.En typ av organiska elektroniska minnen baseras på en reversibel ochkontrollerbar förändring av ledningsförmågan i komponenten. En informationsenhet – en så kallad bit – kan då lagras genom att till exempel koda en högledningsförmåga som en ”1” och en låg ledningsförmåga som en ”0”. Den härdoktorsavhandlingen är ett försök till att öka förståelsen för sådanaminneskomponenter.

Minneskomponenter bestående av det organiska materialet Rose Bengalmellan metallelektroder har undersökts. Egenskaper för system bestående avmånga sådana komponenter har beräknats. Vidare visas att minnesfenomenetinte härstammar i det organiska materialet utan i metallelektroderna.Tillsammans med studier av andra forskargrupper har det här resultatetbidragit till en debatt om huruvida minnesmekanismerna i andra typer avkomponenter verkligen beror på det organiska materialet.Olika sätt att ändra transporten av laddningar i organiska elektroniskasystem har undersökts. Det visas experimentellt hur överföringen av laddningarmellan metallelektroder och det organiska materialet kan förbättras genom attmodifiera metallelektroderna på molekylär nivå. Vidare har det studeratsteoretiskt hur laddningar kan fastna (så kallad trapping) i organiska materialoch därmed påverka ledningsförmågan i materialet.En speciell typ av organiska molekyler ändrar sin struktur, och därmedegenskaper, reversibelt när de belyses av ljus av en viss våglängd, så kalladefotokroma molekyler. Denna förändring kan användas till att ändraledningsförmågan genom en komponent och därmed skulle man kunna användamolekylerna i en minneskomponent. I den sista delen av avhandlingen användskvantkemiska metoder för att beräkna egenskaperna hos dessa molekyler för attöka förståelsen för hur de kan användas i minneskomponenter.

Since the discovery of conducting polymers three decades ago the field of organic electronics has evolved rapidly. Organic light emitting diodes have already reached the consumer market, while organic solar cells and transistors are rapidly maturing. One of the great benefits with this class of materials is that they can be processed from solution. This enables several very cheap production methods, such as printing and spin coating, and opens up the possibility to use unconventional substrates, such as flexible plastic foils and paper. Another great benefit is the possibility of tailoring the molecules through carefully controlled synthesis, resulting in a multitude of different functionalities. This is very interesting for nano applications, where devices are made of a small number of molecules or even a single molecule, and were the molecules can be designed to self-assembly.

This thesis reports how charge transport can be altered in solid-state organic electronic devices. This is done from both a dynamic perspective, as in impedance switch devices, and from a static perspective, as in the modification of electrode properties to improve charge injection. The first six chapters give a brief review of the field of solid-state organic electronics, with focus on electronic properties, impedance switch mechanisms and architecture.

Paper I and III treat Rose Bengal switch devices in detail- how to improve these devices for use in cross-point arrays (paper I) and the origin of the switch effect (paper III). Paper II investigates how the work function of a conducting polymer can be modified to allow for better electron injection into an organic light emitting diode.

The development of printed and flexible (opto)electronics requires specific materials for the device's electrodes. Those materials must satisfy a combination of properties. They must be electrically conducting, transparent, printable, and flexible. The conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) - poly-(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT-PSS) is known as a promising candidate. Its conductivity can be increased by 3 orders of magnitude by the secondary dopant diethylene glycol (DEG). This "secondary doping" phenomenon is clarified in a combined photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning probe microscopy investigation. PEDOT-PSS appears to form a three-dimensional conducting network explaining the improvement of its electrical property upon addition of DEG. Polymer light emitting diodes are successfully fabricated using the transparent plastic PEDOT-PSS electrodes instead of the traditionally used indium tin oxide. © 2006 American Chemical Society.

All-plastic light emitting diodes require the design and fabrication of low work function plastic electrodes. Here, we show that the work function of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-polystyrenesulfonic acid (PEDOT-PSS) can be decreased from 4.8 eV to 3.9 eV by surface reaction with the strong electron-donor tetrakis(dimethylamino)ethylene (TDAE). The surface modification was characterized by photoelectron spectroscopy and optical spectroscopy. The low work function plastic electrode was used in a first prototype for all-plastic light emitting diodes.

Novel applications for flexible electronics, e.g., displays and solar cells, require fully flexible, transparent, stable, and low-work-function electrodes that can be manufactured via a low-cost process. Here, we demonstrate that surface chemistry constitutes a route to producing transparent low-work-function plastic electrodes. The work function of the conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-tosylate, or PEDOT-Tos, is decreased by submonolayer surface redox reaction with a strong electron donor, tetrakis-(dimethylamino)ethylene (TDAE), allowing it to reach a work function of 3.8 eV. The interface formed between TDAE and PEDOT is investigated in a joint experimental and theoretical study using photoelectron spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations. © 2006 American Chemical Society.