Effect of polar dopant on energetic and positional disorders in tris(8-hydroxyquinolinato) aluminum (Alq₃)

Abstract

The influence of polar dopant on the charge carrier transport in amorphous tris (8-hydroxyquinolinato) aluminum (Alq₃) was studied by time-of-flight measurement. The 4-(dicyanomethylene)-2-methyl-6-(p-dimethylaminostyryl)-4H-pyran (DCM) was doped into Alq₃ with various concentration from 0.5 to 24 wt. %. The electron mobility was reduced by about one order by DCM doping in Alq₃. The electric-field dependence electron mobility in Alq₃:DCM films separated into two discrete regions of critical fields E_c ^1/2. The value of E_c ^1/2ranged from 360 to 405 (V/cm)^1/2 depending on the DCM concentration in Alq₃ films. The energetic disorder in Alq₃:DCM films increased from 0.01 eV to 0.09 eV with DCM doping concentration. The positional disorder in Alq₃:DCM films also increased from 0.3 to 6.5 with DCM doping concentration up to 24 wt. %. These results indicated the strong Coulombic and dipole–dipole interactions between DCM and Alq₃ molecules. The interactions between randomly located DCM molecules, Alq₃ dipoles and oriented dipoles are the major caused of positional disorder.