The Thermoelectric Performance of Poly(3,4-ethylenedi oxythiophene)/Poly(4-styrenesulfonate) Thin Films

• Published in: Journal of electronic materials Vol. 38; no. 7; pp. 1182 - 1188
• Main Authors: Chang, Kuei-Chien, Jeng, Ming-Shan, Yang, Chang-Chung, Chou, Ya-Wen, Wu, Shih-Kuo, Thomas, Marin Andrew, Peng, Yen-Chun
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.07.2009; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Electricity; Electronic structure and electrical properties of surfaces, interfaces, thin films and low-dimensional structures; Electronic transport phenomena in thin films and low-dimensional structures; Electronics and Microelectronics; Exact sciences and technology; Instrumentation; Materials Science; Optical and Electronic Materials; Physics; Polymers; Solid State Physics; Thermoelectric effects; Thin films; Seebeck coefficient; thermoelectrical; power factor; conductive polymer; PEDOT–PSS; Thin films; Conducting polymers; PEDOT—PSS; Organic compounds; Thermoelectric properties
• ISSN: 0361-5235; 1543-186X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11664-009-0821-4

The thermoelectric performance of synthetic conductive polymers, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT/PSS), is explored. The effects of the dielectric solvent, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and of the ratio of PEDOT to PSS in the polymeric PEDOT/PSS thin films were studied systematically. Within the parameter range studied in this work, the variation of electrical conductivity overwhelmed the variation of the Seebeck coefficient, and the optimal power factor is basically determined by the highest electrical conductivity, because the Seebeck coefficient remains small over a wide range of DMSO concentrations and PEDOT:PSS ratios.