The effect of sodium dodecyl sulfate on PEDOT:PSS and its application to organic photovoltaic solar cells

Recently, the use of PEDOT:PSS in flexible device electrodes has been reported. PEDOT:PSS treatment consists of a step in which a small amount of surfactant is added to enhance the adhesion between PEDOT:PSS and the substrate or TCO materials. However, basic research into the effect of the surfactant is lacking. We studied the effects of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) at controlled concentrations in aqueous PEDOT:PSS solution and that it enhanced the conductivity in the mixed thin films with surfactant and PEDOT:PSS. The thin films were prepared by the spin coating method. To study the structural effects on the resulting electrical properties, the thin films were investigated by FE-SEM (Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy) and AFM (Atomic Force Microscopy). At the same time, the electrical properties were investigated using a 4-point probe and solar simulator.