Origin of Dark Current Robustness in Photomultiplication Organic Photodetectors Enabled by Ionic Conjugated Electron‐Blocking Layers

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Authors: Yelim Kang, Min Hun Jee, Shuai Zhang, Sang Heon Lee, Jung Min Ha, Xingchao Zhao, Xiaoling Ma, Huiseong Shin, Changhwan Shin, Soonyong Lee, Fujun Zhang, Jae Won Shim
+1 more Han Young Woo
Cited by: 1
References: 52

Abstract

ABSTRACT Photomultiplication‐type organic photodetectors (PM OPDs), which rely on signal amplification via electron trapping, suffer from a fundamental trade‐off: high gain is typically accompanied by a steep increase in dark current under high reverse bias. Here, we overcome this challenge by employing ionic conjugated polyelectrolyte (CPE)‐based electron blocking layers (EBLs) with an alternating fluorene‐co‐triphenylamine backbone. CPE‐based EBLs in PM OPDs enable robust dark current stability under reverse bias up to −10 V while maintaining external quantum efficiencies (EQE) exceeding 2000%. Charge‐dynamics analysis using Fowler–Nordheim plots reveals that a nanometer‐thick CPE layer provides electron‐blocking performance comparable to that of a ∼20 nm Al 2 O 3 layer. At the same time, we show that the nature of the ionic side chains (cationic vs anionic) in CPEs governs interfacial energy‐level alignment, thereby modulating hole selectivity and photocarrier dynamics. The design principles establish a general framework for interfacial and field engineering across a broad range of photodetector platforms—from organic to hybrid systems—guiding the development of next‐generation photodetectors.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Organic Electronics and Photovoltaics Organic Light-Emitting Diodes Research Perovskite Materials and Applications

Publication details

Journal / source
Advanced Materials
Publisher
Wiley
Volume
38
Issue
53
Pages
e74371–e74371
Publication date
30 July 2026
Language
EN