title: Electroless silver plating of the surface of organic semiconductors.
abstract: The integration of nanoscale processes and devices demands fabrication routes involving rapid, cost-effective steps, preferably carried out under ambient conditions. The realization of the metal/organic semiconductor interface is one of the most demanding steps of device fabrication, since it requires mechanical and/or thermal treatments which increment costs and are often harmful in respect to the active layer. Here, we provide a microscopic analysis of a room temperature, electroless process aimed at the deposition of a nanostructured metallic silver layer with controlled coverage atop the surface of single crystals and thin films of organic semiconductors. This process relies on the reaction of aqueous AgF solutions with the nonwettable crystalline surface of donor-type organic semiconductors. It is observed that the formation of a uniform layer of silver nanoparticles can be accomplished within 20 min contact time. The electrical characterization of two-terminal devices performed before and after the aforementioned treatment shows that the metal deposition process is associated with a redox reaction causing the p-doping of the semiconductor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geological Sciences and Geotechnologies, Universita degli Studi di Milano Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 4, I-20126 Milano, Italy. marcello.campione@unimib.it
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Campione
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parravicini
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moret
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papagni
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schröter
authors.forename: Torsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fritz
mesh_terms: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D012666:Semiconductors; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D012834:Silver