Organic thin film Zener diodes
View Patent ↗A thin film Zener diode, comprising: (a) a thin film comprised of at least one layer including at least one organic material; and (b) first and second electrodes in contact with respective opposite sides of the thin film, wherein the materials of the first and second electrodes and the thickness of the thin film are selected to provide a pre-selected Zener threshhold voltage.
1. A thin film Zener diode, comprising:
(a) a thin film comprised of at least one layer including at least one organic material; and
(b) first and second electrodes in contact with respective opposite sides of the thin film; wherein the second electrode has a thickness of about 500 Å or more and about 1000 Å or less and a diameter of about 0.25 mm or more and about 1 mm or less.
2. The diode as in claim 1 , wherein:
the thin film comprises at least one organic material selected from monomers, oligomers, polymers, and combinations thereof, or the thin film comprises metal-containing particles or clusters in an organic polymer matrix or binder.
3. The diode as in claim 1 , wherein:
the thin film comprises one or more layers of at least one p-type organic material; and
each of the first and second electrodes comprises at least one electrically conductive material having a high work function for electrons equal to or greater than about 4.1 eV.
4. The diode as in claim 3 , wherein:
each of the first and second electrodes comprises at least one electrically conductive material selected from the group consisting of Au, W, Ti, Pt, Ag, Mo, Ta, Cu, metal oxides, and organic polymers.
5. The diode as in claim 3 , wherein:
the first and second electrodes are comprised of the same or different high work function materials.
6. The diode as in claim 1 , wherein:
the thin film comprises one or more layers of at least one n-type organic material; and
each of the first and second electrodes comprises at least one electrically conductive material having a low work function for electrons less than about 4.1 eV.
7. The diode as in claim 6 , wherein:
each of the first and second electrodes comprises at least one electrically conductive material selected from the group consisting of Ca, Mg, Mg combined with another metal, Al, Al alloys, Li—Al alloys, and metal-dielectric combinations.
8. The diode as in claim 6 , wherein:
the first and second electrodes are comprised of the same or different low work function materials.
9. The diode as in claim 1 , wherein:
the thin film comprises one or more layers of at least one aromatic amine; and
each of the first and second electrodes comprises at least one electrically conductive material having a high work function for electrons equal to or greater than about 4.1 eV.
10. The diode as in claim 1 , wherein:
the thickness of the thin film is between about 10 Å and 1 mm.
11. The diode as in claim 10 , wherein:
the thickness of the thin film is between about 10 Å and 1 μm.
12. The diode as in claim 11 , wherein:
the thickness of the thin film is between about 10 Å and 1,500 Å.
13. The diode as in claim 1 , wherein:
one of the first and second electrodes overlies an electrically insulative substrate.
14. The diode as in claim 1 , wherein:
the first electrode is made of Au;
the thin film comprises a layer of perylene tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride (PTCDA) overlying the first electrode and a layer of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) over the layer of PTCDA; and
the second electrode overlies the layer of CuPc and is made of Ag.
15. The diode as in claim 14 , wherein:
the thin film further includes a layer of tetraphenyl biphenylenediamine (TPD) between the CuPc layer and the second electrode.
16. The diode as in claim 1 , wherein:
the first electrode is made of Au;
the thin film comprises a layer of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) overlying the first electrode, a layer of perylene tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride (PTCDA) over the layer of CuPc, and a layer of tetraphenyl biphenylenediamine (TPD) over the layer of PTCDA; and
the second electrode overlies the layer of TPD and is made of Ag.
17. The diode as in claim 1 , wherein:
the first electrode is made of Au;
the thin film comprises a layer of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) overlying the first electrode, and a layer of tetraphenyl biphenylenediamine (TPD) over the layer of CuPc; and
the second electrode overlies the layer of CuPc and is made of Cu.
18. The diode as in claim 1 , wherein:
the first electrode is made of Ti;
the thin film comprises a layer of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) overlying the first electrode; and
the second electrode overlies the layer of CuPc and is made of Ag.
19. The diode as in claim 1 , wherein:
the first electrode is made of Cu, Ta, Ti, or W;
the thin film comprises a layer of polyphenylacetylene (PPA) overlying the first electrode; and
the second electrode overlies the layer of PPA and is made of W, Ta, Ti, Al, Ag, or Cu.