PROPERTIES OF CHLORINE-DOPED POLY(N-VINYLCARBAZOLE) THIN-FILMS

Thin films of poly(N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) have been obtained by therm al evaporation under vacuum. The chain length of the polymer is shorte ned by this deposition technique, which induces a strong reactivity be tween chlorine and the PVK films. After chlorine doping, there is comp lex salt formation as shown by electron spin resonance spectroscopy (E SR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). However, the major par t of the chlorine has reacted with PVK. The thermal evaporation induce s amorphization of the PVK, while chlorine doping induces polymer degr adation with NH4Cl formation. Because of this degradation the carriers detected by ESR are strongly localized on carbazole radicals, thereby explaining the small increase in the conductivity of PVK films even a fter chlorine doping. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Limited. All rights re served.