High-Performance Organic Photodetectors from a High-Bandgap Indacenodithiophene-Based π-Conjugated Donor–Acceptor Polymer

A conjugated donor–acceptor polymer, poly[4,4,9,9-tetrakis(4-hexylphenyl)-4,9-dihydro-s-indaceno[1,2-b:5,6-b′]dithiophene-2,7-diyl-alt-5-(2-ethylhexyl)-4H-thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6(5H)-dione-1,3-diyl] (PIDT-TPD), is blended with the fullerene derivative [6,6]phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC61BM) for the fabrication of thin and solution-processed organic photodetectors (OPDs). Systematic screening of the concentration ratio of the blend and the molecular weight of the polymer is performed to optimize the active layer morphology and the OPD performance. The device comprising a medium molecular weight polymer (27.0 kg/mol) in a PIDT-TPD:PC61BM 1:1 ratio exhibits an external quantum efficiency of 52% at 610 nm, a dark current density of 1 nA/cm2, a detectivity of 1.44 × 1013 Jones, and a maximum 3 dB cutoff frequency of 100 kHz at −5 V bias. These results are remarkable among the state-of-the-art red photodetectors based on conjugated polymers. As such, this work presents a functional organic active material for high-speed OPDs with a linear photoresponse at different light intensities.