Ion beam degradation analysis of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT): can cryo-FIB minimize irradiation damage?

In this study, to assess the influence of the temperature on the ion beam degradation, irradiation experiments on organic semiconductor materials were performed for both cryogenic and room temperature conditions. Thin P3HT films on silicon substrates were exposed to increasing ion doses in dual beam FIB. The degradation behaviour by means of a decrease in the C[double bond, length as m-dash]C band which corresponds to a loss of conjugation was investigated by means of Raman spectroscopy. In addition, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) were used for a characterization of morphology and surface potential which provide information on temperature and ion dose dependent degradation behaviour.