Understanding the charge carrier conduction mechanisms of plasma-polymerized 2-furaldehyde thin films via DC electrical studies

• Plasma polymerized 2-furaldehyde films were synthesized via a glow discharge technique.
• Uniformity of the surface of the PPDFH films was identified via SEM analysis.
• Energy dispersive X-ray spectra show the presence of C, O, and substrate related elements.
• The dominant conduction mechanism in the PPFDH films is of Schottky type.
• Schottky type mechanism was also confirmed by the temperature dependence J–V studies.

Monomer 2-furaldehyde (FDH) was deposited onto the glass substrates in optimum conditions via a glow discharge using a capacitively coupled parallel plate reactor to obtain plasma polymerized 2-furaldehyde (PPFDH) thin films of different thicknesses. In order to realize the carrier conduction mechanisms, the direct current density against applied voltage (J–V) characteristics of these films with different thicknesses were investigated at different temperatures (T) in the voltage region from 0.5 to 49 V in Al/PPFDH/Al sandwich configuration. The J–V characteristics at various temperatures follow a power law of the form J ∞ Vn. In the low voltage region the values of n were recorded to be 0.80 ≤ n ≤ 1.12 and those in the high voltage region found to lie between 1.91 ≤ n ≤ 2.58, demonstrating the Ohmic conduction mechanism in the low voltage region and non-Ohmic conduction in the high voltage region. Theoretically calculated and experimental results of Schottky (βs) and Poole–Frenkel (βPF) coefficients display that the most probable conduction mechanism in PPFDH thin films is the Schottky type. Arrhenius plots of J vs. 1/T for an applied voltage of 5 V, the activation energies were 0.13 ± 0.02 and 0.50 ± 0.05 eV in the low and high temperature regions, respectively. However, for an applied voltage of 35 V, the activation energy values were found to be 0.11 ± 0.01 eV and 0.55 ± 0.02 eV, respectively in low and high temperature regions.