Semitransparent ZnO/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) based hybrid inorganic/organic heterojunction thin film diodes prepared by combined radio-frequency magnetron-sputtering and electrodeposition techniques

n-ZnO/p-poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) semitransparent inorganic–organic hybrid vertical heterojunction thin film diodes have been fabricated with PEDOT and ZnO thin films grown by electrodeposition and radio-frequency magnetron-sputtering respectively, onto a tin doped indium oxide coated glass substrate. The diode exhibited an optical transmission of ~ 40% to ~ 50% in the visible region between 450 and 700 nm. The current–voltage (I–V) characteristics of the heterojunction show good rectifying diode characteristics, with a ratio of forward current to the reverse current as high as 35 in the range − 4 V to + 4 V. The I–V characteristic was examined in the framework of the thermionic emission model. The ideality factor and barrier height were obtained as 4.0 and 0.88 eV respectively.

► Semitransparent inorganic–organic heterojunction thin film diodes investigated
► n-ZnO/p-poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythipohene) used for the heterojunction
► Diodes exhibited an optical transmission of ~ 40%–~ 50% in the visible region
► Heterojunction current–voltage features show good rectifying diode characteristics
► A forward to reverse current ratio as high as 35 (− 4 V to + 4 V range) was attained