In Situ Visualization and Quantification of Electrical Self-Heating in Conjugated Polymer Diodes Using Raman Spectroscopy

Self-heating in organic electronics can lead to anomalous electrical performance and even accelerated degradation. However, in the case of disordered organic semiconductors, self-heating effects are difficult to quantify using electrical techniques alone due to complex transport properties. Therefore, more direct methods are needed to monitor the impact of self-heating on device performance. Here, self-heating in poly[2,6-(4,4-bis-(2-ethylhexyl)-4H-cyclopenta [2,1-b;3,4-b′] dithiophene)-alt-4,7(2,1,3-benzothiadiazole)] (PCPDTBT) diodes is visualized using Raman spectroscopy, and thermal effects due to self-heating are quantified by exploiting temperature-dependent shifts in the polymer vibrational modes. The temperature increases due to self-heating are quantified by correlating the Raman shifts observed in electrically biased diodes with temperature-dependent Raman measurements. Temperature elevations up to 75 K are demonstrated in the PCPDTBT diodes at moderate power of about 2.6–3.3 W cm⁻². Numerical modeling rationalizes the significant role of Joule and recombination heating on the diode current–voltage characteristics. This work demonstrates a facile approach for in situ monitoring of self-heating in organic semiconductors for a range of applications, from fundamental transport studies to thermal management in devices.