Electrical phase transition of poly(4,4′-aminotriphenylene hexafluoroisopropylidenediphthalimide) by photogenerated charged carrier injection

We show a set-up of poly(4,4′-aminotriphenylene hexafluoroisopropylidenediphthalimide) (6F-TPA PI)/Al sample in which holes are injected by photoelectron emission process instead of direct charge carrier injection via metal electrode. In this process, an irreversible electrical phase transition of 6F-TPA PI is found in contrast to the Al/6F-TPA PI/Al structure, leading to a write-once-read-many behavior. The photoelectron spectroscopy results measured before and after the switching process revealed that the irreversible electrical phase transition of 6F-TPA PI is attributed to the chemical modification of the carbonyl group in phthalimide moiety.