Tailoring the energy level alignment at the Co/Alq3 interface by controlled cobalt oxidation

We have studied the influence of oxygen exposure at the prototypical interface between cobalt and the organic semiconductor tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (III) (Alq(3)) by photoemission spectroscopy. We find that oxidation of the cobalt leads to a gradual suppression of hybrid interface states, to a progressive change in the work function and to a continuous energetic shift of the molecular orbitals towards higher binding energies. Based on these observations, we propose controlled oxidation of the ferromagnetic electrode as an easy and effective possibility to tune the performance of organic spintronics devices. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.