The Study of an Inducer-layer

Between red and blue emission for

White Organic Light-emitting Diodes
Sang Youn Lee You Hyun Kim, Wook Song, Meng Mei, Nam Ho
Dept. of semiconductor Display Engineering Kim and Woo Young Kim*
Hoseo University
School of Green Energy & Semiconductor,
29-1, Sechul-ri, Beabang-eup, Asan, Chungnam, 336-795
Hoseo University
South Korea
29-1, Sechul-ri, Beabang-eup, Asan, Chungnam, 336-795
[email protected]
South Korea
[email protected]

Abstract-The white organic light-emitting diodes (WOLED) using , electrical characteristics and color stability of WOLEDs[7-8].
phosphorescent dopant, iridium (III) bis[(4,6-di-fluorophenyl)- In this paper, we introduced a concept of using an
pyridinato-N, C2] picolinate (Firpic) and fluorescent dopant, inducer-layer for stable color purity in white OLEDs[9-10] and
4-(dicyanomethylene)-2-t-butyl-6(1,1,7,7- tetramethyliul-olidyl-9- WOLEDs using blue phosphorescent emitting layer with FIrpic
enyl)-4H-pyran (DCJTB) were fabricated by employing two
doped in mCP and red fluorescent emitting layer with DCJTB
different types of inducer-layer such as N,N’-dicarbazoly-
3,5-benzene (mCP) and 4,7-diphenyl-1,10- phenanthroline doped in Alq3 were fabricated and observed their electrical and
(Bphen). Luminous efficiency, max luminance, and Commission optical characteristics.
Internationale de l’Eclairage (CIEx,y) coordinates of the WOLED
using Bphen as inducer layer were 8.72 cd/A at 5.61mA/cm2, II. Experiments
CIEx,y(x=0.27,Y=0.37) at 11.11mA/cm2, and 12330cd/m2 at
205.82mA/cm2, respectively. These results demonstrated that
Bphen attributed hole-electron recombination zone controlling Indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass was cleaned in an
electron injection through 3.2eV lowest unoccupied molecular ultrasonic bath with the following sequence: acetone, distilled
orbital (LUMO) energy level and hole blocking by 6.4eV highest water, and isopropyl alcohol. Thereafter, pre-cleaned ITO was
occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy level. treated with O2 plasma under the conditions of 2 x 10-2 Torr,
and 125W for 2 min. WOLEDs were fabricated by
(keywords: WOLEDs, Inducer-layer, HOMO, LUMO) high-vacuum (5 x 10-7 Torr) thermal evaporation of organic
materials onto the surface of the ITO-coated((1800 Å, 20Ω/sq)
glass substrate(active emitting area of 3 x 3 mm2). The
I. Introduction
deposition rates were 1.0~1.1Å/s for all organic materials and
WOLEDs have been investigated for the promising 0.1Å/s for lithium fluoride (LiF). Without breaking the
application of a backlight of flat-panel displays and a white vacuum after the deposition of organic layers, the Al cathode
light source[1-3]. One of the suggested WOLEDs’ device was deposited at a rate of 5Å/s. With DC voltage bias, the
structures is consisted of two emissive layers using a blue optical and electrical properties of WOLEDs, such as the
fluorescent and a red phosphorescent dopant [4]. However, current density, luminance, power efficiency, CIEx,y
blue fluorescent dopant materials, in spite of their potential Coordinates and electroluminescence (EL) spectra of the
capacities, has not been considered yet as a proper candidate of emission characteristics were measured using Keithley 256 and
OLEDs due to their high energy gap causing difficulty in LMS PR-650 spectra colorimeter. All measurements were
finding proper host materials and short lifetime[5-6]. carried out under ambient conditions at room temperature.
Recently, WOLEDs were designed the structure for high
color purity and stability with blue phosphorescent emitter and
red fluorescent emitter utilizing the efficient singlet and triplet III. Results and Discussion
exciton better, which eventually contribute the highly efficient
(a) (b)

N N

Ir
F
O
O

N N
F
2

Firpic mCP BPhen

Alq3 DCJTB
Figure. 1. (a) Molecular structure of the key organic materials used for the emissive layer and (b) The structures of white OLED
device I, II, III and IV
250
White Device I
(a) (b) White Device II
Current density [mA/cm2]

200 White Device III

White Device IV

150

100

50

0
0 2 4 6 8 10
Voltage (V)

Figure. 2. (a) Energy level diagram of WOLEDs and (b) The characteristics of voltage versus current density of the white OLED
device I, II, III and IV.

Figure 1(a) shows molecular structures of the key organic Figure 2 (a) describes energy level diagrams of WOLED
materials used in the emissive layers, for example FIrpic as device, and mCP and BPhen were inserted between two
phosphorescent blue emitter, mCP as the phosphorescent blue emissive layers. Figure 2(b) shows the current density-voltage
host and inducer layer, DCJTB as the fluorescent red emitter, curve of device I, II, III and IV. Current densities of
Alq3 as the fluorescent red host. Four different WOLED 242.65mA/cm2 of WOLED device I was higher than that of
devices were fabricated with the structure of ITO/ 218.80, 206.48, 205.82mA/cm2 of other WOLED devices II,
N,N’-bis(1-naphy1)-N,N’- dipheny1-1,1’-bipheny 1-4-4’-diam III and IV at 9V, respectively. The device I has higher current
-ine (NPB) (700Å) / FIrpic : mCP (200Å) / inducer-layer(0Å) density among WOLED devices because they do not have
(device I) or mCP (30Å) (device II) or BPhen (30Å) (device inducer-layer resulting relatively narrow thickness of layers.
III) or mCP(20Å)/BPhen(10Å)(device IV) / BPhen (300Å) / Device III have higher electron density than device II and IV as
LIF (20Å) / Al (1000Å) as shown in Figure.1(b). The doping increasing driving voltage and this implies electron injection
concentrations of FIrpic in mCP and DCJTB in Alq3 were from BPhen’s LUMO to Alq3:DCJTB and mCP:FIrpic is more
optimized to 8.0 and 0.2%, respectively. In this structure, each efficient due to no energy barrier between BPhen and Alq3
organic material acted as follows: NPB as the hole-transporting comparing to energy barrier between BPhen and mCP.
layer, FIrpic:mCP as the blue emitting layer, mCP/BPhen as Figure 3 shows the current density-luminance characteristics
inducer-layer, DCJTB:Alq3 as the red emitting layer, BPhen as of white OLED device I, II, III and IV. The device IV has
electron transporting layer, LiF as electron injection layer, and superior luminance than other devices because triplet energy
Al as cathode, respectively. transfer from mCP to FIrpic is more efficient considering triplet
energy level of mCP, FIrpic and BPhen which are 2.90, 2.65
and 2.50eV respectively
0.45 0.45

Colour coordinate X
Figure 4 shows current density-luminous efficiency

Colour coordinate Y
characteristics. The device III had higher luminous efficiency 0.30
0.30
than device I, II and IV at low current density since
electron-hole recombination zone was formed in blue emission White Device I
White Device I
White Device II

layer due to fast electron injection from BPhen to mCP:FIrpic 0.15

White Device II
White Device III
White Device III
White Device IV
0.15
White Device IV
layer as well as phosphorescent energy via BPhen Inducer. 0 50 100 150 200 250
0 100 200 300
Current density [ mA/cm2 ] Current density [ mA/cm2 ]

12000
White Device I
White Device II Figure. 5. The CIEx,y coordinates on all devices operation bias
10000 White Device III
White Device IV
10mA/cm2 to 250mA/cm2
Luminance [cd/m2]

8000

6000
White Device I

Electroluminescence Intensity [ a.u ]

1.0
4000 White Device II
White Device III
White Device IV
0.8
2000

0 0.6

0 50 100 150 200 250

Current density [mA/cm2] 0.4

Figure. 3. The characteristics of luminance versus current 0.2

density of the white device I, II, III and IV.
0.0
White Device I
10 300 400 500 600 700 800
White Device II
White Device III
Luminance efficiency [cd/A]

Wavelenghth [ nm ]
White Device IV
8

Figure. 6 Electroluminescence spectra of white

6
device I, II, III and IV at 8.5V.
4
IV. Conclusion
2
In this work, WOLEDs with blue fluorescent emissive layer
0 and red phosphorescent emissive layer were fabricated. mCP
0 50 100 150 200 250
and Bphen were used as inducer between two emissive layers to
Current density [mA/cm2] prevent triplet energy loss. Hole-electron recombination zone
Figure. 4. The characteristics of luminous efficiency versus for WOLED could be controlled using inducer layer because of
current density of the white device I, II, III and IV. energy level difference between the LUMO of mCP and Bphen
which acted for electron and hole blocking layer. The
Figure 5 shows the CIE color coordinates from 10mA/cm2 to optimized WOLED device IV showed 8.68cd/A of luminous
250mA/cm2 of current density. Device I, II, III, and IV showed efficiency, CIEx,y(x=0.27,Y=0.37) at 11.11mA/cm2 and
an emission of CIEx,y coordinates from (0.31,0.40), (0.32,0.40), 12330cd/m2 of max luminance at 205.82mA/cm2.
(0.21,0.37), and (0.27,0.38) at 150mA/cm2. Device III and IV
were more shifted to blue color than device I and II according V. Acknowledgments
to more recombination happened in mCP:FIrpic layer.
This work is financially supported by Ministry of Education
Figure 6 depicts the EL spectra of WOLED devices at 8V from Science and Technology (MEST) and the Ministry of
400 to 800 nm. All of WOLED devices have bluish green peaks Knowledge Economy (MKE) through the fostering project of
for FIrpic at 476 and 496nm and a red peak for DCJTB at the Industrial-Academic Cooperation Centered University.
600nm, respectively. There was not much change of peak
intensity at blue emission region but significant intensity VI. References
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