Transparent organic light-emitting devices with LiF/Mg:Ag cathode

Abstract

Transparent organic light-emitting devices (TOLED) based on a stacked transparent cathode of a LiF/Mg:Ag were investigated. The device has a structure of indium-tin-oxide (ITO)/ N, N'-diphenyl-N, N'-(3- methylphenyl)-1,1'-biphenyl-4,4'-diamine (TPD) (90 nm)/ tris-(8- hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq3) (80 nm)/LiF (0.5 nm)/Mg:Ag (20 nm)/Alq3 (50 nm), where the transparent capping layer of 50 nm Alq3 acts as refractive index matching layer to optimize optical output. The turn-on voltage of the device is as low as 2.8 V. The device also shows high optical transparency and low reflectivity in the visible region, approximately 40% of light can emit from the top cathode side and 60% of the light from bottom ITO glass. At injection current density of 20 mA/cm2, the current efficiency, for bottom emission from ITO anode side and top emission from metal cathode side, is 3.4 cd/A and 2.2 cd/A, respectively. The lower turnon voltage and higher efficiency of device are due to enhancing electron injection by using LiF/Mg:Ag cathode.