Multilayer White Light-Emitting Organic Electroluminescent Device

TLDR

Organic electroluminescent devices are fully organic LEDs that enable lightweight, paper‑thin light sources for applications such as aircraft illumination and display backlighting. The study reports the fabrication of a vacuum‑deposited white light‑emitting organic electroluminescent device. The device uses three vacuum‑deposited emitter layers—blue, green, and red—each with distinct carrier transport properties to produce white light. The device achieved bright white light exceeding 2000 cd/m², comparable to a fluorescent lamp, at low drive voltages of 15–16 V.

Abstract

Organic electroluminescent devices are light-emitting diodes in which the active materials consist entirely of organic materials. Here, the fabrication of a white light-emitting organic electroluminescent device made from vacuum-deposited organic thin films is reported. In this device, three emitter layers with different carrier transport properties, each emitting blue, green, or red light, are used to generate white light. Bright white light, over 2000 candelas per square meter, nearly as bright as a fluorescent lamp, was successfully obtained at low drive voltages such as 15 to 16 volts. The applications of such a device include paper-thin light sources, which are particularly useful for places that require lightweight illumination devices, such as in aircraft and space shuttles. Other uses are a backlight for liquid crystal display as well as full color displays, achieved by combining the emitters with micropatterned color filters.