A low drive voltage, transparent, metal-free n-i-p electrophosphorescent light emitting diode

Abstract We demonstrate a transparent, inverted, electrophosphorescent n–i–p organic light emitting diode (OLED) exhibiting a luminance of 500 cd/m 2 at 3.1 V, and with a luminous power efficiency of 23 lm/W when light emitted from both top and bottom surfaces is summed. We find that 10% more light is emitted from the top surface; hence a power efficiency of 12 lm/W is obtained for a device viewed through the top, transparent contact. This device, with applications to head-up and displays employing n-type Si driver circuitry, has significantly higher power efficiency and lower drive voltage than undoped fluorescent inverted OLEDs. Efficient injection of both electrons and holes is made possible by controlled n- and p-doping of the transport layers with high doping levels. The light emitting region is protected from ITO sputtering damage by a 210 nm thick p-doped hole transport layer. The transparency of the device at the peak OLED emission wavelength of 510 nm is (80 ± 5)%.

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