ITO-free down-conversion white organic light-emitting diodes with structured color conversion layers for enhanced optical efficiency and color rendering

We report our study on white organic light-emitting diodes (WOLEDs) implemented in a down-conversion scheme based on an ITO-free, cavity-enhanced blue phosphorescent OLED and a micro-structured color conversion layer (CCL) containing red and green phosphors. Cavity resonance induced by a ZnS/Ag/MoO₃ anode structure enables both efficiency enhancement/spectral refinement of blue phosphorescent OLED. In accordance with the resonance-induced effect, outcoupling assistance provided by micro-structuring of CCLs works to yield WOLEDs with both high efficiency and illumination-quality color rendering. Highly flexible WOLEDs are also demonstrated in the proposed scheme and tested at a radius of curvature of 10.8 mm to illustrate its advantages in realizing versatile next-generation light sources.     

Using an embedded nanocomposite layer to increase color-conversion efficiency of organic light-emitting diodes

Down-conversion white organic light-emitting diodes (WOLEDs) have a significant advantage in generating stabilized white-light emissions, but still have room for further improvement in terms of color-conversion efficiency. We demonstrated that TiO₂ nanoparticles mixed with fluorescent dyes could be used to increase the absorption of dyes and thus boost the efficiency of color-conversion. WOLEDs with a nanocomposite color-conversion layer achieved high efficiencies of 12.3% (22.9 cd/A and 22.5 lm/W) and stable white-light emission. In addition, the EL spectra with different viewing angles are close to the ideal Lambertain curve. These outcomes indicate that the nanocomposite-based color-conversion possesses great potential for use in display and lighting applications.     

High efficiency pure white organic light-emitting diodes using a diphenylaminofluorene-based blue fluorescent material

High efficiency pure white organic light-emitting diodes (WOLEDs) were developed using a highly efficient diphenylaminofluorene-based deep blue fluorescent material (DAF). A high quantum efficiency of 7.1% with color coordinates of (0.15, 0.18) were obtained from the DAF-doped blue device, which was then combined with phosphorescent red/green devices. A mixed interlayer was used to control the color coordinates and charge balance in the emitting layer of the WOLEDs. The pure white hybrid WOLEDs showed a high quantum efficiency of 12.3%.     

Interlayer free hybrid white organic light-emitting diodes with red/blue phosphorescent emitters and a green thermally activated delayed fluorescent emitter

Two different hybrid white organic light-emitting diodes (WOLEDs) with red/blue phosphorescent emitters and a green thermally activated delayed fluorescent (TADF) emitter were designed to develop high efficiency hybrid WOLEDs. One hybrid WOLED (type I) had a device structure with a hybrid emitting layer of green TADF and red phosphorescent emitters stacked on a blue phosphorescent emitting layer and the other hybrid WOLED (type II) had a device architecture with the green TADF emitting layer stacked on a red and blue phosphorescent emitting layer. Efficient energy transfer from the green TADF emitter to the red phosphorescent emitter was observed and balanced white emission could be obtained by optimizing the device structure of the hybrid WOLEDs. A quantum efficiency of 16.2% with a color coordinate of (0.45,0.47) and a quantum efficiency of 18.0% with a color coordinate of (0.37,0.47) were achieved in the type I and type II hybrid WOLEDs, respectively.     

Novel scattering and color converting substrates for simple-structured white organic light-emitting diodes

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) have shown great success in the display applications recently. However, the applications of OLEDs in lighting are still limited due to their complex device structures. Here, we developed a novel phosphor doped glass substrate with both high scattering and excellent color conversion capability to greatly simplify the device structures of white organic light-emitting diodes (WOLEDs). A simple-structured WOLED comprising a blue OLED and the scattering fluorescent substrate was demonstrated to realize high quality white light for lighting applications. The WOLED exhibits a turn-on voltage of 2.7 V, a maximum power efficiency of 29.8 lm/W, an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 14.2%, a color rendering index (CRI) of 86, and a correlated color-temperature (CCT) of 3900 K. The low turn-on voltage can be attributed to the single emissive layer structure used in the WOLED. The high power efficiency as well as the high EQE are due to both the high color conversion efficiency and the high scattering capability of the fluorescent substrate. In addition, the WOLED is favorable for high-quality solid-state lighting in our daily life due to its high color rendering ability along with an adequate CCT CC.     

High efficiency phosphorescent white organic light-emitting diodes with an ultra-thin red and green co-doped layer and dual blue emitting layers

Phosphorescent white organic light emitting diodes (WOLEDs) with a multi-layer emissive structure comprising two separate blue layers and an ultra-thin red and green co-doped layer sandwiched in between have been studied. With proper host and dopant compositions and optimized layer thicknesses, high-performance WOLEDs having a power efficiency over 40 lm/W at 1000 cd/m² with a low efficiency roll-off have been produced. Through a systematic investigation of the exciton confinement and various pathways for energy transfer among the hosts and dopants, we have found that both the ultra-thin co-doped layer and two blue emitting layers play a vital role in achieving high device efficiency and controllable white emission.     

All‐Fluorescence White Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes Exceeding 20% EQEs by Rational Manipulation of Singlet and Triplet Excitons

White organic light‐emitting diodes (WOLEDs) composed of conventional fluorophores possess color purity, low efficiency roll‐off, and rare metal absence, but suffer from theoretical limits due to the lack of triplet utilization. Due to the different diffusion distance for singlets and triplets, multiple Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) channels can be adequately built up. Herein, besides the complementary component, a blue fluorescence layer, hosted by pure hydrocarbon material SF4‐TPE, is put forward as the spatial exciton manipulating layer to rationally allocate singlets and triplets to the corresponding channels. Hence, singlets are captured by the blue fluorophore, diffused triplets subsequently undergo energy resonance between the blue fluorophore and green assistant, and up‐conversion effect for eventual emission from the yellow fluorophore. Owing to the utilization of singlets and triplets, all‐fluorescence WOLEDs exhibit high efficiency exceeding 20%, with slight efficiency roll‐off even under high luminance of 5000 cd cm^?2. Moreover, CIE coordinates can be surrounding and precisely inside the American National Standard Institute (ANSI) quadrangles, as well as outstanding color stability (ΔCIE‐(x, y) within (0.001, 0.012)) from 300 to 13000 cd cm^?2.     

Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Warm White Organic Light Emitting Devices with External Quantum Efficiencies Over 30%

While monochrome organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters have achieved over 30% external quantum efficiencies (EQEs), all-TADF white OLEDs (WOLEDs) are still lagging behind. Herein, a simple system based on two color-complementary TADF emitters is exploited to realize high-performance WOLEDs. By doping a high-performance orange–red TADF fluorophor (BPPZ-DPXZ) into a blue TADF host (DBFCz-Trz), energy transfer, and triplet-to-singlet conversion in the host-dopant system can be optimized to simultaneously achieve full exciton utilization and color balance. With this design, all-TADF single-emitting-layer WOLEDs with a maximum EQE up to 32.8% are demonstrated. This high efficiency surpasses EQEs of reported WOLEDs based on both TADF as well as phosphorescence. It is expected that this finding can provide new insight for designing highly efficient all-TADF WOLEDs.     

High quantum efficiency and color stability in white phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes using carboline derivative as a host material

Highly efficient and color stable phosphorescent white organic light-emitting diodes were developed using a high triplet energy host material, 3,3′-bis(9H-pyrido[2,3-b]indol-9-yl)-1,1′-biphenyl (CbBPCb), derived from carboline. Two color phosphorescent white organic light-emitting diodes were fabricated by co-doping of blue and orange triplet emitters or double emitting layer structure of blue and orange emitting layers. High quantum efficiency above 20% and color stability were achieved in the white device by optimizing the doping concentration and emitting layer thickness.     

Highly Efficient Warm White Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes by Triplet Exciton Conversion

White organic light‐emitting diodes (WOLEDs) are currently under intensive research and development worldwide as a new generation light source to replace problematic incandescent bulbs and fluorescent tubes. One of the major challenges facing WOLEDs has been to achieve high energy efficiency and high color rendering index simultaneously to make the technology competitive against other alternative technologies such as inorganic LEDs. Here, an all‐phosphor, four‐color WOLEDs is presented, employing a novel device design principle utilizing molecular energy transfer or, specifically, triplet exciton conversion within common organic layers in a cascaded emissive zone configuration to achieve exceptional performance: an 24.5% external quantum efficiency (EQE) at 1000 cd/m² with a color rendering index (CRI) of 81, and an EQE at 5000 cd/m² of 20.4% with a CRI of 85, using standard phosphors. The EQEs achieved are the highest reported to date among WOLEDs of single or multiple emitters possessing such high CRI, which represents a significant step towards the realization of WOLEDs in solid‐state lighting.     

Manipulation of Charge and Exciton Distribution Based on Blue Aggregation‐Induced Emission Fluorophors: A Novel Concept to Achieve High‐Performance Hybrid White Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes

The aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) phenomenon is important in organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs), for it can potentially solve the aggregation‐caused quenching problem. However, the performance of AIE fluorophor‐based OLEDs (AIE OLEDs) is unsatisfactory, particularly for deep‐blue devices (CIEy < 0.15). Here, by enhancing the device engineering, a deep‐blue AIE OLED exhibits low voltage (i.e., 2.75 V at 1 cd m^?2), high luminance (17 721 cd m^?2), high efficiency (4.3 lm W^?1), and low efficiency roll‐off (3.6 lm W^?1 at 1000 cd m^?2), which is the best deep‐blue AIE OLED. Then, blue AIE fluorophors, for the first time, have been demonstrated to achieve high‐performance hybrid white OLEDs (WOLEDs). The two‐color WOLEDs exhibit i) stable colors and the highest efficiency among pure‐white hybrid WOLEDs (32.0 lm W^?1); ii) stable colors, high efficiency, and very low efficiency roll‐off; or iii) unprecedented efficiencies at high luminances (i.e., 70.2 cd A^?1, 43.4 lm W^?1 at 10 000 cd m^?2). Moreover, a three‐color WOLED exhibits wide correlated color temperatures (10 690–2328 K), which is the first hybrid WOLED showing sunlight‐style emission. These findings will open a novel concept that blue AIE fluorophors are promising candidates to develop high‐performance hybrid WOLEDs, which have a bright prospect for the future displays and lightings.     

White organic light emitting devices with a color conversion layer

A white organic light emitting device (WOLED) combining the blue organic light emitting device with a red color conversion layer (CCL) is reported, which includes a fluorescent material N-(4-((E)-2-(6-((E)-4-(diphenylamino) styryl)naphtha len-2-yl)vinyl) phenyl)-N-phenylbenzenamine (N-BDAVBi) doped into 4,4′-N,N′-dicarbazole-biphenyl (CBP) as the blue light emitting layer, and the poly (2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethylhexoxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene (MEH-PPV) as a red CCL. By optimizing the concentration of MEH-PPV in the CCL, a good white light emission is obtained, which shows that the stable CIE coordinates of (0.33, 0.34) will have a slight change when the driving voltage is increased from 6 to 11 V. The maximum brightness and current efficiency of the optimized device are 11294 cd/m² and 6.4 cd/A, respectively.     

High‐Performance Hybrid White Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes with Superior Efficiency/Color Rendering Index/Color Stability and Low Efficiency Roll‐Off Based on a Blue Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescent Emitter

Thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF)‐based white organic light‐emitting diodes (WOLEDs) are highly attractive because the TADF emitters provide a promising alternative route to harvest triplet excitons. One of the major challenges is to achieve superior efficiency/color rendering index/color stability and low efficiency roll‐off simultaneously. In this paper, high‐performance hybrid WOLEDs are demonstrated by employing an efficient blue TADF emitter combined with red and green phosphorescent emitters. The resulting WOLED shows the maximum external quantum efficiency, current efficiency, and power efficiency of 23.0%, 51.0 cd A^?1, and 51.7 lm W^?1, respectively. Moreover, the device exhibits extremely stable electroluminescence spectra with a high color rendering index of 89 and Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage coordinates of (0.438, 0.438) at the practical brightness of 1000 cd m^?2. The achievement of these excellent performances is systematically investigated by versatile experimental and theoretical evidences, from which it is concluded that the utilization of a blue‐green‐red cascade energy transfer structure and the precise manipulation of charges and excitons are the key points. It can be anticipated that this work might be a starting point for further research towards high‐performance hybrid WOLEDs.     

高效暖白光器件的廉价制备及其相关材料研究

低色温光源由于其对抗黑变激素具有较低的抑制作用而成为生理友好照明的首选。同时,高的能量效率对于节能也至关重要。本课题采用温和的溶液旋涂方法分别制备了含互补色、三基色和四基色磷光染料的单层有机白光二极管(WOLED)。经过优化WOLED的结构,实现了宽亮度范围内100~10 000cd/m2的低色温(low-CCT)白光发射。CCT低至2 500K以下、显示指数(CRI)高达到83、电流效率在亮度为1 000cd/m2时达到了17.8cd/A,与传统的白炽灯功效相当。高发光性能、廉价制备成本及生理友好的特性表明,本工作制备的器件是益于人类健康的照明光源尤其是夜间照明光源的理想选择。     

Management of charge carriers and excitons for efficient and color-stable white phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes with simplified structure

We have demonstrated color-stable and highly efficient simplified white phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes. The key feature is the use of a novel approach to confine the distribution of charge carriers and excitons across the whole blue emission layer. The resulting two-color white device has the maximum power efficiency and current efficiency of 45.5 lm/W and 43.5 cd/A with a very low color shift over a wide range of luminance. By systematically investigating the working mechanisms, we found that the ambipolar charge carrier transport ability of co-host layer which ensures the distribution of excitons to form in the whole blue emission layer was the critical factors for constructing color-stable white devices. Our results show that simplified white devices based on two organic materials achieving excellent color stability are possible.     

A spectrum-adjusted white organic light-emitting diode for the optimization of luminous efficiency and color rendering index

High luminous efficiency and high color rendering index (CRI) are both the foremost factors for white organic light-emitting diodes (WOLEDs) to serve as next generation solid-state lighting sources. In this paper, we show that both luminous efficiency and CRI can be improved by adjusting the green/red spectra of WOLEDs. With green emission spectra matching with the human photopic curve, the WOLEDs exhibit higher luminous efficiency and higher CRI. Theoretical calculation shows that by tuning the white emission spectra to maximally match with the human photopic curve, the luminous efficiency can be improved by 41.8% without altering the color coordinates, the color correlated temperature (CCT) and the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of the WOLEDs.     

白光有机电致发光器件发光稳定性研究

基于红绿/蓝双发光层,制作了结构为ITO/MoO ₃(10nm)/NPB(40nm)/TCTA(10nm)/CBP:R-4B(2%):GIR1(14%,X nm)/mCP:Firpic(8%,Y nm/BCP(10nm)/Alq₃(40nm)/LiF(1nm)/Al( 100nm)的白色全磷光有机电致发光器件(OLED),通过 调节红绿发光层的厚度X与蓝光发光层的厚度Y,研究了不同发光层厚度器件发 光性能的影响。研究发现:当X 为23nm、Y为7nm时,器件的光效和色坐标都具有 很高的稳定性,在电压分别为5、 10和15V时,色坐标分别为(0.33,0.37)、(0.33,0. 37)和(0.34,0.38);在电压为 5V时,电流密度为0.674mA,亮度为158.7cd ,最大电流效率为26.87cd/A;利用电子阻 挡材料TCTA和空穴阻挡材料BCP能够显著提高载流子的复合效率。分析认为:发光层顺序 为红绿/蓝时,更有利于蓝光的出射,从而使白光的色坐标更稳定。     

Fabrication of high efficiency and color stable white organic light-emitting diodes by an alignment free mask patterning

Small molecule based white organic light-emitting diodes were fabricated by using an alignment free mask patterning method. A phosphorescent red/green emitting layer was patterned by a metal mask without any alignment and a blue phosphorescent emitting layer was commonly deposited on the patterned red/green emitting layer. A white emission could be obtained due to separate emission of red/green and blue emitting layers. A maximum current efficiency of 30.7 cd/A and a current efficiency of 26.0 cd/A at 1000 cd/m² were obtained with a color coordinate of (0.39, 0.45). In addition, there was little change of emission spectrum according to luminance because of balanced red/green and blue emissions.     

High‐Color‐Rendering and High‐Efficiency White Organic Light‐Emitting Devices Based on Double‐Doped Organic Single Crystals

Organic single crystals with much higher carrier mobility and stability compared to the amorphous organic materials have shown great potential in electronic and optoelectronic devices. However, their applications in white organic light‐emitting devices (WOLEDs), especially the three‐color‐strategy WOLEDs, have been hindered by the difficulties in fabricating complicated device structures. Here, double‐doped white‐emission organic single crystals are used as the active layers for the first time in the three‐color‐strategy WOLEDs by co‐doping the red and green dopants into blue host crystals. Precise control of the dopant concentration in the double‐doped crystals results in moderately partial energy transfer from the blue donor to the green and red dopants, and thereafter, simultaneous RGB emissions with balanced emission intensity. The highest color‐rendering index (CRI) and efficiency, to the best of the authors' knowledge, are obtained for the crystal‐based WOLEDs. The CRI of the WOLEDs varies between 80 and 89 with the increase of the driving current, and the luminance and current efficiency reach up to 793 cd m^?2 and 0.89 cd A^?1, respectively. The demonstration of the present three‐color organic single‐crystal‐based WOLED promotes the development of the single crystals in optoelectronics.     

Simplified and high-efficiency warm/cold phosphorescent white organic light-emitting diodes based on interfacial exciplex co-host

Possessing the reverse intersystem crossing (RISC) process, exciplex system has vast potential to enhance the efficiency of the white organic light-emitting diodes (WOLEDs). Nevertheless, general structures of the emitting layer always employ triple-doping in a long range (20–30 nm) which is complicated on fabrication progress. In this paper, based on the interfacial exciplex co-host, a flexible and simplified structure design is proposed to realize both warm and cold phosphorescent WOLEDs. In the two devices, with strategically locating the ultrathin orange phosphorescent emitting layers at two sides of the blue phosphorescent emitting layer (2 nm), respectively, multiple energy transfer channels are created to carry out highly efficient exciton utilization. Owing to the different energy transfer mechanisms, different organic emission ratios are obtained in two WOLEDs. The cold WOLEDs exhibited superior maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE), current efficiency (CE) and power efficiency (PE) of 28.37%, 72.17 cd A⁻¹ and 87.17 lm W⁻¹, respectively. Also, the warm WOLEDs showed high values as EQE of 23.80%, CE of 67.70 cd A⁻¹ and PE of 81.10 lm W⁻¹. Furthermore, both the devices presented rather stable color output in the luminance range from 2000 cd m⁻² to 10000 cd m.⁻²