Improved lifetime of highly flexible OLEDs based on multilayered transparent electrodes with enhanced barrier performance

Abstract— Flexible organic light‐emitting diodes (FOLEDs) showing enhanced barrier properties under repeated mechanical stress are reported. By combining metal‐based multilayer transparent electrodes (MTEs) as highly flexible anodes replacing ITO electrodes and sol‐gel organic‐inorganic hybrimers which function as both planarizing films and barrier layers, the proposed FOLEDs not only exhibit a level of performance comparable to that of ITO‐based reference devices but also show a superior mechanical flexibility with “after‐bending” lifetime close to that of ITO‐based devices.