A metal-free cathode for organic semiconductor devices

Abstract

We introduce a class of low-reflectivity, high-transparency, nonmetallic cathodes useful for a wide range of electrically active, transparent organic devices. The metal-free cathode employs a thin film of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) capped with a film of low-power, radio-frequency sputtered indium tin oxide (ITO). The CuPc prevents damage to the underlying organic layers during the ITO sputtering process. We present a model suggesting that damage-induced states at the cathode/organic film interface are responsible for the electron injection properties of the contact. Due to the low contact reflectivity, a non-antireflection-coated, metal-free transparent organic light-emitting device (MF-TOLED) is demonstrated with 85% transmission in the visible, emitting nearly identical amounts of light in the forward and backscattered directions. The MF-TOLED performance is found to be comparable to that of conventional TOLEDs employing a more reflective and absorptive cathode consisting of a semitransparent thin film of Mg:Ag capped with ITO.