Enhanced Electroluminescence Efficiency of Phosphorescent Organic Light-Emitting Diodes by Controlling the Triplet Energy of the Hole-Blocking Layer

Abstract

This letter reports on the effect of the triplet energy ( <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">E</i> <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">T</sub> ) of the hole-blocking layer (HBL) on triplet exciton quenching between the emissive layer (EML) host and the HBL of phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (PHOLEDs). Using different EML hosts and HBLs having different <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">E</i> <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">T</sub> 's and electron mobilities, the effects of the <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">E</i> <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">T</sub> 's of the HBL have been analyzed. When the <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">E</i> <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">T</sub> of the HBL is lower than that of the EML host, the PHOLEDs show significant dependence of reduced device performances. PHOLEDs having a 3-(4-biphenylyl)-4-phenyl-5-tert-butylphenyl-1,2,4-triazole HBL show 65% improved external quantum efficiency (EQE) at 500 cd/m <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> with a 4, 4',4"-tris( <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">N</i> -carbazolyl)-triphenyl-amine host than that with an <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">N</i> , <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">N</i> ' -dicarbazolyl-4-4 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">'</sup> 'biphenyl host, while PHOLEDs having a 2,9-dimethyl-4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline HBL show 41% reduced EQE. To solve the remaining key issue of developing highly efficient PHOLEDs, the <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">E</i> <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">T</sub> of matching the EML and the HBL is extremely desirable and is also explored.