High-efficiency and mechanically robust stretchable organic-light emitting devices

Abstract

Stretchability, efficiency and mechanical robustness of stretchable organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) are key issues for their applications in wearable electronics. Although high stretchability has been demonstrated, the efficiency and mechanical stability remain far below the practical requirement due to the significant challenges in materials, structures and controllability of the stretch-release process. Here we report a highly stretchable OLED with a laser-induced ordered buckling profile to realize a highly controllable stretching-releasing process. The resulting OLEDs exhibit a highest efficiency to date of 70 cd/A under a strain of 70% and a record mechanical robustness by surviving repeated stretch-release cycles to more than 10000 times with small performance fluctuations. The scheme reported here creates design options due to its independence to the materials and structures employed in the devices.