The effects of ultraviolet-ozone-treated ultra-thin MnO-doped ZnO film as anode buffer layer on the electrical characteristics of organic light-emitting diodes

Abstract

In this study, the efficiency of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) was enhanced by depositing an MnO-doped ZnO film as a buffer layer between the indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode and the α-naphthylphenylbiphenyldiamine hole transport layer. The enhancement mechanism was systematically investigated, and the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy results revealed the formation of the UV-ozone-treated MnO-doped ZnO film. With this film, the work function increased from 4.8 eV (standard ITO electrode (∼10±5 Ω/◻)) to 5.27 eV (UV-ozone-treated MnO-doped ZnO deposited on the ITO electrode with 1 wt. % for 1 nm), while the surface roughness of the UV-ozone-treated MnO-doped ZnO film was smoother than that of the ITO electrode. The deposited UV-ozone-treated MnO-doped ZnO film increased the surface energy and polarity of the ITO surface, as determined from contact angle measurements. Further, results from admittance spectroscopy showed that the inserted UV-ozone-treated MnO-doped ZnO film increased the capacitance and conductance of the OLEDs. It was also found that the carrier injection increased in the space-charge region when the UV-ozone-treated MnO-doped ZnO buffer layer was inserted. Moreover, the turn-on voltage of the devices decreased from 3.8 V to 3.2 V, the luminance increased from 7588 cd/m2 to 20 350 cd/m2, and the current efficiency increased from 3.2 cd/A to 5.8 cd/A when a 1 nm-thick UV-ozone-treated MnO-doped ZnO film with 1 wt. % was inserted as a buffer layer in the OLEDs.