Role of polythiophene- based interlayers from electrochemical processes on organic light-emitting diodes

In this work, well-defined and stable thin films based on polythiophene and its derivative, are employed as the hole-injection contact of organic light-emitting diodes (OLED). The polymer films are obtained by the electropolymerization or the electrochemical doping/dedoping of a spin-coated layer. Their electrical properties and energetics are tailored by electrochemical adjustment of their doping levels in order to improve the hole-injection from the anode as well as the performance of small molecular OLEDs. By using dimeric thiophene and optimizing the electrodeposition parameters, a thin polybithiophene (PbT) layer is fabricated with well-defined morphology and a high degree of smoothness by electro-polymerization. The introduction of the semiconducting PbT contact layer improves remarkably the hole injection between ITO anode and the hole- transport layer (NPB) due to its favourable energetic feature (HOMO level of 5.1 eV). The vapor-deposited NPB/Alq3 bilayer OLEDs with a thin PbT interlayer, show a remarkable reduction of the operating voltage as well as enhanced luminous efficiency compared to the devices without PbT. Investigations have also been made on the influence of PbT thickness on the efficiency and I-V feature as well as device stability of the OLED. It is demonstrated that the use of an electropolymerization step into the production of vapor deposited molecular OLED is a viable approach to obtain high performance OLEDs. The study on the PbT has been extended to poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDT) and the highly homogenous poly(styrenesulfonate) (PSS) doped PEDT layer from a spin-coating process has been applied. The doping level of PEDT:PSS was adjusted quantitatively by an electrochemical doping/dedoping process using a p-tuoluenesulfonic acid containing solution, and the redox mechanism was elucidated. The higher oxidation state can remain stable in the dry state. The work function of PEDT:PSS increases with the doping level after adjusting at an electrode potential higher than the value of the electrochemical equilibrium potential (Eeq) of an untreated film. This leads to a further reduction of the hole-injection barrier at the contact of the polymeric anode/hole transport layer and an ideal ohmic behavoir is almost achieved at the anode/NPB interface for a PEDT:PSS anode with very high doping level. Molecular Alq3-based OLEDs were fabricated using the electrochemically treated PEDT:PSS/ITO anode, and the device performance is shown to depend on the doping level of polymeric anode. The devices on the polymer anode with a higher Eeq than that for the unmodified anode, show a reduction of operating voltage as well as a remarkable enhancement of the luminance. Furthermore, it is found that the operating stability of such devices is also improved remarkably. This originates from the removal of mobile ions such as sodium ions inside the PEDT:PSS by electrochemical treatment as well as the planarization of the ITO surface by the polymer film. By utilizing an Al/LiF cathode with an enhanced electron injection and together with a high Eeq- anode, a balanced injection and recombination of hole and electron is achieved. It leads to a further reduction of the operating voltage and to a drastic improvement of EL efficiency of the device as high as 5.0 cd/A. The results demonstrate unambiguously that the electrochemical treatment of a cast polymer anode is an effective method to improve and optimize the performance of OLEDs. The method can be extended to other polythiophene systems and other conjugated polymers in the fabrication of the OLEDs as well as organic transistors and solar cells

Temperature-Independent Hole Mobility in Field-Effect Transistors Based on Liquid-Crystalline Semiconductors

Thin-film transistors based on Liquid-crystalline phenylterthiophenes, 3-TTPPh-5 and 3-TTPPhF4-6 are fabricated with a spin-coating method. The devices exhibit p-type operation with the mobility on the order of 10^[-2] cm2V^[-1]s^[-1]. The field-effect mobilities of the transistors using 3-TTPPh-5 and 3-TTPPhF4-6 are almost independent of the temperature above room temperature. In particular, the temperature range in which the mobility is constant is between 230 and 350 K for 3-TTPPh-5

Role of polythiophene- based interlayers from electrochemical processes on organic light-emitting diodes

In this work, well-defined and stable thin films based on polythiophene and its derivative, are employed as the hole-injection contact of organic light-emitting diodes (OLED). The polymer films are obtained by the electropolymerization or the electrochemical doping/dedoping of a spin-coated layer. Their electrical properties and energetics are tailored by electrochemical adjustment of their doping levels in order to improve the hole-injection from the anode as well as the performance of small molecular OLEDs. By using dimeric thiophene and optimizing the electrodeposition parameters, a thin polybithiophene (PbT) layer is fabricated with well-defined morphology and a high degree of smoothness by electro-polymerization. The introduction of the semiconducting PbT contact layer improves remarkably the hole injection between ITO anode and the hole- transport layer (NPB) due to its favourable energetic feature (HOMO level of 5.1 eV). The vapor-deposited NPB/Alq3 bilayer OLEDs with a thin PbT interlayer, show a remarkable reduction of the operating voltage as well as enhanced luminous efficiency compared to the devices without PbT. Investigations have also been made on the influence of PbT thickness on the efficiency and I-V feature as well as device stability of the OLED. It is demonstrated that the use of an electropolymerization step into the production of vapor deposited molecular OLED is a viable approach to obtain high performance OLEDs. The study on the PbT has been extended to poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDT) and the highly homogenous poly(styrenesulfonate) (PSS) doped PEDT layer from a spin-coating process has been applied. The doping level of PEDT:PSS was adjusted quantitatively by an electrochemical doping/dedoping process using a p-tuoluenesulfonic acid containing solution, and the redox mechanism was elucidated. The higher oxidation state can remain stable in the dry state. The work function of PEDT:PSS increases with the doping level after adjusting at an electrode potential higher than the value of the electrochemical equilibrium potential (Eeq) of an untreated film. This leads to a further reduction of the hole-injection barrier at the contact of the polymeric anode/hole transport layer and an ideal ohmic behavoir is almost achieved at the anode/NPB interface for a PEDT:PSS anode with very high doping level. Molecular Alq3-based OLEDs were fabricated using the electrochemically treated PEDT:PSS/ITO anode, and the device performance is shown to depend on the doping level of polymeric anode. The devices on the polymer anode with a higher Eeq than that for the unmodified anode, show a reduction of operating voltage as well as a remarkable enhancement of the luminance. Furthermore, it is found that the operating stability of such devices is also improved remarkably. This originates from the removal of mobile ions such as sodium ions inside the PEDT:PSS by electrochemical treatment as well as the planarization of the ITO surface by the polymer film. By utilizing an Al/LiF cathode with an enhanced electron injection and together with a high Eeq- anode, a balanced injection and recombination of hole and electron is achieved. It leads to a further reduction of the operating voltage and to a drastic improvement of EL efficiency of the device as high as 5.0 cd/A. The results demonstrate unambiguously that the electrochemical treatment of a cast polymer anode is an effective method to improve and optimize the performance of OLEDs. The method can be extended to other polythiophene systems and other conjugated polymers in the fabrication of the OLEDs as well as organic transistors and solar cells

Role of polythiophene- based interlayers from electrochemical processes on organic light-emitting diodes

In this work, well-defined and stable thin films based on polythiophene and its derivative, are employed as the hole-injection contact of organic light-emitting diodes (OLED). The polymer films are obtained by the electropolymerization or the electrochemical doping/dedoping of a spin-coated layer. Their electrical properties and energetics are tailored by electrochemical adjustment of their doping levels in order to improve the hole-injection from the anode as well as the performance of small molecular OLEDs. By using dimeric thiophene and optimizing the electrodeposition parameters, a thin polybithiophene (PbT) layer is fabricated with well-defined morphology and a high degree of smoothness by electro-polymerization. The introduction of the semiconducting PbT contact layer improves remarkably the hole injection between ITO anode and the hole- transport layer (NPB) due to its favourable energetic feature (HOMO level of 5.1 eV). The vapor-deposited NPB/Alq3 bilayer OLEDs with a thin PbT interlayer, show a remarkable reduction of the operating voltage as well as enhanced luminous efficiency compared to the devices without PbT. Investigations have also been made on the influence of PbT thickness on the efficiency and I-V feature as well as device stability of the OLED. It is demonstrated that the use of an electropolymerization step into the production of vapor deposited molecular OLED is a viable approach to obtain high performance OLEDs. The study on the PbT has been extended to poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDT) and the highly homogenous poly(styrenesulfonate) (PSS) doped PEDT layer from a spin-coating process has been applied. The doping level of PEDT:PSS was adjusted quantitatively by an electrochemical doping/dedoping process using a p-tuoluenesulfonic acid containing solution, and the redox mechanism was elucidated. The higher oxidation state can remain stable in the dry state. The work function of PEDT:PSS increases with the doping level after adjusting at an electrode potential higher than the value of the electrochemical equilibrium potential (Eeq) of an untreated film. This leads to a further reduction of the hole-injection barrier at the contact of the polymeric anode/hole transport layer and an ideal ohmic behavoir is almost achieved at the anode/NPB interface for a PEDT:PSS anode with very high doping level. Molecular Alq3-based OLEDs were fabricated using the electrochemically treated PEDT:PSS/ITO anode, and the device performance is shown to depend on the doping level of polymeric anode. The devices on the polymer anode with a higher Eeq than that for the unmodified anode, show a reduction of operating voltage as well as a remarkable enhancement of the luminance. Furthermore, it is found that the operating stability of such devices is also improved remarkably. This originates from the removal of mobile ions such as sodium ions inside the PEDT:PSS by electrochemical treatment as well as the planarization of the ITO surface by the polymer film. By utilizing an Al/LiF cathode with an enhanced electron injection and together with a high Eeq- anode, a balanced injection and recombination of hole and electron is achieved. It leads to a further reduction of the operating voltage and to a drastic improvement of EL efficiency of the device as high as 5.0 cd/A. The results demonstrate unambiguously that the electrochemical treatment of a cast polymer anode is an effective method to improve and optimize the performance of OLEDs. The method can be extended to other polythiophene systems and other conjugated polymers in the fabrication of the OLEDs as well as organic transistors and solar cells

Thermal-annealing effects on energy level alignment at organic heterojunctions and corresponding voltage losses in all-polymer solar cells

Matched energy level alignment is a key requirement for efficient organic devices such as organic light-emitting diodes, photovoltaics, and field-effect transistors. The effect of thermal stress/annealing on energy level alignment and related properties of the devices are less discussed compared to the extensively explored effect on morphology and corresponding device performance. Here all polymer solar cells (all-PSCs) are employed to study thermal annealing effects on energy level alignment and the corresponding effect on the device properties of the all-PSCs. It is found that optimized energy level alignment can be achieved by thermal annealing. An interface dipole layer at the donor/acceptor interface is introduced by energy level realignment that assists charge generation by reducing geminate recombination so that the voltage loss is dramatically reduced, improving the performance of the all-PSCs.Funding Agencies|Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation project "Tail of the Sun"; Swedish Research CouncilSwedish Research Council [2016-05498]; Swedish Foundation for Strategic ResearchSwedish Foundation for Strategic Research [SE13-0060]; Swedish Energy AgencySwedish Energy Agency [45411-1]; Swedish Government Strategic Research Area in Materials Science on Functional Materials at Linkoping University (Faculty Grant SFO Mat LiU) [2009 00971]</p

Quantitative study of spin relaxation in rubrene thin films by inverse spin Hall effect

Spin relaxation properties of π-conjugated organic semiconductors are key indicators of the performance of organic spintronic devices. However, reliable determination of spin relaxation parameters in organic materials is hindered by complex interfacial phenomena at organic/ferromagnetic metal interfaces that couple spin injection with charge injection. Here, we study the spin pumping induced pure spin transport in Permalloy/rubrene/Pt trilayers and determine the spin diffusion length λs = 132 ± 9 nm and the spin relaxation time τs = 3.8 ± 0.5 ms in rubrene films at room temperature by using the inverse spin Hall effect. The determined spin diffusion length λs is found to be almost two times larger than that of ∼46.3 nm at 100 K extracted from rubrene spin valve devices in which charge carrier injection/detection occurs at organic/ferromagnetic metal interfaces. Our results demonstrate experimentally that the efficiency and the rate of spin polarized charge transport through the organic/ferromagnetic metal interface play a dominant role in determining the spin relaxation process of spin valve devices in which charge and spin currents are coupled