Li and Mg Co-Doped Zinc Oxide Electron Transporting Layer for Highly Efficient Quantum Dot Light-Emitting Diodes.

Zinc-oxide (ZnO) is widely used as an n-type electron transporting layer (ETL) for quantum dot (QD) light-emitting diode (QLED) because various metal doping can be possible and ZnO nanoparticle can be processed at low temperatures. We report here a Li- and Mg-doped ZnO, MLZO, which is used for ETL of highly efficient and long lifetime QLEDs. Co-doping, Mg and Li, in ZnO increases its band gap and electrical resistivity and thus can enhance charge balance in emission layer (EML). It is found also that the O-H concentration at the oxide surface decreases and exciton decay time of QDs on the metal oxide increases by co-doping in ZnO. The inverted green QLEDs with MLZO ETL exhibits the maximum current efficiency (CEmax) of 69.1 cd/A, power efficiency (PEmax) of 73.8 lm/W, and external quantum efficiency (EQEmax) of 18.4%. This is at least two times higher compared with the efficiencies of the QLEDs with Mg-doped ZnO ETL. The optimum Li and Mg concentrations are found to be 10% each. The deep-red, red, light-blue, and deep-blue QLEDs with MLZO ETLs exhibit the CEmax of 6.0, 22.3, 1.9, and 0.5 cd/A, respectively. The MLZO introduced here can be widely used as ETL of highly efficient QLEDs.

Low Work Function 2.81 eV Rb2CO3-Doped Polyethylenimine Ethoxylated for Inverted Organic Light-Emitting Diodes.

We report a low work function (2.81 eV), Rb2CO3-doped polyethyleneimine ethoxylated (PEIE) which is used for highly efficient and long-lifetime, inverted organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Doping Rb2CO3 into PEIE decreases the work function of Li-doped ZnO (LZO) by 1.0 eV and thus significantly improves electron injection ability into the emission layer (EML). The inverted OLED with PEIE:Rb2CO3 interfacial layer (IL) exhibits higher efficiency and longer operation lifetime than those of the device with a PEIE IL. It is found also that Mg-doped ZnO (MZO) can be used instead of LZO as electron transporting layer. MZO/PEIE: Rb2CO3 shows a low work function of 2.81 eV. The OLED with MZO/PEIE:Rb2CO3 exhibits low operating voltage of 5.0 V at 1000 cd m-2 and low efficiency roll-off of 11.8% at high luminance of 10 000 cd m-2. The results are due to the suppressed exciton quenching at the MZO/organic EML interface.

Quantum-dot light-emitting diodes with a perfluorinated ionomer-doped copper-nickel oxide hole transporting layer.

Herein, we report all solution-processed green quantum-dot light-emitting diodes (G-QLEDs) by introducing a perfluorinated ionomer (PFI, Nafion 117) into quantum dots (QDs) to improve hole injection. To reduce the energy level mismatch between the hole transporting layer (HTL) and QDs and exciton quenching on the metal-oxide surface, a PFI-mixed copper-doped nickel oxide (Cu-NiO) HTL was introduced for G-QLEDs. Mixing Cu-NiO with a PFI increases the work function and induces phase separation between Cu-NiO and PFI; thus, energy band bending occurs on the surface such that effective hole injection can be possible. The phase-separated PFI molecules on HTL affect the thickness and compactness of G-QDs and make a smooth interface between G-QDs and HTL. The G-QLED with a PFI and Cu-NiO mixture HTL exhibits the maximum current efficiency (CEmax), power efficiency (PEmax), and external quantum efficiency (EQEmax) of 7.3 cd A-1, 2.1 lm W-1, and 2.14%, respectively, which are about 4 times those of the QLED with a Cu-NiO HTL.

Solution-Processed Metal-Oxide p-n Charge Generation Junction for High-Performance Inverted Quantum-Dot Light-Emitting Diodes.

We report solution-processed metal-oxide p-n junction, Li-doped CuO (Li:CuO) and Li-doped ZnO (Li:ZnO), as a charge generation junction (CGJ) in quantum-dot light-emitting diode (QLED) at reverse bias. Efficient charge generation is demonstrated in a stack of air-annealed Li:CuO and Li:ZnO layers in QLEDs. Air annealing of Li:ZnO on Li:CuO turns out to be a key process to decrease oxygen vacancy (Vo) and increase the copper (II) oxide (CuO) fraction at the Li:CuO/Li:ZnO interface for efficient charge generation. Green QLEDs incorporating Li:CuO/Li:ZnO CGJ show the maximum current and power efficiencies of 35.4 cd/A and 33.5 lm/W, respectively.

Solution-processed nickel oxide nanoparticles with NiOOH for hole injection layers of high-efficiency organic light-emitting diodes.

Nickel oxide (NiOx) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by a solution-based method and NP films were used as hole injection layers (HILs) in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). To evaluate the hole injection functionality of the NiOx NP HIL, we compared the performance of OLEDs with three types of HILs: spin-coated PEDOT:PSS, thermally evaporated HAT-CN, and spin-coated NiOx NP films. The considerably high component ratio of NiOOH on the air-annealed NiOx NP film surface results in an enhanced hole injection functionality even without UV-ozone treatment. Consequently, the OLEDs using the NiOx NP HILs show significantly higher performances than those of the OLEDs using PEDOT:PSS along with a more than doubled lifetime. Moreover, the OLEDs using the NiOx NP layers show higher external quantum efficiency (EQE), and current and power efficiency values than those of the OLEDs using HAT-CN at a high luminance level. Most notably, the device shows considerably higher current and power efficiency values than those of the recently reported state-of-the-art OLEDs using other types of metal-oxide or metal-based HILs.

Metal-Oxide Stacked Electron Transport Layer for Highly Efficient Inverted Quantum-Dot Light Emitting Diodes.

We report highly efficient inverted quantum-dot light emitting diodes (QLEDs) using an Al doped ZnO (AZO)/Li doped ZnO (LZO) stack electron transport layer (ETL). An introduction of the LZO layer on AZO improved the current and power efficiencies of the green (G-) QLEDs from 10.5 to 34.0 cd A-1 and from 5.4 to 29.6 lm W-1, respectively. The red (R-), G-, and blue (B-) QLEDs fabricated in this work exhibited the maximum external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) of 8.4, 12.5, and 4.3%, respectively. It is found from time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) and transient electroluminescence (EL) decay that exciton loss at the interface between the ETL and the emission layer can be significantly reduced by introducing LZO.

Inverted Quantum-Dot Light Emitting Diode Using Solution Processed p-Type WOx Doped PEDOT:PSS and Li Doped ZnO Charge Generation Layer.

Quantum dots (QDs) are a promising material for emissive display with low-cost manufacturing and excellent color purity. In this study, we report colloidal quantum-dot light emitting diodes (QLEDs) with an inverted architecture with a solution processed charge generation layer (CGL) of p-type polymer (tungsten oxide doped poly(ethylenedioxythiophene)/polystyrenesulfonate, PEDOT: PSS:WOx) and n-type metal oxide (lithium doped zinc oxide, LZO). The effective charge generation in solution processed p-n junction was confirmed by capacitance-voltage (C-V) and current density-electric field characteristics. It is also demonstrated that the performances of CGL based QLEDs are very similar when various substrates with different work functions are used.