Organic light-emitting diodes with 30% external quantum efficiency based on a horizontally oriented emitter

Phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with ultimate efficiency in terms of the external quantum effi ciency (EQE), driving voltage, and effi ciency roll-off are reported, making use of an exciplex-forming co-host. This exciplex-forming co-host system enables effi cient singlet and triplet energy transfers from the host exciplex to the phosphorescent dopant because the singlet and triplet energies of the exciplex are almost identical. In addition, the system has low probability of direct trapping of charges at the dopant molecules and no charge-injection barrier from the charge-transport layers to the emitting layer. By combining all these factors, the OLEDs achieve a low turn-on voltage of 2.4 V, a very high EQE of 29.1% and a very high power effi ciency of 124 lm W − 1 . In addition, the OLEDs achieve an extremely low effi ciency roll-off. The EQE of the optimized OLED is maintained at more than 27.8%, up to 10 000 cd m − 2 .

It has been known for decades that the emitting dipole orientation (EDO) of emitting dyes influences the outcoupling efficiency of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). However, the EDO of dopants, especially phosphorescent dopants, has been studied less than that of neat films and polymer emitting layers (EMLs) due to the lack of an apparent driving force for aligning the dopants in amorphous host films. Recently, however, even globular-shaped Ir complexes have been reported to have a preferred orientation in doped films and OLEDs. External quantum efficiencies (EQEs) higher than 30% have also been demonstrated using phosphorescent and thermally activated delayed fluorescent dyes (TADF) doped in EMLs. Here, recent results on the EDO of phosphorescent and TADF dyes doped in host films, and highly efficient OLEDs using these dyes are reviewed. The origin and control of the orientation of phosphors are discussed, followed by a discussion of future strategies to achieve EQEs of over 60% without a light extraction layer, from the material point of view.

Almost 100% internal quantum efficiency (IQE) is achieved with a green fluorescent organic light-emitting diode (OLED) exhibiting 30% external quantum efficiency (EQE). The OLED comprises an exciplex-forming co-host system doped with a fluorescent dye that has a strong delayed fluorescence as a result of reverse intersystem crossing (RISC); the exciplex-forming co-hosts stimulate energy transfer and charge balance in the system. The orientation of the transition dipole moment of the fluorescent dye is shown to have an influence on the EQE of the device.

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are among the most promising organic semiconductor devices. The recently reported external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) of 29-30% for green and blue phosphorescent OLEDs are considered to be near the limit for isotropically oriented iridium complexes. The preferred orientation of transition dipole moments has not been thoroughly considered for phosphorescent OLEDs because of the lack of an apparent driving force for a molecular arrangement in all but a few cases, even though horizontally oriented transition dipoles can result in efficiencies of over 30%. Here we use quantum chemical calculations to show that the preferred orientation of the transition dipole moments of heteroleptic iridium complexes (HICs) in OLEDs originates from the preferred direction of the HIC triplet transition dipole moments and the strong supramolecular arrangement within the co-host environment. We also demonstrate an unprecedentedly high EQE of 35.6% when using HICs with phosphorescent transition dipole moments oriented in the horizontal direction.