White organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are ultra-thin, large-area light
sources made from organic semiconductor materials. Over the last decades, much
research has been spent on finding the suitable materials to realize highly
efficient monochrome and white OLEDs. With their high efficiency,
color-tunability, and color-quality, white OLEDs are emerging to become one of
the next generation light sources. In this review, we discuss the physics of a
variety of device concepts that are introduced to realize white OLEDs based on
both polymer and small molecule organic materi als. Owing to the fact that
about 80 % of the internally generated photons are trapped within the thin-film
layer structure, we put a second focus on reviewing promising concepts for
improved light outcoupling.Comment: 53 pages, 51 figures, to be published in Review of Modern Physic
We review top-emitting organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), which are beneficial for lighting and display applications, where non-transparent substrates are used. The optical effects of the microcavity structure as well as the loss mechanisms are discussed. Outcoupling techniques and the work on white top-emitting OLEDs are summarized. We discuss the power dissipation spectra for a monochrome and a white top-emitting OLED and give quantitative reports on the loss channels. Furthermore, the development of inverted top-emitting OLEDs is described.
The concept of an additional capping layer, which is deposited onto the semitransparent top contact, is applied to minimize microcavity effects for white light emission from top-emitting organic light emitting devices (OLEDs). The influence on the optical properties of such devices with silver as top electrode material is discussed using an analytical method and numerical simulations. The results of the theoretical findings are experimentally verified for inverted top emitting devices on opaque substrates, showing broad spectral bandwidth and angle-independent color coordinates.
White top-emitting organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) attract much attention, as they are optically independent from the substrate used. While monochrome top-emitting OLEDs can be designed easily to have high-emission efficiency, white light emission faces obstacles. The commonly used thin metal layers as top electrodes turn the device into a microresonator having detrimental narrow and angular dependent emission characteristics. Here we report on a novel concept to improve the color quality and efficiency of white top-emitting OLEDs. We laminate a refractive index-matched microlens film on the top-emitting device. The microlens film acts both as outcoupling-enhancing film and an integrating element, mixing the optical modes to a broadband spectrum.
We report on red top-emitting organic light-emitting diode structures with higher order cavities. The emission zone is placed in the first, second, and third antinodes of the electric field in the cavity by increasing the hole transport layer thickness. Furthermore, the thicknesses of the cathode and the capping layer are varied to achieve high efficiencies. Using doped charge transport layers and a phosphorescent emitter, we reach up to 29%, 17%, and 12% external quantum efficiencies for first, second, and third order devices, respectively. An optical model is further used to analyze the angular dependent emission.
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