Patent Application
20150295199
The claimed invention was made by, on behalf of, and/or in connection with one or more of the following parties to a joint university corporation research agreement: Regents of the University of Michigan, Princeton University. The University of Southern California, and the Universal Display Corporation. The agreement was in effect on and before the date the claimed invention was made, and the claimed invention was made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of the agreement.
The present invention relates to organic light emitting devices (OLEDs) structures with multiple dopants and suppression mechanisms.
Opto-electronic devices that make use of organic materials are becoming increasingly desirable for a number of reasons. Many of the materials used to make such devices are relatively inexpensive, so organic opto-electronic devices have the potential for cost advantages over inorganic devices. In addition, the inherent properties of organic materials, such as their flexibility, may make them well suited for particular applications such as fabrication on a flexible substrate. Examples of organic opto-electronic devices include organic light emitting devices (OLEDs), organic phototransistors, organic photovoltaic cells, and organic photodetectors. For OLEDs, the organic materials may have performance advantages over conventional materials. For example, the wavelength at which an organic emissive layer emits light may generally be readily tuned with appropriate dopants.
OLEDs make use of thin organic films that emit light when voltage is applied across the device. OLEDs are becoming an increasingly interesting technology for use in applications such as flat panel displays, illumination, and backlighting. Several OLED materials and configurations are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,844,363, 6,303,238, and 5,707,745, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
One application for phosphorescent emissive molecules is a full color display. Industry standards for such a display call for pixels adapted to emit particular colors, referred to as “saturated” colors. In particular, these standards call for saturated red, green, and blue pixels. Color may be measured using CIE coordinates, which are well known to the art.
One example of a green emissive molecule is tris(2-phenylpyridine) iridium, denoted Ir(ppy)3, which has the following structure:
In this, and later figures herein, we depict the dative bond from nitrogen to metal (here, Ir) as a straight line.
As used herein, the term “organic” includes polymeric materials as well as small molecule organic materials that may be used to fabricate organic opto-electronic devices. “Small molecule” refers to any organic material that is not a polymer, and “small molecules” may actually be quite large. Small molecules may include repeat units in some circumstances. For example, using a long chain alkyl group as a substituent does not remove a molecule from the “small molecule” class. Small molecules may also be incorporated into polymers, for example as a pendent group on a polymer backbone or as a part of the backbone. Small molecules may also serve as the core moiety of a dendrimer, which consists of a series of chemical shells built, on the core moiety. The core moiety of a dendrimer may be a fluorescent or phosphorescent small molecule emitter. A dendrimer may be a “small molecule,” and it is believed that all dendrimers currently used in the field of OLEDs are small molecules.
As used herein, “top” means farthest away from the substrate, while “bottom” means closest to the substrate. Where a first layer is described as “disposed over” a second layer, the first layer is disposed further away from substrate. There may be other layers between the first and second layer, unless it is specified that the first layer is “in contact with” the second layer. For example, a cathode may be described as “disposed over” an anode, even though there are various organic layers in between.
As used herein, “solution processible” means capable of being dissolved, dispersed, or transported in and/or deposited from a liquid medium, either in solution or suspension form.
A ligand may be referred to as “photoactive” when it is believed that the ligand directly contributes to the photoactive properties of an emissive material. A ligand may be referred to as “ancillary” when it is believed that the ligand does not contribute to the photoactive properties of an emissive material, although an ancillary ligand may alter the properties of a photoactive ligand.
As used herein, and as would be generally understood by one skilled in the art, a first “Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital” (HOMO) or “Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital” (LUMO) energy level is “greater than” or “higher than” a second HOMO or LUMO energy level if the first energy level is closer to the vacuum energy level. Since ionization potentials (IP) are measured as a negative energy relative to a vacuum level, a higher HOMO energy level corresponds to an IP having a smaller absolute value (an IP that is less negative). Similarly, a higher LUMO energy level corresponds to an electron affinity (EA) having a smaller absolute value (an EA that is less negative). On a conventional energy level diagram, with the vacuum level at the top, the LUMO energy level of a material is higher than the HOMO energy level of the same material. A “higher” HOMO or LUMO energy level appears closer to the top of such a diagram than a “lower” HOMO or LUMO energy level.
As used herein, and as would be generally understood by one skilled in the art, a first work function is “greater than” or “higher than” a second work function if the first work function has a higher absolute value. Because work functions are generally measured as negative numbers relative to vacuum level, this means that a “higher” work function is more negative. On a conventional energy level diagram, with the vacuum level at the top, a “higher” work function is illustrated as further away from the vacuum level in the downward direction. Thus, the definitions of HOMO and LUMO energy levels follow a different convention than work functions.
More details on OLEDs, and the definitions described above, can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,279,704, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
In one embodiment a device comprising an anode, a cathode, and an organic emissive layer disposed between the anode and cathode is disclosed. The organic emissive layer comprises a host, a first compound, and a second compound all mixed in the emissive layer. The first compound is capable of phosphorescent emission at room temperature and is present in an amount less than 3 weight %. It has a global maximum in its visible emission spectrum at a first wavelength. The second compound is capable of phosphorescent emission at room temperature and has a global maximum in its visible spectrum at a second wavelength. The first wavelength is longer than the second wavelength and the difference between the first wavelength and the second wavelength is between 0 nm and 80 nm. The device includes a suppression mechanism that is capable of preferentially reducing emission of light emitted by the second compound.
In one embodiment, the suppression mechanism is selected from the group consisting of a micro-cavity, down-conversion filter, and an optical filter.
In one embodiment, the intensity of light emitted by the device at the second wavelength divided by the intensity of light emitted by the device at the first wavelength is less than 0.01.
In one embodiment, the difference between the first wavelength and the second wavelength is between 20 nm and 80 nm. In one embodiment, the difference is between 40 nm and 80 nm.
In one embodiment, the first compound is capable of red phosphorescent emission and the first wavelength is in the range 590-700 nm.
In one embodiment, the second wavelength is in the range 510-590 nm. In one embodiment, the device emits light having a 1931 CIE coordinate of [0.66±0.04, 0.34±0.04]. In one embodiment, the device emits light having a 1931 CIE coordinate of [0.66±0.02, 0.34±0.02].
In one embodiment, the first compound is capable of yellow phosphorescent emission, and the first wavelength is in the range 560-590 nm. In one embodiment, the second wavelength is in the range 480-560 nm. In one embodiment, the device emits light having a 1931 CIE coordinate of [0.44±0.04, 0.55±0.04]. In one embodiment, the device emits light having a 1931 CIE coordinate of [0.44±0.02, 0.55±0.02].
In one embodiment, the first compound is capable of green phosphorescent emission, and the first wavelength is in the range 500-560 nm. In one embodiment, the second wavelength is in the range 420-500 nm. In one embodiment, the device emits light having a 1931 CIE coordinate of [0.25±0.15, 0.65±0.15]. In one embodiment, the device emits light having a 1931 CIE coordinate of [0.25±0.10, 0.65±0.10].
In one embodiment, the first compound is present in an amount less than 2.5 weight %. In one embodiment, the first compound is present in an amount less than 2 weight %. In one embodiment, the first compound is present in an amount less than 1 weight %.
In one embodiment, the device is a top-emitting OLED. In one embodiment, the device is a bottom-emitting OLED.
In one embodiment, the second compound is present in an amount between 3% to 30% weight.
In one embodiment, the first compound has the formula of Ir(L1)2(L2). L1 is selected from the group consisting of:
Ra and Rb represent mono, di, tri, or tetra substitution, or no substitution. Ra, Rb, Rc, Rd, and Re are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acid, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof. Two adjacent substituents of Ra, and Rb are optionally joined to form a fused ring or form a multidentate ligand.
In one embodiment, the second compound has the formula of Ir(L3)2(L4). L3 has the formula:
L4 has the formula:
and is different from L3, Raa, Rbb, Rcc, and Rdd represent mono, di, tri, or tetra substitution, or no substitution. Raa, Rbb, Rcc, and Rdd are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acid, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof. Two adjacent substituents of Raa, Rbb, Rcc, and Rdd are optionally joined to form a fused ring or form a multidentate ligand.
In one embodiment, the first compound and the second compound each independently have the formula of Ir(L3)2(L4). L3 has the formula:
L4 has the formula:
and is different from L3. Raa, Rbb, Rcc, and Rdd represent mono, di, tri, or tetra substitution, or no substitution. Raa, Rbb, Rcc, and Rdd are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acid, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof. Two adjacent substituents of Raa, Rbb, Rcc, and Rdd are optionally joined to form a fused ring or form a multidentate ligand. In first compound at least one of Rcc is a 5 or 6-membered aromatic carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring.
In one embodiment, the first compound has the formula of Ir(L3)2(L4). L3 has the formula:
L4 has the formula:
and is different from L3.
Raa, Rbb, Rcc, and Rdd represent mono, di, tri, or tetra substitution, or no substitution. Raa, Rbb, Rcc, and Rdd are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acid, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfanyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof. Two adjacent substituents of Raa, Rbb, Rcc, and Rdd are optionally joined to form a fused ring or form a multidentate ligand. The second compound has the formula of Ir(L5)2(L6) or Ir(L5)3. L5 and L6 are each independently selected from the group consisting of:
Ra represents mono, or di, substitution, or no substitution. Rb, and Rc may represent mono, di, tri, or tetra substitution, or no substitution. Ra, Rb, and Rc are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof. Two adjacent substituents of Ra, Rb, and Rc are optionally joined to form a fused ring or form a multidentate ligand.
In one embodiment, the host comprises at least one chemical group selected from the group consisting of triphenylene, carbazole, dibenzothiphene, dibenzofuran, dibenzoselenophene, aza-triphenylene, aza-carbazole, aza-dibenzothiophene, aza-dibenzofuran, and aza-dibenzoselenophene.
In one embodiment, the emissive layer further comprises a third compound capable of phosphorescent emission at room temperature. The third compound has a global maximum in its visible emission spectrum at a third wavelength, the first wavelength longer than the third wavelength. The suppression mechanism is capable of preferentially reducing emission of light emitted by the third compound.
In one embodiment, the emissive layer does not include any compound capable of phosphorescent emission at room temperature other than the first and second compounds.
In one embodiment, a device includes an anode, a cathode, and an organic light emission layer disposed between the anode and the cathode. The organic light emission layer includes a host, a first compound capable of phosphorescent emission at room temperature, a second compound capable of phosphorescent emission at room temperature, and a third compound capable of phosphorescent emission at room temperature. The first compound, second compound, third compound, and host are mixed in the emissive layer. The first compound has a global maximum in its visible emission spectrum at a first wavelength and the second compound has a global maximum in its visible emission spectrum at a second wavelength. The first wavelength is longer than the second wavelength. The third compound has a global maximum in its visible emission spectrum at a third wavelength. The second wavelength is longer than the third wavelength. The device includes a suppression mechanism capable of preferentially reducing emission of light emitted by the second compound and the third compound.
In one embodiment, the device emits light having a 1931 CIE coordinate of [0.66±0.04, 0.34±0.04]. In one embodiment, the device emits light having a 1931 CIE coordinate of [0.66±0.02, 0.34±0.02].
In one embodiment, the first compound is capable of red phosphorescent emission, and the first wavelength is in the range 590-700 nm. In one embodiment, the first compound is present in an amount between 1% and 5% weight.
In one embodiment, the second compound is capable of yellow phosphorescent emission, and the second wavelength is in the range 560-590 nm. In one embodiment, the second compound is present in an amount between 3 and 30% weight. In one embodiment, the second compound is present in an amount between 6% and 24% weight.
In one embodiment, the third compound is capable of green phosphorescent emission, and the third wavelength is in the range 500-560 nm. In one embodiment, the second compound is present in an amount between 3 and 30% weight. In one embodiment, the third compound is present in an amount between 6% and 24% weight.
In one embodiment, a device includes an anode, a cathode, and an organic light emission layer disposed between the anode and the cathode. The organic light emission layer includes a host, a first compound capable of phosphorescent emission at room temperature, and a second compound capable of phosphorescent emission at room temperature. The first compound, the second compound and the host are mixed in the emissive layer. The first compound has a global maximum in its visible emission spectrum at a first wavelength and the second compound has a global maximum in its visible emission spectrum at a second wavelength. The first wavelength is longer than the second wavelength. The device includes a suppression mechanism capable of preferentially reducing emission of light emitted by the second compound. The difference between the first wavelength and the second wavelength is between 40 and 80 nm.
In one embodiment, the suppression mechanism is a micro-cavity.
In one embodiment, the device is a top-emitting OLED.
Generally, an OILED comprises at least one organic layer disposed between and electrically connected to an anode and a cathode. When a current is applied, the anode injects holes and the cathode injects electrons into the organic layer(s). The injected holes and electrons each migrate toward the oppositely charged electrode. When an electron and hole localize on the same molecule, an “exciton,” which is a localized electron-hole pair having an excited energy state, is formed. Light is emitted when the exciton relaxes via a photoemissive mechanism. In some cases, the exciton may be localized on an excimer or an excipiex. Non-radiative mechanisms, such as thermal relaxation, may also occur, but are generally considered undesirable.
The initial OLEDs used emissive molecules that emitted light from their singlet states (“fluorescence”) as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,292, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. Fluorescent emission generally occurs in a time frame of less than 10 nanoseconds.
More recently, OLEDs having emissive materials that emit light from triplet states (“phosphorescence”) have been demonstrated. Baldo et al., “Highly Efficient Phosphorescent Emission from Organic Electroluminescent Devices,” Nature, vol. 395, 151-154, 1998; (“Baldo-I”) and Baldo et al., “Very high-efficiency green organic light-emitting devices based on electrophosphorescence,” Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 75, No. 3, 4-6 (1999) (“Baldo-II”), which are incorporated by reference in their entireties. Phosphorescence is described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 7,279,704 at cols. 5-6, which are incorporated by reference.
More examples fir each of these layers are available. For example, a flexible and transparent substrate-anode combination is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,844,363, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. An example of a p-doped hole transport layer is m-MTDATA doped with F4-TCNQ at a molar ratio of 50:1, as disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0230980. Which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. Examples of emissive and host materials are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,303,238 to Thompson et al., which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. An example of an n-doped electron transport layer is BPhen doped with Li at a molar ratio of 1:1, as disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0230980, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,703,436 and 5,707,745, which are incorporated by reference in their entireties, disclose examples of cathodes inc hiding compound cathodes having a thin layer of metal such as Mg:Ag with an overlying transparent, electrically-conductive, sputter-deposited ITO layer. The theory and use of blocking layers is described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,147 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0230980, which are incorporated by reference in their entireties. Examples of injection layers are provided in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0174116, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. A description of protective layers may be found in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0174116, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The simple layered structure illustrated in
Structures and materials not specifically described may also be used, such as OLEDs comprised of polymeric materials (PLEDs) such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,190 to Friend et al., which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. By way of further example, OLEDs having a single organic layer may be used. OLEDs may be stacked, for example as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,707,745 to Forest et al, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. The OLED structure may deviate from the simple layered structure illustrated in
Unless otherwise specified, any of the layers of the various embodiments may be deposited by any suitable method. For the organic layers, preferred methods include thermal evaporation, ink-jet, such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,013,982 and 6,087,196, which are incorporated by reference in their entireties, organic vapor phase deposition (OVPD), such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,337,102 to Forrest et al., which is incorporated by reference in its entirety, and deposition by organic vapor jet printing (OVJP), such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,431,968, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. Other suitable deposition methods include spin coating and other solution based processes. Solution based processes are preferably carried out in nitrogen or an inert atmosphere. For the other layers, preferred methods include thermal evaporation. Preferred patterning methods include deposition through a mask, cold welding such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,294,398 and 6,468,819, which are incorporated by reference in their entireties, and patterning associated with some of the deposition methods such as inkjet and OVJD. Other methods may also be used. The materials to be deposited may be modified to make them compatible with a particular deposition method. For example, substituents such as alkyl and aryl groups, branched or unbranched, and preferably containing at least 3 carbons, may be used in small molecules to enhance their ability to undergo solution processing. Substituents having 20 carbons or more may be used, and 3-20 carbons is a preferred range. Materials with asymmetric structures may have better solution processibility than those having symmetric structures, because asymmetric materials may have a lower tendency to recrystallize. Dendrimer substituents may be used to enhance the ability of small molecules to undergo solution processing.
Devices fabricated in accordance with embodiments of the present invention may further optionally comprise a barrier layer. One purpose of the barrier layer is to protect the electrodes and organic layers from damaging exposure to harmful species in the environment including moisture, vapor and/or gases, etc. The barrier layer may be deposited over, under or next to a substrate, an electrode, or over any other parts of a device including an edge. The barrier layer may comprise a single layer, or multiple layers. The barrier layer may be formed by various known chemical vapor deposition techniques and may include compositions having a single phase as well as compositions having multiple phases. Any suitable material or combination of materials may be used for the barrier layer. The barrier layer may incorporate an inorganic or an organic compound or both. The preferred barrier layer comprises a mixture of a polymeric material and a non-polymeric material as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,968,146, PCT Pat. Application Nos. PCT/US2007/023098 and PCT/US2009/042829, which are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties. To be considered a “mixture”, the aforesaid polymeric and non-polymeric materials comprising the barrier layer should be deposited under the same reaction conditions and/or at the same time. The weight ratio of polymeric to non-polymeric material may be in the range of 95:5 to 5:95. The polymeric material and the non-polymeric material may be created from the same precursor material. In one example, the mixture of a polymeric material and a non-polymeric material consists essentially of polymeric silicon and inorganic silicon.
Devices fabricated in accordance with embodiments of the invention may be incorporated into a wide variety of consumer products, including flat panel displays, computer monitors, medical monitors, televisions, billboards, lights for interior or exterior illumination and/or signaling, heads up displays, fully transparent displays, flexible displays, laser printers, telephones, cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), laptop computers, digital cameras, camcorders, viewfinders, micro-displays, 3-D displays, vehicles, a large area wall, theater or stadium screen, or a sign. Various control mechanisms may be used to control devices fabricated in accordance with the present invention, including passive matrix and active matrix. Many of the devices are intended for use in a temperature range comfortable to humans, such as 18 degrees C. to 30 degrees C., and more preferably at room temperature (20-25 degrees C.), but could be used outside this temperature range, for example, from −40 degree C. to +80 degree C.
The materials and structures described herein may have applications in devices other than OLEDs. For example, other optoelectronic devices such as organic solar cells and organic photodetectors may employ the materials and structures. More generally, organic devices, such as organic transistors, may employ the materials and structures.
The term “halo” or “halogen” as used herein includes fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and iodine.
The term “alkyl” as used herein contemplates both straight and branched chain alkyl radicals. Preferred alkyl groups are those containing from one to fifteen carbon atoms and includes methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl, isobutyl, tert-butyl, and the like. Additionally, the alkyl group may be optionally substituted.
The term “cycloalkyl” as used herein contemplates cyclic alkyl radicals. Preferred cycloalkyl groups are those containing 3 to 7 carbon atoms and includes cyclopropyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, and the like. Additionally, the cycloalkyl group may be optionally substituted.
The term “alkenyl” as used herein contemplates both straight and branched chain alkene radicals. Preferred alkenyl groups are those containing two to fifteen carbon atoms. Additionally, the alkenyl group may be optionally substituted.
The term “alkynyl” as used herein contemplates both straight and branched chain alkyne radicals. Preferred alkyl groups are those containing two to fifteen carbon atoms. Additionally, the alkynyl group may be optionally substituted.
The terms “aralkyl” or “arylalkyl” as used herein are used interchangeably and contemplate an alkyl group that has as a substituent an aromatic group. Additionally, the aralkyl group may be optionally substituted.
The term “heterocyclic group” as used herein contemplates aromatic and non-aromatic cyclic radicals. Hetero-aromatic cyclic radicals also refer to heteroaryl. Preferred hetero-non-aromatic cyclic groups are those containing 3 or 7 ring atoms which includes at least one hetero atom, and includes cyclic amines such as morpholino, piperdino, pyrrolidino, and the like, and cyclic ethers, such as tetrahydrofuran, tetrahydropyran, and the like. Additionally, the heterocyclic group may be optionally substituted.
The term “aryl” or “aromatic group” as used herein contemplates single-ring groups and polycyclic ring systems. The polycyclic rings may have two or more rings in which two carbons are common to two adjoining rings (the rings are “fused”) wherein at least one of the rings is aromatic, e.g., the other rings can be cycloalkyls, cycloalkenyls, aryl, heterocycles, and/or heteroaryls. Additionally, the aryl group may be optionally substituted.
The term “heteroaryl” as used herein contemplates single-ring hetero-aromatic groups that may include from one to three heteroatoms, for example, pyrrole, farm, thiophene, imidazole, oxazole, thiazole, triazole, pyrazole, pyridine, pyrazine and pyrimidine, and the like. The term heteroaryl also includes polycyclic hetero-aromatic systems having two or more rings in which two atoms are common to two adjoining rings (the rings are “fused”) wherein at least one of the rings is a heteroaryl, e.g., the other rings can be cycloalkyls, cycloalkenyls, aryl, heterocycles, and/or heteroaryls. Additionally, the heteroaryl group may be optionally substituted.
The alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aralkyl, heterocyclic group, aryl, and heteroaryl may be optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, cyclic amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acid, ether, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof.
As used herein, “substituted” indicates that a substituent other than H is bonded to the relevant position, such as carbon. Thus, for example, where R1 is mono-substituted, then one R1 must be other than H. Similarly, where R1 is di-substituted, then two of R1 must be other than H. Similarly, where R1 is unsubstituted, R1 is hydrogen for all available positions.
The “aza” designation in the fragments described herein, i.e. aza-dibenzofuran, aza-dibenzonethiophene, etc. means that one or more of the C—H groups in the respective fragment can be replaced by a nitrogen atom, for example, and without any limitation, azatriphenylene encompasses both dibenzo[f,h]quinoxaline and dibenzo[f,h]quinoline. One of ordinary skill in the art can readily envision other nitrogen analogs of the aza-derivatives described above, and all such analogs are intended to be encompassed by the terms as set forth herein.
It is to be understood that when a molecular fragment is described as being a substituent or otherwise attached to another moiety, its name may be written as if it were a fragment (e.g. naphthyl, dibenzofuryl) or as if it were the whole molecule (e.g. naphthalene, dibenzofuran). As used herein, these different ways of designating a substituent or attached fragment are considered to be equivalent.
In an OLED, the characteristic of the color seen by the user depends on many factors in OLED design. This includes but is not limited to: the types of compounds used in the organic emissive layer, the concentration of the compounds, and, if more than one compound is used in the emissive layer, the compounds' interactions with each other. An OLED with a multi dopant emissive layer may be designed such that the user only sees one color. This can occur where one compound (or dopant) is capable of emitting a certain color, but in operation, contributes less than 5% of the light emitted by OLED. The remainder of light emitted by the OLED is emitted by the other dopants in the emissive layer. While this type of device may achieve desirable color output, often times, however, these devices are limited in their efficiency and color range.
Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to OLEDs containing more than one compound in the emissive layer that are capable of phosphorescence emission. The amount of the compounds present in the emissive layer, the characteristics of those compounds, and their relationship to each other result in overall enhanced OLED performance and relative lifetime. Additionally, embodiments disclosed herein are capable of achieving a wide range of color emission.
OLED 300 as shown in
In some embodiments, organic emissive layer 340 may be comprised of three components: a host 341, a first compound 342, and a second compound 343. This is shown in
In one embodiment, the intensity of light emitted by the device at the second wavelength divided by the intensity of light emitted by the device at the first wavelength is less than 3%, preferably less than 1%, more preferably less than 0.5%, and most preferably less than 0.1%. The intensity of light emitted by the device at the second wavelength divided by the intensity of light emitted by the device at the first wavelength may be referred to as the “intensity ratio” of the device. The intensity ratio is a measure of whether the device includes undesirable emission from the second compound.
In one embodiment, the host has highest triplet energy T1 in the organic emissive layer. One method of determining triplet energy is by using the highest phosphorescent energy peak in an organic solvent glass at 77° K. Unless otherwise specified, triplet energy levels described in this application are determined as described in this paragraph.
Many compounds may be used for the first and second compounds as long as other criteria discussed are met. In some embodiments, the first compound may have the formula Ir(L1)2(L2). L1 may be selected from:
L2 may have the formula:
Ra and Rb may represent mono, di, tri, or tetra substitution, or no substitution. Ra, Rb, Rc, Rd, and Re may be independently selected from a group including but not limited to hydrogen, deuterium, halogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acid, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, or combinations thereof. Additionally, two adjacent substituents of Ra and Rb are optionally joined to form a fused ring or form a multidentate ligand. As used herein, “joined” means that the two adjacent substituents are linked together by a chemical bond.
In some embodiments, the second compound may have the formula Ir(L3)2(L4).
L3 may have the formula:
L4 may be different from L3 and may have the formula:
Raa, Rbb, Rcc, and Rdd may represent mono, di, tri, or tetra substitution, or no substitution. Raa, Rbb, Rcc, and Rdd are independently selected from a group including but not limited to hydrogen, deuterium, halogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acid, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof. Two adjacent substituents of Raa, Rbb, Rcc, and Rdd may be optionally joined to form a fused ring or form a multidentate ligand. Preferably, at least one of Rcc is a 5 or 6-membered aromatic carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring. However, embodiments where Rce is not an aromatic ring is also envisioned.
In some embodiments, the first compound and the second compound may each independently have the formula of Ir(L3)2(L4) as discussed above.
In some embodiments, the first compound may have the formula of Ir(L3)2(L4) as discussed above and the second compound may have the formula of Ir(L5)2(L6) or Ir(L5)3. L5 and L6 are each independently selected from the group including:
Ra may represent mono, or di, substitution, or no substitution. Rb, and may represent mono, di, tri, or tetra substitution, or no substitution. Ra, Rb, and Rc are independently selected from the group including but not limited to hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof. Two adjacent substituents of Ra, Rb, and Rc are optionally joined to form a fused ring or form a multidentate ligand.
OLED 300 also includes a suppression mechanism that is capable of preferentially reducing the emission of light emitted by the second compound. As used herein, “preferentially” is relative to the first compound. In other words, as compared to the first compound, the suppression mechanism attenuates the emission spectra of the second compound more than the emission spectra of the first compound. The suppression mechanism also preferably has minimal attenuation at the global maximum of the first compound. Thus, the suppression mechanism affects the characteristic of the light 302 that is emitted from the organic emissive layer.
One type of suppression mechanism that may be used is a micro-cavity 315. This is shown in
A micro-cavity may be characterized by its finesse. The finesse F of a micro-cavity is defined as the ratio of the separation between resonant peaks in the transmission spectrum of the micro-cavity, Δυ, to the full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the resonant frequency peak of the spectrum, Δυ1/2: F=Δυ/Δυ1/2. As used herein, a “micro-cavity” or “cavity” is a stack of two or more layers having a finesse greater than about 1.5; the two outer layers of a micro-cavity may be referred to as “defining” a micro-cavity when the resulting micro-cavity has a finesse of at least about 1.5. Such a finesse corresponds to micro-cavity effects that are stronger than the incidental effects typically observed in, for example, an OLED. Incidental micro-cavity effects in an OLED generally have a finesse of less than 1.5, often less than 0.5. The resonant peaks in the transmission spectrum of a micro-cavity can be controlled by adjusting the reflectivity of the layers defining the micro-cavity and the separation between the layers. In general, micro-cavities may be constructed that have one transparent or semitransparent reflective layer and one opaque reflective layer. It may be preferred for reflective layers used in the micro-cavity devices described herein to have a reflectance of at least 20%, and more preferably 30-100%. In some cases, the “opaque” reflective layer may be opaque only with respect to certain wavelengths of visible light, while allowing other wavelengths to pass through the layer. In such a configuration, it may be preferred for the reflective layer to be at least 20% reflective, and more preferably 30-100% reflective, with respect to the desired wavelengths. The emission in the forward direction (i.e., through the transparent or semitransparent reflective layer) may be calculated as:
where λ is the emission wavelength, x is the effective distance of the emissive layer from the opaque layer, Rm, and Rd are the reflectivities of the opaque mirror and the transparent mirror, respectively, L is the total optical length of the micro-cavity, and En(λ) is an original (free-space) spectrum. The optical length of the micro-cavity, L, may be given by:
where neff and Δn are the effective refractive index and the index difference between the reflective layers, ni and di are the refractive index and the thickness of the organic layers and the transparent layer, and φm is the phase change at the opaque mirror. Thus, a micro-cavity may be used to enhance emission at certain wavelength, wavelengths, or range of wavelengths, while inhibiting emission at others. As used herein, the micro-cavity may be said to “leak” those wavelengths of light which are quenched, left unchanged, and/or only minimally enhanced by the micro-cavity.
Many other types of suppression mechanisms capable of preferentially reducing light emission may also be used, including but not limited to conversion filters, optical filters, such as absorptive filters, dichroic filters, band-pass filters, and dielectric stacks, and other mechanisms known in the art. These are shown in
OLED 300 may be designed such that its light output generally corresponds to certain “color” in the visible spectrum, such as red or green color. As used herein, the visible spectrum includes wavelengths in the range of 400 nm to 700 nm. As used herein, “red” light corresponds to an emission spectrum with a peak wavelength in the range of 590 nm to 700 nm. “Yellow” light corresponds to an emission spectrum with a peak wavelength in the range of 550 nm to 590 nm. “Green” light corresponds to an emission spectrum with a peak wavelength in the range of 500 nm to 550 nm. “Blue” light corresponds to an emission spectrum with a peak wavelength in the range of 400 nm to 500 nm.
One way to characterize the light output of an OLED is with CIE coordinates. CIE coordinates can be characterized according to a 1931 or a 1976 standard. Any given coordinate can be converted back and forth between the two standards.
In some embodiments, OLED 300 has an overall red light output. In these embodiments, the OLED 300 emits light having a 1931 CIE coordinate of [0.66±0.04, 0.34±0.04], preferably of [0.66±0.02, 0.34±0.02]. The first compound 342 is capable of red phosphorescent emission, with a global maximum in the range of 590 DM to 700 nm. The second compound has a global maximum in the wavelength range of 510 nm to 590 nm.
In some embodiments, OLED 300 has an overall yellow light output. In these embodiments, OLED 300 emits light having a 1931 CIE coordinate of [0.44±0.04, 0.55±0.04], preferably of [0.44±0.02, 0.55±0.02]. The first compound is capable of yellow phosphorescent emission with a global maximum in the range of 560 nm to 590 nm. The second compound has a global maximum in the range of 480 nm to 560 nm.
In some embodiments, OLED 300 has an overall green light output. In these embodiments, OLED 300 emits light having a 1931 CIE coordinate of [0.25±0.15, 0.65±0.15], preferably of [0.25±0.10, 0.65±0.10]. The first compound is capable of green phosphorescent emission with a global maximum in the range of 500 nm to 560 nm. The second compound has a global maximum in the range of 420 nm to 500 nm.
OLED 300 as depicted in
In some embodiments, OLEDs 300 and 400 do not include any other compounds capable of phosphorescent emission at room temperature other than the first and second compounds. In some embodiments, however, OLEDs 300 and 400 may include a third compound in the organic emissive layer that is capable of phosphorescent emission at room temperature. In this embodiment, the suppression mechanism is capable of preferentially reducing the emission of light emitted by this third compound in addition to the light emitted by the second compound. This third compound has a global maximum in its visible spectrum at a third wavelength shorter than the first wavelength (the wavelength at which there is a global maximum of the first compound). This third wavelength may be at any wavelength meeting this criteria, but in one embodiment, the third wavelength is between 500 nm to 560 nm and is capable of green phosphorescent emission. While only three compounds capable of phosphorescent emission are described, one of ordinary skill in the art, with the benefit of this disclosure, can readily add additional compounds capable of phosphorescent emission.
Device 500, like device 300, may include a host 541, a first compound 542 and a second compound 543 in its organic emissive layer. The host, first compound, and second compound may be mixed in the emissive layer. The first and second compounds are capable of phosphorescent emission at room temperature. The first compound 542 has a global maximum in its visible emission spectrum at a first wavelength and the second compound 543 has a global maximum in its visible emission spectrum at a second wavelength. The first wavelength is longer than the second wavelength. In device 500, unlike in device 300, however, the first compound may be present in any weight %, including amounts greater than 3 weight %. Preferably, the first compound is present in amounts from 1 to 5 weight %.
In embodiments where the weight % of the first compound is relaxed and is not limited to amounts smaller than 3 weight %, the ranges that the first wavelength and the second wavelength fall in may help enhance device performance. In device 500, the first and second wavelengths are within a specified range of each other. This range can be between 40 and 80 nm, and more preferably between 50 nm and 80 nm.
Additionally, a suppression mechanism may also enhance device performance. Device 500 has a suppression mechanism that is similar to suppression mechanism described in device 300. This suppression mechanism is capable of preferentially reducing emission of light emitted by the second compound. Preferably, the suppression mechanism is a micro-cavity. However, in some embodiments, the suppression mechanism may be other mechanisms as described above.
The light output of device 500 may be similar to the light output of device 300 as discussed above in terms of 1931 CIE coordinates. In one preferred embodiment, however, device 500 emits red light, having 1931 CIE coordinates of [0.66±0.04, 0.34±0.04], preferably of [0.66±0.02, 0.34±0.02].
Additionally, the first compound 542 may be similar to first compound 342 in terms of the range of wavelength at which its global maximum occurs and capability of phosphorescent emission. Second compound 543 may also be similar to second compound 343 in terms of the range of wavelengths at which its global maximum occurs, capability of phosphorescent emission, and % weight that it is present in the emissive layer. In one preferred embodiment, however, the first compound is capable of red phosphorescent emission with the first wavelength in the range of 590-700 nm and the second compound is capable of yellow phosphorescent emission with the second wavelength in the range of 560-590 nm.
Device 500 is preferably a top-emitting device, but may also be a bottom-emitting device.
First compound 642 is capable of phosphorescent emission. It has a global maximum in its emission spectrum at a first wavelength. Unlike in device 300, however, the first compound 642 of device 600 may be present at any weight %, including amounts greater than 3 weight %. Preferably, the first compound is present in amounts from 1 to 5 weight %.
In embodiments such as this where the amount of the first compound is relaxed, another way to enhance device performance, other than already discussed above in reference to device 500, is to have three or more compounds capable of phosphorescent emission in the organic emissive layer.
Thus, device 600 is different from the devices 300 also because it contains a third compound 644 capable of phosphorescent emission at room temperature its organic emissive layer. The third compound 644 has a global maximum in its visible emission spectrum at a third wavelength. The second wavelength is longer than the third wavelength. It may be present in the organic emissive layer in an amount between 3 and 30 weight %, preferably between 6 and 24 weight %.
In this embodiment, the first wavelength and the second wavelength do not have to be within a specified range of each other. However, in one embodiment, the first wavelength and the second wavelength may be within a specified range of each other.
The light output of device 600 may be similar to the light output of device 300 in terms of CIE coordinates. However, in one preferred embodiment, device 600 emits a red light, having 1931 CIE coordinates of [0.66±0.04, 0.34±0.04], preferably of [0.66±0.02, 0.34±0.02]. The incorporation of these multiple doped emitter materials in the organic emissive layer of an OLED is especially good for a red phosphorescent OLED which can have good EQE, low voltage, and superior lifetime compared to a device with a single doped hole transport material in the emissive layer in an OLED.
While the first, second, and third wavelengths may be of any wavelengths as long as they meet the relationships discussed above, in one preferred embodiment, the first compound is capable of red phosphorescent emission with the first wavelength in the range of 590-700 nm, the second compound is capable of yellow phosphorescent emission with the second wavelength in the range of 560-590 nm, and the third compound is capable of green phosphorescent emission with the third wavelength in the range of 500-560 nm.
Device 600 has a suppression mechanism, similar to the suppression mechanisms of devices 500 and 300. Suppression mechanism of device 600 is capable of preferentially reducing light emitted by the second and third compounds.
Although only three compounds are shown in
Device 600 is preferably a top-emitting device, but may also be a bottom-emitting device.
While some concepts are described herein with respect to only one of the embodiments of
Combination with Other Materials
The materials described herein as useful for a particular layer in an organic light emitting device may be used in combination with a wide variety of other materials present in the device. For example, emissive dopants disclosed herein may be used in conjunction with a wide variety of hosts, transport layers, blocking layers, injection layers, electrodes and other layers that may be present. The materials described or referred to below are non-limiting examples of materials that may be useful in combination with the compounds disclosed herein, and one of skill in the art can readily consult the literature to identify other materials that may be useful in combination.
A hole injecting/transporting material to be used in the present invention is not particularly limited, and any compound may be used as long as the compound is typically used as a hole injecting/transporting material. Examples of the material include, but not limit to: a phthalocyanine or porphyrin derivative; an aromatic amine derivative; an indolocarbazole derivative; a polymer containing fluorohydrocarbon; a polymer with conductivity dopants; a conducting polymer, such as PEDOT/PSS; a self-assembly monomer derived from compounds such as phosphonic acid and silane derivatives; a metal oxide derivative, such as MoOx; a p-type semiconducting organic compound, such as 1,4,5,8,9,12-Hexaazatriphenylenehexacarbonitrile; a metal complex, and a cross-linkable compounds.
Examples of aromatic amine derivatives used in HIL or HTL include, but not limit to the following general structures:
Each of Ar1 to Ar9 is selected from the group consisting aromatic hydrocarbon cyclic compounds such as benzene, biphenyl, triphenyl, triphenylene, naphthalene, anthracene, phenalene, phenanthrene, fluorene, pyrene, chrysene, perylene, azulene; group consisting aromatic heterocyclic compounds such as dibenzothiophene, dibenzofuran, dibenzoselenophene, furan, thiophene, benzofuran, benzothiophene, benzoselenophene, carbazole, indolocarbazole, pyridylindole, pyrrolodipyridine, pyrazole, imidazole, triazole, oxazole, thiazole, oxadiazole, oxatriazole, dioxazole, thiadiazole, pyridine, pyridazine, pyrimidine, pyrazine, triazine, oxazine, oxathiazine, oxadiazine, indole, benzimidazole, indazole, indoxazine, benzoxazole, benzisoxazole, benzothiazole, quinoline, isoquinoline, cinnoline, quinazoline, quinoxaline, naphthyridine, phthalazine, pteridine, xanthene, acridine, phenazine, phenothiazine, phenoxazine, benzofuropyridine, furodipyridine, benzothienopyridine, thienodipyridine, benzoselenophenopyridine, and selenophenodipyridine; and group consisting 2 to 10 cyclic structural units which are groups of the same type or different types selected from the aromatic hydrocarbon cyclic group and the aromatic heterocyclic group and are bonded to each other directly or via at least one of oxygen atom, nitrogen atom, sulfur atom, silicon atom, phosphorus atom, boron atom, chain structural unit and the aliphatic cyclic group. Wherein each Ar is further substituted by a substituent selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof.
In one aspect, Ar1 to Ar9 is independently selected from the group consisting of:
k is an integer from 1 to 20; X101 to X108 is C (including CH) or N; Z101 is NAr1, O, or S; Ar1 has the same group defined above.
Examples of metal complexes used in HIL or HTL include, but not limit to the following general formula:
Met is a metal; (Y101-Y102) is a bidentate ligand, Y101 and Y102 are independently selected from C, N, O, P, and S; L101 is an another ligand; k′ is an integer value from 1 to the maximum number of ligands that may be attached to the metal; and k′+k″ is the maximum number of ligands that may be attached to the metal.
In one aspect, (Y101-Y102) is a 2-phenylpyridine derivative.
In another aspect, (Y101-Y102) is a carbene ligand.
In another aspect, Met is selected from Ir, Pt, Os, and Zn.
In a further aspect, the metal complex has a smallest oxidation potential in solution vs. Fc+/Fc couple less than about 0.6 V.
The light emitting layer of the organic EL device of the present invention preferably contains at least a metal complex as light emitting material, and may contain a host material using the metal complex as a dopant material. Examples of the host material are not particularly limited, and any metal complexes or organic compounds may be used as long as the triplet energy of the host is larger than that of the dopant. While the Table below categorizes host materials as preferred for devices that emit various colors, any host material may be used with any dopant so long as the triplet criteria is satisfied.
Examples of metal complexes used as host are preferred to have the following general formula:
Met is a metal; (Y103-Y104) is a bidentate ligand, Y103 and Y104 are independently selected from C, N, O, P, and S; L101 is an another ligand; k′ is an integer value from 1 to the maximum number of ligands that may be attached to the metal; and k′+k″ is the maximum number of ligands that may be attached to the metal.
In one aspect, the metal complexes are:
(O—N) is a bidentate ligand, having metal coordinated to atoms O and N.
In another aspect, Met is selected from Ir and Pt.
In a further aspect, (Y103-Y104) is a carbene ligand.
Examples of organic compounds used as host are selected from the group consisting of aromatic hydrocarbon cyclic compounds such as benzene, biphenyl, triphenyl, triphenylene, naphthalene, anthracene, phenalene, phenanthrene, fluorene, pyrene, chrysene, perylene, azulene; group consisting aromatic heterocyclic compounds such as dibenzothiophene, dibenzofuran, dibenzoselenophene, furan, thiophene, benzofuran, benzothiophene, benzoselenophene, carbazole, indolocarbazole, pyridylindole, pyrrolodipyridine, pyrazole, imidazole, triazole, oxazole, thiazole, oxadiazole, oxatriazole, dioxazole, thiadiazole, pyridine, pyridazine, pyrimidine, pyrazine, triazine, oxazine, oxathiazine, oxadiazine, indole, benzimidazole, indazole, indoxazine, benzoxazole, benzisoxazole, benzothiazole, quinoline, isoquinoline, cinnoline, quinazoline, quinoxaline, naphthyridine, phthalazine, pteridine, xanthene, acridine, phenazine, phenothiazine, phenoxazine, benzofuropyridine, furodipyridine, benzothienopyridine, thienodipyridine, benzoselenophenopyridine, and selenophenodipyridine; and group consisting 2 to 10 cyclic structural units which are groups of the same type or different types selected from the aromatic hydrocarbon cyclic group and the aromatic heterocyclic group and are bonded to each other directly or via at least one of oxygen atom, nitrogen atome, sulfur atom, silicon atom, phosphorus atom, boron atom, chain structural unit and the aliphatic cyclic group. Wherein each group is further substituted by a substituent selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof. Additionally, the host can include aza derivatives of some of the above mentioned compounds including but not limited to aza-triphenylene, aza-carbozle, aza-dibenzothiophene, aza-dibenzofuran, and aza-dibenzoselenophene.
In one aspect, host compound contains at least one of the following groups in the molecule:
R101 to R107 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof, when it is aryl or heteroaryl, it has the similar definition as Ar's mentioned above.
k is an integer from 1 to 20; k′″ is an integer from 0 to 20.
X101 to X108 is selected from C (including CH) or N.
Z101 and Z102 is selected from NR101, O, or S.
A hole blocking layer (HBL) may be used to reduce the number of holes and/or excitons that leave the emissive layer. The presence of such a blocking layer in a device may result in substantially higher efficiencies as compared to a similar device lacking a blocking layer. Also, a blocking layer may be used to confine emission to a desired region of an OLED.
In one aspect, compound used in HBL contains the same molecule or the same functional groups used as host described above.
In another aspect, compound used in HBL contains at least one of the following groups in the molecule:
k is an integer from 1 to 20; L101 is an another ligand, k′ is an integer from 1 to 3.
Electron transport layer (ETL) may include a material capable of transporting electrons. Electron transport layer may be intrinsic (undoped), or doped. Doping may be used to enhance conductivity. Examples of the ETL material are not particularly limited, and any metal complexes or organic compounds may be used as long as they are typically used to transport electrons.
In one aspect, compound used in ETL contains at least one of the following groups in the molecule:
R101 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof, when it is aryl or heteroaryl, it has the similar definition as Ar's mentioned above.
Ar1 to Ar3 has the similar definition as Ar's mentioned above.
k is an integer from 1 to 20.
X101 to X108 is selected from C (including CH) or N.
In another aspect, the metal complexes used in ETL contains, but not limit to the following general formula:
(O—N) or (N—N) is a bidentate ligand, having metal coordinated to atoms O, N or N, N; L101 is another ligand; k′ is an integer value from 1 to the maximum number of ligands that may be attached to the metal.
In any above-mentioned compounds used in each layer of the OLED device, the hydrogen atoms can be partially or fully deuterated. Thus, any specifically listed substituent, such as, without limitation, methyl, phenyl, pyridyl, etc. encompasses undeuterated, partially deuterated, and fully deuterated versions thereof. Similarly, classes of substituents such as, without limitation, alkyl, aryl, cycloalkyl, heteroaryl, etc. also encompass undeuterated, partially deuterated, and fully deuterated versions thereof.
In addition to and/or in combination with the materials disclosed herein, many hole injection materials, hole transporting materials, host materials, dopant materials, exiton/hole blocking layer materials, electron transporting and electron injecting materials may be used in an OLED. Non-limiting examples of the materials that may be used in an OLED in combination with materials disclosed herein are listed in Table 1 below. Table 1 lists non-limiting classes of materials, non-limiting examples of compounds for each class, and references that disclose the materials.
As way of non-limiting examples, several model and comparative devices were constructed and will now be discussed. All devices were fabricated by high vacuum (<10−7 Torr) thermal evaporation. While all devices discussed here were fabricated by this method, other methods can be used to fabricate these devices. The cathode consisted of 1 nm of LiF as an electron injection layer (EIL) followed by 100 nm of Al. All devices are encapsulated with a glass lid sealed with an epoxy resin in a nitrogen glove box (<1 ppm of H2O and O2) immediately after fabrication, and a moisture getter was incorporated inside the package.
Model Devices 1-1 to 1-4: Top Emission Micro-Cavity with Two Components
Four types of Model Device 1 were constructed, 1-1 to 1-4. These devices are all top emitting devices. As shown in
SD1 was present in an amount of 18 weight % and while the amount of RD1 was varied in each Model Device 1. Model Device 1-1 had 1 weight %. Model Device 1-2 had 2 weight %. Model Device 1-3 had 3 weight %. Model Device 1-4 had 4 weight %. Model Devices 1-1 to 1-4 also were constructed with micro-cavities. Table 2 shows the concentration of the compounds in the organic emissive layer of these Model Devices.
As a comparison, five other devices were made, comparative examples 2-1 to 2-5. All comparative examples are bottom emitting devices without micro-cavities as shown in
Table 4 shows device performances of Model Devices 1-1 to 1-4. Table 5 shows the device performances of Comparative Examples 2-1 to 2-5. These tables show the 1931 CIE, driving voltage (V), luminous efficacy (LE), external quantum efficiency (EQE) and power efficacy (PE) measured at 1,000 nits for each device.
With regards to the Comparative Devices, devices containing 18% doped SD1 and at least 3% doped RD1 in the emissive layer generally resulted in desirable light output emission. For example, as seen in
As shown in Table 5, devices containing 18% doped SD1 and less than 3% doped RD1 obtained higher EQE, i.e., 25.8% and 24.6% than the 24.4% or less of the more than 3% doped RD1. However, as seen in
Model Device 1-1 to 1-4, made consistent with the embodiments disclosed herein, achieve similar color coordinates as >3% doped RD1 described above due to cutting out the SD1 spectrum by the micro cavity effect. This can be seen in a comparison of
Model Devices 3-1 to 3-3: Top Emitting Devices with Three Components
As more non-limiting examples, Model Devices 3-1 to 3-3 were constructed. Model Devices 3-1 to 3-3 are top emitting devices with micro-cavities and their structures are shown in representative
Model Devices 3-1 to 3-3 all contain RD2 in an amount of 3 weight % and SD1 in an amount of 12 weight %. The amount of SD2, however, is varied. Model Device 3-1 contains SD2 in an amount 6 weight %. Model Device 3-2 contains SD2 in an amount 12 weight %. Model Device 3-3 contains SD2 in an amount 18 weight %.
Comparative examples CE 4-1 to CE 4-4 and CE 5-1 to CE 5-3 were also constructed. These comparative examples are similar to Model Devices 3-1 in structure, except that CE 4-1 to CE 4-4 contain no SD2 and varying amounts of SD1 and CE 5-1 to CE 5-3 contain no SD1 and varying amounts of SD2. Table 6 shows phosphorescent OLED structures of the Model Devices and comparative examples.
Table 7 summarizes the performance of these devices. The driving voltage (V), luminous efficacy (LE), and external quantum efficiency (EQE) were measured at 10,000 nits, while the lifetime (LT80%) was defined as the time required for the device to decay to 80% of its initial luminance (L0) under a constant current density of 80 mA/cm2 at room temperature.
All of the devices including comparative examples 4-1 to 4-4 and 5-1 to 5-3 has EL spectra characteristic of emission from compound RD2 i.e. with 1931 CIE coordinates x=0.66 to 0.68 and y=0.32 to 0.33.
Comparative Example 4-3, which has 18% doped compound SD1 and 3% doped compound RD2 in the organic emissive layer, exhibited the best device performance, 8.5V, 20% EQE, and 227 hours of LT80% among comparative examples in the same family the “4” family).
Comparative Example 5-2, which has 18% doped compound SD2 and 3% doped compound RD2 in EML, exhibited the best device performance, 8.4V, 20% EQE, and 236 hours of LT80% among comparative examples in the same family (the “5” family).
Model Device 3-1, which has 12% doped compound SD1, 6% doped compound SD2 and 3% doped compound RD2 in organic emissive layer, achieved lower voltage, higher EQE at 10,000 nits and longer LT80% at 80 mA/cm2 than comparative examples 4-3 and 5-2. One of ordinary skill in the art would not have expected this result.
The triplet energy diagram of the compounds in the organic emissive layer is shown in
The energy diagram of compounds for the device structure is shown in
It is understood that the various embodiments described herein are by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. For example, many of the materials and structures described herein may be substituted with other materials and structures without deviating from the spirit of the invention. The present invention as claimed may therefore include variations from the particular examples and preferred embodiments described herein, as will be apparent to one of skill in the art. It is understood that various theories as to why the invention works are not intended to be limiting.
