Claims
- 1. A light-emitting device having an embedded charge injection electrode, comprising:
a) a light-transmissive substrate; b) a light-transmissive first electrode layer on the substrate; c) a first charge transport layer on the first electrode layer for transporting charges injected from the first electrode layer into the first charge transport layer; d) a light-emissive layer on the first charge transport layer; e) a first charge injection electrode layer on the light-emissive layer with the charge injection electrode layer being electrically floating; f) a second charge transport layer on the first charge injection electrode layer; and g) a second electrode layer on the second charge transport layer wherein the second charge transport layer is for transporting charges injected from the second electrode layer.
- 2. The light-emitting device of claim 1 wherein the first electrode layer is an anode electrode layer, wherein the second electrode layer is a cathode electrode layer, wherein the first charge transport layer is a hole transport layer, wherein the second charge transport layer is an organic-based electron transport layer, and wherein the first embedded charge injection electrode layer is formed of a low work function metal or metal alloy.
- 3. The light-emitting device of claim 2 wherein the first embedded charge injection electrode layer is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of Ag, Al, Ca, Mg and alloys of Mg:Ag.
- 4. The light-emitting device of claim 2 wherein the first embedded charge injection electrode layer is formed of one of a bi-layer of alkali fluoride/metal and a bi-layer of metal/metal.
- 5. The light-emitting device of claim 4 wherein the bi-layer of alkali fluoride/metal is LiF/Al.
- 6. The light-emitting device of claim 2 wherein the first embedded charge injection electrode is formed of tri-layer of one of an alkali fluoride/metal/alkaline fluoride or alkaline fluoride/metal/metal.
- 7. The light-emitting device of claim 6 wherein the tri-layer of an alkali fluoride/metal/alkali fluoride is LiF/Al/LiF and the tri-layer of a fluoride/metal/metal is LiF/Al/Mg.
- 8. The light-emitting device of claim 4 wherein the metal layers in the bilayers and trilayers have a thickness in a range from 2 nm to 30 nm.
- 9. The light-emitting devices of claim 4 wherein the alkali fluoride layer thickness is in a range from about 0.2 to 1.0 nm.
- 10. The light-emitting device of claim 2 wherein the organic electron-transport layer is formed of electron-conductive organic molecules.
- 11. The light-emitting device of claim 10 wherein the organic electron-transport layer has a thickness in a range from about 30 to about 300 nm.
- 12. The light-emitting device of claim 2 wherein the cathode electrode layer is made of a material selected from the group consisting of ITO, Al, Cr, Cu, Ag, Au, Ni, Fe, Ni, W, Mo and Co.
- 13. The light-emitting device of claim 2 wherein the anode electrode layer is made of a material selected from the group consisting of ITO, SnO2, Ni, Pt, Au, p++ semiconductors (c-Si, a-Si, a-Si:H, poly silicon).
- 14. The light-emitting device of claim 2 including a cathode capping layer made of dielectrics on the cathode comprised of one of a Si oxide and a nitride.
- 15. The light-emitting device of claim 2 including a second charge injection electrode layer between the light-emissive layer and the hole transport layer with the second charge injection electrode being electrically floating.
- 16. The light-emitting device of claim 15 wherein the second embedded charge injection electrode layer is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of high work function metals and metal oxides.
- 17. The light-emitting device of claim 16 wherein the second embedded charge injection electrode layer is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of high work indium tin oxide (ITO), gold, nickel, platinum and silver.
- 18. The light-emitting device of claim 2 wherein the organic electron-transport layer is formed of electron-conductive organic molecules selected from the group consisting of Alq, fullerenes C60 and C70, CuPc and conducting aromatic compounds.
- 19. The light-emitting device of claim 1 wherein a thickness of the first embedded charge injection electrode and a thickness of the electron-transport layer are selected to give destructive interference of pre-selected wavelengths of light.
- 20. A light-emitting device having an embedded charge injection electrode, comprising:
a) a substrate; b) an optically reflective anode electrode layer on the substrate; c) a hole-transport layer on the optically reflective anode electrode layer; d) a light-emissive layer on the hole-transport layer; e) a first charge injection electrode layer on the light-emissive layer with the charge injection electrode layer being electrically floating; f) an organic electron-transport layer on the charge injection electrode layer; and e) a light-transmissive cathode electrode layer on the organic electron-transport layer.
- 21. The light-emitting device of claim 22 wherein the organic electron-transport layer is formed of electron-conductive molecules.
- 22. The light-emitting device of claim 21 wherein the organic electron-transport layer is selected from the group consisting of Alq, CuPc, fullerenes C60 and C70, and conducting aromatic compounds.
- 23. The light-emitting device of claim 22 wherein the organic electron-transport layer has a thickness in a range from about 30 to about 300 nm.
- 24. The light-emitting device of claim 20 wherein the first embedded charge injection electrode layer is made of a low work function metal or metal alloy.
- 25. The light-emitting device of claim 24 wherein the first embedded charge injection electrode layer is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of Ag, Al, Ca, Mg and alloys of Mg:Ag.
- 26. The light-emitting device of claim 20 wherein the first embedded charge injection electrode layer is formed of one of a bi-layer of alkali fluoride/metal and a bi-layer of metal/metal.
- 27. The light-emitting device of claim 26 wherein the brayer of alkali fluoride/metal is LiF/Al.
- 28. The light-emitting device of claim 20 wherein the first embedded charge injection electrode layer is formed of tri-layer of one of an alkali fluoride/metal/alkaline fluoride and an alkaline fluoride/metal/metal.
- 29. The light-emitting device of claim 28 wherein the tri-layer of an alkali fluoride/metal/alkali fluoride is LiF/Al/LiF and the tri-layer of a fluoride/metal/metal is LiF/Al/Mg.
- 30. The light-emitting device of claim 26 wherein the metal layers in the bilayers and trilayers have a thickness in a range from about 2 nm to about 30 nm.
- 31. The light-emitting device of claim 26 wherein the alkali fluoride layer thickness is in a range from about 0.2 to about 1.0 nm.
- 32. The light-emitting device of claim 20 wherein the cathode electrode layer is a metal, metal oxide or metal layer selected from the group consisting of Al, Cu, Ag, Mg:Ag, Au and ITO.
- 33. The light-emitting device of claim 32 wherein the alloy or metal layer has a thickness in a range from 15 nm to 300 nm.
- 34. The light-emitting device of claim 20 including a cathode capping layer made of dielectrics deposited on the cathode by sputtering comprised of one of a Si oxide and a nitride.
- 35. The light-emitting device of claim 20 wherein a thickness of the first embedded charge injection electrode and a thickness of the hole-transport layer and a thickness of the light-emissive layer are selected to give destructive interference of pre-selected wavelengths of light.
- 36. A light-emitting device having an embedded charge injection electrode, comprising:
a) a light-transmissive substrate; b) a light-transmissive anode electrode layer on the substrate; c) a hole-transporting layer on the anode; d) a first charge injection electrode layer on the hole-transporting layer with the charge injection electrode being electrically floating; e) a light-emissive layer on the charge injection electrode layer; f) an organic electron-transport layer on the light-emissive layer; and g) a cathode electrode layer on the organic electron-transport layer.
- 37. The light-emitting device of claim 36 including a second charge injection electrode layer between the light-emissive layer and the electron transport layer with the second charge injection electrode being electrically floating.
- 38. The light-emitting device of claim 36 wherein the first embedded charge injection electrode layer is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of high work function metals and metal oxides.
- 39. The light-emitting device of claim 36 wherein the first embedded charge injection electrode layer is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of high work indium tin oxide (ITO), gold, nickel, platinum and silver.
- 40. The light-emitting device of claim 39 wherein the first embedded charge injection electrode layer is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of graphitic carbon and nanostructured carbon fullerenes, C60 and C70.
- 41. The light-emitting device of claim 37 wherein the second embedded charge injection electrode layer is formed of low work function metals or metal alloys.
- 42. The light-emitting device of claim 41 wherein the second embedded charge injection electrode is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of Ag, Al, Ca, Mg and alloys of Mg:Ag.
- 43. The light-emitting device of claim 36 wherein the first embedded charge injection electrode is formed of one of a bi-layer of alkali fluoride/metal and bi-layer of metal/metal.
- 44. The light-emitting device of claim 43 wherein the bi-layer of alkali fluoride/metal is LiF/Al.
- 45. The light-emitting device of claim 36 wherein a thickness of the first embedded charge injection electrode and a thickness of the light emissive layer and the electron transport layer are selected to give destructive interference of pre-selected wavelengths of light.
- 46. A light-emitting device having an embedded charge injection electrode, comprising:
a) a substrate; b) an anode electrode layer on the substrate; c) a hole-transporting layer on the anode; d) a first charge injection electrode layer on the hole-transporting layer with the charge injection electrode being electrically floating; e) a light-emissive layer on the charge injection electrode layer; f) an organic electron-transport layer on the light-emissive layer; and g) a transmissive cathode electrode layer on the organic electron-transport layer.
- 47. The light-emitting device of claim 46 including a second charge injection electrode layer between the light-emissive layer and the electron transport layer with the second charge injection electrode being electrically floating.
- 48. The light-emitting device of claim 46 wherein the first embedded charge injection electrode is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of highly reflective metals.
- 49. The light-emitting device of claim 48 wherein the highly reflective metals are selected from the group consisting of Al and Cr.
- 50. The light-emitting device of claim 48 wherein the first embedded charge injection electrode layer is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of high work function metals and metal oxides.
- 51. The light-emitting device of claim 50 wherein the first embedded charge injection electrode is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of high work indium tin oxide (ITO), gold, nickel, platinum and silver.
- 52. The light-emitting device of claim 50 wherein the first embedded charge injection electrode is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of graphitic carbon and nanostructured carbon fullerenes, C60 and C70.
- 53. The light-emitting device of claim 47 wherein the second embedded charge injection electrode layer is formed of a low work function metal or metal alloy.
- 54. The light-emitting device of claim 53 wherein the second embedded charge injection electrode layer is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of Ag, Al, Ca, Mg and alloys of Mg:Ag.
- 55. The light-emitting device of claim 46 wherein the second embedded charge injection electrode is formed of one of a bi-layer of alkali fluoride/metal, and a bi-layer of metal/metal.
- 56. The light-emitting device of claim 55 wherein the bi-layer of alkali fluoride/metal is LiF/Al.
- 57. The light-emitting device of claim 46 wherein the first embedded charge injection electrode is formed of one of a tri-layer of an alkali fluoride/metal/alkali fluoride and a fluoride/metal/metal.
- 58. The light-emitting device of claim 57 wherein the tri-layer of an alkali fluoride/metal/alkali fluoride is LiF/Al/LiF and the tri-layer of a fluoride/metal/metal is LiF/Al/Mg.
- 59. The light-emitting device of claim 46 wherein a thickness of the first embedded charge injection electrode and a thickness of the hole-transport layer are selected to give destructive interference of pre-selected wavelengths of light.
- 60. The light-emitting device of claim 1 including a power supply means connected between the anode electrode layer and the cathode electrode layer for applying a pre-selected voltage across the anode electrode layer and the cathode electrode layer and all layers therebetween.
- 61. The light-emitting device of claim 1 wherein the light emissive layer is produced using any one of organic based fluorescent and phosphorescent molecules or polymers, and combinations thereof.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED U.S APPLICATION
[0001] This patent application relates to, and claims the priority benefit from, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/464,662 filed on Apr. 23, 2003, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60464662 |
Apr 2003 |
US |