AC-DRIVEN LIGHT EMITTING DEVICE HAVING SINGLE ACTIVE LAYER STRUCTURE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20100032645A1
• Filed: 01/27/2009
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
• Inventors: IE, Sang Yub, SON, Dong Ick, PARK, Dong Hee, CHOI, Won Kook, CHOI, Ji Won
• Granted Patent: US 7,709,824 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/13
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/02 Use of particular materials as binders, particle coatings or suspension media therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/883 with zinc or cadmium
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/10 Apparatus or processes specially adapted to the manufacture of electroluminescent light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/331 Nanoparticles used in non-emissive layers, e.g. in packaging layer
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/125 specially adapted for multicolour light emission, e.g. for emitting white light
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/841 Applying alternating current [AC] during manufacturing or treatment

Abstract

The present invention relates to an AC voltage-driven light emitting device having a single active layer of a core-shell structure (p-i-n structure) in which intrinsic semiconductor nanocrystals, exciton combination centers, are uniformly and isotropically distributed around p-type polymer particles, and n-type small molecular particles surround the semiconductor nanocrystals and p-type polymer, and a manufacturing method thereof. An active layer of a core-shell structure using a polymer-semiconductor nano hybrid in the light-emitting device has an inversion symmetry characteristic showing the same current-voltage characteristic during application of a voltage in a forward direction and a reverse direction. Therefore, due to this inversion symmetry characteristic, the light emitting can be driven by even an AC voltage. Also, since the device can be driven by an AC voltage, limitations of an existing DC voltage-driven organic light emitting diode, that is, destruction or a defect of the device by an overcurrent and generation of a dark spot by degradation of local constituent organic materials are solved.

Claims

1. An AC-driven light emitting device having a single active layer structure, the device comprising:

a glass substrate;

a first electrode comprising a transparent electrode on the glass substrate;

an active layer of a single layer on the first electrode; and

a second electrode on the active layer,

wherein the active layer has a p-i-n structure of a consolidated core-shell structure in which semiconductor nanocrystals are implanted on the surface of a polymer core comprising p-type polymer organic materials, and uniformly and isotropically distributed to surround the polymer core, and n-type small molecular organic materials surround the semiconductor nanocrystals and p-type polymer.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the p-type polymer organic materials comprise one selected from the group consisting of poly(N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK), poly[1-methoxy-4-(2-ethethylhexyloxy-2,5-phenylenevinylene)](MEH-PPV), poly(phenylene vinylene)(PPV), polyfluorenes (PFO), and poly(9,9-dioctylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl) end capped with dimethylphenyl (PFO-DMP).

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the n-type small molecular organic materials comprise one selected from the group consisting of 1,3,5-tirs-(N-phenylbenzimidazol-2-yl) benzene (TPBi), N′

-Diphenyl-N,N′

-bis(3-methylphenyl)-1,1′

-biphenyl-4,4′

-diamine (TPD), 2-(4-Biphenylyl)-5-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole (PBD), 2,9-Dimethyl-4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (BCP), and 4,7-Diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (Bphen).

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor nanocrystals comprise one selected from the group consisting of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots, ZnCdSe/ZnS quantum dots, Si/SiO₂ quantum dots, Si nanocrystals, Cu-doped ZnS nanocrystals, and ZnO nanoparticles.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the p-type polymer organic materials comprise poly(N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK), the n-type small molecular organic materials comprise 1,3,5-tirs-(N-phenylbenzimidazol-2-yl) benzene (TPBi), and the semiconductor nanocrystals comprise CdSe/ZnS quantum dots.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the second electrode comprises a transparent electrode, so that electroluminescence (EL) is generated in both directions while the device is driven by an AC voltage.

7. A method for manufacturing an AC-driven light emitting device having a single active layer structure, the method comprising:

forming a first electrode using a transparent electrode on a glass substrate;

adding p-type polymer organic materials, semiconductor nanocrystals, and n-type small molecular organic materials to a solvent to manufacture a mixed solution, and spin-coating the mixed solution on the first electrode/glass structure to form an active layer on the first electrode; and

forming a second electrode on the active layer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the mixed solution is manufactured by adding about 0.6-1 weight % of the p-type polymer organic materials, about 0.4-1 weight % of the n-type small molecular organic materials, and about 0.5-1 weight % of the semiconductor nanocrystals to 100 weight % of the solvent.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the p-type polymer organic materials comprise one selected from the group consisting of poly(N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK), poly[1-methoxy-4-(2-ethethylhexyloxy-2,5-phenylenevinylene)](MEH-PPV), poly(phenylene vinylene)(PPV), polyfluorenes (PFO), and poly(9,9-dioctylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl) end capped with dimethylphenyl (PFO-DMP).

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the n-type small molecular organic materials comprise one selected from the group consisting of 1,3,5-tirs-(N-phenylbenzimidazol-2-yl) benzene (TPBi), N′

-Diphenyl-N,N′

-bis(3-methylphenyl)-1,1′

-biphenyl-4,4′

-diamine (TPD), 2-(4-Biphenylyl)-5-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole (PBD), 2,9-Dimethyl-4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (BCP), and 4,7-Diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (Bphen).

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the semiconductor nanocrystals comprise one selected from the group consisting of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots, ZnCdSe/ZnS quantum dots, Si/SiO₂ quantum dots, Si nanocrystals, Cu-doped ZnS nanocrystals, and ZnO nanoparticles.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein poly(N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) is used as the p-type polymer organic materials, 1,3,5-tirs-(N-phenylbenzimidazol-2-yl) benzene (TPBi) is used as the n-type small molecular organic materials, and CdSe/ZnS quantum dots are used as the semiconductor nanocrystals.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the solvent comprises one selected from the group consisting of toluene, CHCl₃, and dimethyl formamide (DMF).

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the spin-coating is performed at a rotational speed of 1000-3000 rpm for a rotation time of 10-30 seconds to obtain a coating thickness of 100-200 nm.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein a transparent electrode is formed using the second electrode, so that electroluminescence (EL) is generated in both directions while the device is driven by an AC voltage.