OLEDs having n-type doping

• US 7,070,867 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2003
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Southern California
• Original Assignee: University of Southern California
• Inventors: Garon, Simona, Thompson, Mark E.
• Primary Examiner(s): GARRETT, DAWN L
• Application Number:
  US10/729,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20050123793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 428/690, 428/917, 428/212, 313/504, 313/506
• US Class Current: 428/690
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/06 containing organic luminescent materials
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2211/1048 with oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2211/1088 containing oxygen as the only heteroatom
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2211/181 of the alkali metals and alkaline earth metals
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/14 characterised by the chemical or physical composition or the arrangement of the electroluminescent material , or by the simultaneous addition of the electroluminescent material in or onto the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/103 comprising indium oxides, e.g. ITO
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/14 Carrier transporting layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/30 Doping active layers, e.g. electron transporting layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/115 Polyfluorene; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/324 comprising aluminium, e.g. Alq3
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/361 Polynuclear complexes, i.e. complexes comprising two or more metal centers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/40 Organosilicon compounds, e.g. TIPS pentacene
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/60 Organic compounds having low molecular weight H10K85/10 - H10K85/50 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/917 Electroluminescent

Abstract

The present invention provides an organic light emitting device comprising an anode, a cathode, and an organic layer disposed between the anode and the cathode, wherein the organic layer comprises a host material, an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal, and a metal binding agent. In a preferred embodiment, the organic layer is an electron transport layer in which the metal binding agent may confine the alkali metal or the alkaline earth metal.

Claims

1. An organic light emitting device comprising:

an anode;

a cathode; and

an organic layer disposed between the anode and the cathode,

wherein the organic layer comprises a host material, an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal, and a metal binding agent; and

wherein

(a) the metal binding agent is electrically neutral;

or

(b) the metal binding agent comprises a compatibilizer;

or

(c) the host material is selected from a material having the formula

2. The organic light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the organic layer is an electron transport layer.

3. The organic light emitting device of claim 2, wherein the device further comprises an emissive layer disposed between the electron transport layer and the anode.

4. The organic light emitting device of claim 3, wherein the organic layer comprises a first sublayer and a second sublayer, wherein the first sublayer is not doped with a metal binding agent, the second sublayer comprises the alkali metal or the alkaline earth metal, and the metal binding agent, and the first sublayer is nearer to the emissive layer than is the second sublayer.

5. The organic light emitting device of claim 4, wherein the first sublayer is in physical contact with the emissive layer.

6. The organic light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the organic layer is an emissive layer.

7. The organic light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the alkali metal is lithium.

8. The organic light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the metal binding agent is a crown ether.

9. The organic light emitting device of claim 1, wherein the metal binding agent is a cryptand.

10. The organic light emitting device of claim 2, wherein the host material is BCP.

11. An organic light emitting device comprising:

an anode;

a cathode;

a first organic layer disposed between the anode and the cathode, wherein

the first organic layer is an emissive layer; and

a second organic layer disposed between the first organic layer and the cathode, wherein

the second organic layer comprises an electron transporting host material, an alkali metal, and a metal binding agent; and

wherein

(a) the metal binding agent is electrically neutral;

or

(b) the metal binding agent comprises a compatibilizer;

or

(c) the host material is selected from a material having the formula

12. The organic light emitting device of claim 11, wherein the second organic layer comprises a first sublayer and a second sublayer, wherein the first sublayer is not doped with a metal binding agent, the second sublayer comprises the alkali metal or the alkaline earth metal, and the metal binding agent, and the first sublayer is nearer to the first organic layer than is the second sublayer.

13. The organic light emitting device of claim 12, wherein the first sublayer is in physical contact with the first organic layer.

14. The organic light emitting device of claim 11, wherein the device further comprises a hole transport layer disposed between the first organic layer and the anode.

15. The organic light emitting device of claim 11, wherein the alkali metal is lithium.

16. The organic light emitting device of claim 11, wherein the metal binding agent is a crown ether.

17. The organic light emitting device of claim 11, wherein the metal binding agent is a cryptand.

18. The organic light emitting device of claim 11, wherein the electron transporting host material is BCP.

19. An organic light emitting device comprising:

an anode;

a cathode; and

an organic layer disposed between the anode and the cathode,

wherein the organic layer comprises a host material, an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal, and a metal binding agent; and

wherein the metal binding agent is electrically neutral.