Enhanced electron injection in organic light-emitting devices using Al/LiF electrodes

The temperature dependence of the current-voltage-luminescence characteristics in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with varying thickness of LiF layers are studied to understand the mechanism of the enhanced electron injection by inserting a thin insulating LiF layer at the tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq(3))-Al interfaces. At room temperature, the LiF/Al cathode enhances the electron injection and the quantum efficiency (QE) of the electroluminescence (EL), implying that the LiF thin layer lowers the electron-injection barrier. However, at low temperatures it is observed that the injection-limited current dominates and the barrier height for the electron injection in the device with LiF/Al appears to be similar with the Al only device. Thus, our results suggest that at low temperatures the insertion of LiF does not cause a significant band bending of Alq(3) or reduction of the Al work function. (c) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.