An organic light-emitting diode with field-effect electron transport

We describe an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) using field-effect to transport electrons. The device is a hybrid between a diode and a field-effect transistor. Compared to conventional OLEDs, the metallic cathode is displaced by one to several micrometers from the light-emitting zone. This micrometer-sized distance can be bridged by electrons with enhanced field-effect mobility. The device is fabricated using poly(triarylamine) (PTAA) as the hole-transport material, tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq(3)) doped with 4-(dicyanomethylene)-2-methyl-6-julolindin-4-yl-vinyl)-4H-pyran (DCM2) as the active light-emitting layer, and N,N'-ditridecylperylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic diimide (PTCDI-C13H27), as the electron -transport material. The obtained external quantum efficiencies are as high as for conventional OLEDs comprising the same materials. The quantum efficiencies of the new devices are remarkably independent of the current, up to current densities of more than 10 A cm(-2). In addition, the absence of a metallic cathode covering the light-emission zone permits top-emission and could reduce optical absorption losses in waveguide structures. These properties may be useful in the future for the fabrication of solid-state high-brightness organic light sources.