Novel Patterning Method for Silver Nanowire Electrodes for Thermal-Evaporated Organic Light Emitting Diodes

Silver nanowires (AgNWs) mesh has been used as transparent electrodes in optoelectronic devices. However, the lack of practical patterning techniques for the random percolating nanowire network has limited its applications in devices where a well-defined pixel is required. Here, by controlling the surface wetting properties of a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) release template, we are able to pattern the random AgNWs network with uniform conducting property; and due to the hydrophobic recovery nature of PDMS, a multilayer patterning and transferring process can be realized, resulting in a fine-patterned, smooth, and uniform AgNWs mesh/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) composite electrode. A thermal-evaporated organic light-emitting diode (OLED) is directly fabricated onto the patterned AgNWs/PEDOT:PSS composite electrode. The device shows well-defined pixel edges and a uniformly lighted pixel area. A uniform OLED with very low leakage current is realized. The enhanced efficiency compared to the controlled device with prepatterned indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode is attributed to the scattering effects of the AgNWs electrode.