Quantum dot light-emitting diodes
(QLEDs) are promising devices
for display applications. Polyethylenedioxythiophene:polystyrene sulfonate
(PEDOT:PSS) is a common hole injection layer (HIL) material in optoelectronic
devices because of its high conductivity and high work function. Nevertheless,
PEDOT:PSS-based QLEDs have a high energy barrier for hole injection,
which results in low device efficiency. Therefore, a new strategy
is needed to improve the device efficiency. Herein, we have demonstrated
a bilayer-HIL using VO2 and a PEDOT:PSS-based QLED that
exhibits an 18% external quantum efficiency (EQE), 78 cd/A current
efficiency (CE), and 25,771 cd/m2 maximum luminance. In
contrast, the PEDOT:PSS-based QLED exhibits an EQE of 13%, CE of 54
cd/A, and maximum luminance of 14,817 cd/m2. An increase
in EQE was attributed to a reduction in the energy barrier between
indium tin oxide (ITO) and PEDOT:PSS, caused by the insertion of a
VO2 HIL. Therefore, our results could demonstrate that
using a bilayer-HIL is effective in increasing the EQE in QLEDs.