We report developments in materials and formulations for blue, green, and red fluorescent OLEDs that provide lifetimes exceeding 15,000 h for a model display operating at 200 cd/m 2 with a polarizer. In addition, we describe improvements in electron transport and injection that result in a reduction in display power consumption of up to 55%.
IntroductionOLED performance is typically evaluated using simple test devices and is reported in terms of luminous yield, CIE x,y coordinates, drive voltage, and operational stability [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. For fullcolor (RGB) displays, however, the systems engineer is more interested in how results from test devices can be used to predict the performance of a display. Of particular interest is how a material change (altering the basic emission characteristics for a particular color) will impact display power consumption and lifetime.There has been significant research into highly efficient phosphorescent OLEDs to reduce display power consumption [10]; however, the lifetime is not yet acceptable for many display applications. In fact, most commercial OLED displays utilize fluorescent materials to maximize display lifetime and simplify the manufacturing process, and there is significant interest in further improving the performance of fluorescent materials to accelerate the adoption of OLED technology into display applications. Using all fluorescent materials, blue OLEDs with luminous efficiency in the range of 6-11 cd/A [4,7-8], green OLEDs with efficiency of 15-20 cd/A, and red OLEDs within the 8-11 cd/A range [8-9,11] have been reported recently. These emitters are thought to offer improvements over existing fluorescent materials commercialized for OLED display applications.In order to evaluate these emitting systems in a full-color display, a model was developed that takes into consideration most of the performance attributes of simple red, green, and blue test devices. By using this model, trade-offs in efficiency, lifetime, chromaticity, and drive voltage can be understood, and the material system with the best overall display performance can be selected. For example, a deep-blue emitter (CIE y = 0.15) with slightly lower efficiency than a lighter blue (CIE y = 0.20) is sometimes a better choice for a full-color display because the average current density required to attain the display white point is lower. It is also important to consider the properties of the charge-transport materials, given that they can affect the drive voltage and lead to a display with lower power consumption.The objective of the present study was to determine the peak power consumption and operational lifetime of a model full-color active-matrix OLED (AM-OLED) display using combinations of improved red, green, and blue fluorescent emitters. By doing this, a better understanding of the impact of red, green, and blue emission properties on full-color display performance can be achieved.
Experimental ParametersA mathematical model that is used to determine display power and lifetime was descri...