The Effect of Multilayer Passivation Film on Life Time Characteristics of OLED Device

Multilayer passivation film on OLED with organic/inorganic hybrid structure as to diminish the thermal stress and expansion was researched to protect device from the direct damage of $O_2$ and $H_2O$ and improve life time characteristics. Red OLED doped with 1 vol.% Rubrene in $Alq_3$ was used as a basic device. The films consist of ITO(150 nm)/ELM200_HIL(50 nm)/ELM002_HTL(30 nm)/$Alq_3$: 1 vol.% Rubrene(30 nm)/$Alq_3$(30 nm) and LiF(0.7 nm)/Al(100 nm) which were formed in that order. Using LiF/$SiN_x$ as a buffer layer was determined because it significantly improved life time characteristics without suffering damage in the process of forming passivation film. Multilayer passivation film on buffer layer didn't produce much change in current efficiency, while the half life time at 1,000 $cd/m^2$ of OLED/LiF/$SiN_x$/E1/$SiN_x$ was 710 hours which showed about 1.5 times longer than OLED/LiF/$SiN_x$/E1 with 498 hours. futhermore, OLED/LiF/$SiN_x$/E1/$SiN_x$/E1/$SiN_x$ with 1301 hours showed about twice than OLED/LiF/$SiN_x$/E1/$SiN_x$ which demonstrated that superior characteristics of life time was obtained in multilayer passivation film. Through the above result, it was suggested using LiF/$SiN_x$ as a buffer layer could reduce the damage from the difference of thermal expansion coefficient in OLED with protective films, and epoxy layer in multilayer passivation film could function like a buffer between $SiN_x$ inorganic layers with relatively large thermal stress.

OLED소자의 수명에 미치는 다층 보호막의 영향