KR20130057738A - Organic light emitting diode device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An organic electroluminescent device is provided to extend lifetime by preventing dopants from being diffused into a second charge transport layer. CONSTITUTION: A first light emitting unit(120) includes a first light emitting layer. A first charge generation layer is arranged on the first light emitting unit. A second charge generation layer is arranged on the first charge generation layer. A second light emitting unit(140) includes a second light emitting layer. A second electrode(150) is arranged on the second light emitting unit.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an organic light emitting diode (OLED)

The present invention relates to an organic electroluminescent device, and more particularly, to an organic electroluminescent device having a stacked structure in which light emitting layers are stacked.

Today, with the development of information communication, display devices are rapidly developing. Particularly, since the organic electroluminescent device of the display device is a self-luminous device, it is not necessary to provide a separate backlight unit, so that it is thinner than other display devices and can have low power consumption.

Here, the organic electroluminescent device includes an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, and a light emitting layer provided between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode. Here, the anode electrode provides holes to the light emitting layer, and the cathode electrode provides electrons to the light emitting layer. At this time, an exciton is generated through recombination of electrons and holes in the light emitting layer, and the excitons drop to the ground state and emit light.

In recent years, an organic electroluminescent device having a stack structure in which a light emitting layer is formed by stacking a charge generating layer therebetween has been developed in order to increase the luminous efficiency. For example, an organic electroluminescent device having a stack structure may include an anode electrode, a first emitting layer, a charge generating layer, a second emitting layer, and a cathode electrode. Here, the charge generation layer may include an N-type charge generation layer and a P-type charge generation layer to efficiently provide electrons and holes to the first and second light emitting layers, respectively.

Conventionally, since the LUMO value of the N-type charge generation layer and the LUMO value of the P-type charge generation layer have large differences, holes can not be effectively provided from the low voltage to the second light emitting layer. In order to solve this problem, the N type charge generation layer was doped with a dopant of metal to smoothly provide holes at a low voltage to the second light emitting layer.

However, diffusion phenomenon of the dopant, that is, the phenomenon that the metal of the N type charge generation layer chemically bonds with the material of the P type charge generation layer is generated, and the function of the P type charge generation layer is deteriorated. Such a diffusion phenomenon of the dopant causes a problem that the lifetime of the organic electroluminescent device is lowered.

An object of the present invention is to solve the problems that may occur in an organic electroluminescent device, and specifically to provide an organic electroluminescent device having a stack structure capable of delaying diffusion phenomenon of a dopant to improve lifetime.

An organic electroluminescent device of the solution means according to the present invention is provided. An organic electroluminescent device according to the present invention includes a first electrode; A first light emitting unit disposed on the first electrode and having a first light emitting layer; A first charge generation layer disposed on the first light emitting unit; A second charge generation layer disposed on the first charge generation layer; A second light emitting unit disposed on the second charge generating layer and having a second light emitting layer; And a second electrode disposed on the second light emitting unit, wherein the first charge generating layer includes a host and a dopant, and a doping amount of the dopant is greater than a doping amount of the second charge generating layer in the first charge generating layer Can be reduced as it approaches the production layer.

Another aspect of the present invention provides an organic electroluminescent device. An organic electroluminescent device according to the present invention includes a first electrode; A first light emitting unit disposed on the first electrode and having a first light emitting layer; A first charge generation layer disposed on the first light emitting unit and having sub-first charge generation layers stacked with different amounts of doping; A second charge generation layer disposed on the first charge generation layer; A second light emitting unit disposed on the second charge generating layer and having a second light emitting layer; And a second electrode disposed on the second light emitting unit.

As the organic electroluminescent device according to the embodiment of the present invention becomes closer to the second charge generating layer, the doping amount of the dopant contained in the first charge generating layer is gradually decreased and the diffusion of the dopant into the second charge transporting layer is delayed , It is possible to prevent the lifetime of the organic electroluminescent device from being shortened.

1 is a cross-sectional view of an organic electroluminescent device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a cross-sectional view of the first charge transport layer of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a graph showing luminance of an organic electroluminescent device according to an embodiment and a comparative example with time.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings of an organic electroluminescent device. The following embodiments are provided by way of example so that those skilled in the art can fully understand the spirit of the present invention.

Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, but may be embodied in other forms. In the drawings, the size and thickness of an apparatus may be exaggerated for convenience. Like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification.

1 is a cross-sectional view of an organic electroluminescent device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1, an organic electroluminescent device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a first electrode 110, a first light emitting unit 120, a charge generating layer 130, a first light emitting layer 130, a second light emitting unit 140, and a second electrode 150.

Here, the base substrate layer 100 may be in the form of a substrate or a film that can be rolled by an external force. Here, when the organic electroluminescent device is a bottom emission type in which light is emitted toward the base substrate layer 100, the base substrate layer 100 may be made of a transparent material capable of transmitting light. For example, the base substrate layer 100 may be made of glass or plastic. In addition, when the organic electroluminescent device is a top emission type in which light is emitted toward a bag member to be described later, the base substrate layer 100 may be made of a transparent material or an opaque material.

However, in the embodiment of the present invention, the material of the base substrate layer 100 is not limited.

The base substrate layer 100 may have a plurality of pixels which are the minimum unit for displaying an image.

The first electrode 110 may be an anode electrode or a cathode electrode. The second electrode 150 may be a cathode electrode when the first electrode 110 is an anode electrode and may be an anode electrode when the first electrode 110 is a cathode electrode. Hereinafter, the positions of the first and second electrodes 110 and 150 may be changed by those skilled in the art. Therefore, in the description of the organic electroluminescent device, the first electrode 110 Is an anode electrode and the second electrode 150 is a cathode electrode.

Here, the first electrode 110 may be separated on a pixel-by-pixel basis on the base substrate layer 100. When the organic electroluminescent device is a bottom emission type, the first electrode 110 may be formed of a light transmissive conductive material that transmits light. In addition, the first electrode 110 may be formed of a conductive material having a higher work function than the second electrode 150. For example, the first electrode 110 may be formed of ITO or IZO. At this time, the first electrode 110 may serve as an anode for providing holes to the first light emitting unit 120, which will be described later.

The first light emitting unit 120 includes a first light emitting layer 122 that generates and emits light. Here, the first emission layer 122 may include a blue host material and a blue dopant material doped with a blue host material. Here, an example of the blue host material may be AND (9,10-di (2-naphthyl) anthracene) or PVBi (4,4'-bis (2,2-diphenylethen-1-yl) -diphenyl). Examples of the blue dopant material may include 1,6-bis (diphenylamine) pyrene or tetrakis (t-butyl) perylene.

The first light emitting unit 120 may include a first hole auxiliary layer 121 between the first electrode 110 and the first light emitting layer 122 to efficiently transfer holes to the first light emitting layer 122 .

Here, the first hole-assist layer 121 may have a stacked structure of at least one of the first hole-injection layer and the first hole-transport layer.

Here, the first hole injection layer may function to inject holes of the first electrode 110 into the first light emitting layer 122 smoothly. Examples of the material for forming the first hole injection layer include cupper phthalocyanine, PEDOT (poly (3,4) -ethylenedioxythiophene), PANI (polyaniline) and NPD (N, N-dinaphthyl- And at least one selected from the group consisting of:

In addition, the first hole transporting layer can serve to smooth the transport of holes to the first light emitting layer 122. Examples of the material for forming the first hole transport layer include NPD (N, N-dinaphthyl-N, N'-diphenyl benzidine), TPD (N, N'- phenyl-benzidine), s-TAD, and MTDATA (4,4 ', 4 "-tris (N-3-methylphenyl-N-phenylamino) -triphenylamine) can do.

The first light emitting unit 120 may include a first electron auxiliary layer 123 disposed on the first light emitting layer 122. Here, the first electron-assisted layer 123 may be the first electron-transporting layer (). The first electron transporting layer may serve to smoothly transfer electrons to the first light emitting layer 122. Examples of the material for forming the first electron transporting layer include Alq3 (tris (8-hydroxyquinolino) aluminum), PBD (2- (Biphenyl-4-yl) -5- (4- tert -butylphenyl) -1,3,4-oxadiazole ), TAZ (3-phenyl-4- (1'-naphthyl) -5-phenyl-1,2,4-triazole), spiro-PBD and bis- (2-methyl-8-quinolinolato) -4- (phenyl-phenolato) aluminum- (III)).

When the power is applied to the first and second electrodes 110 and 150, the charge generation layer 130 generates electrons and holes in the charge generation layer and provides them to the first and second emission layers 122 and 142, respectively Can play a role.

The charge generation layer 130 may include first and second charge generation layers 131 and 132 sequentially disposed on the first light emitting unit 120.

Here, the first charge generation layer 131 is disposed on the first light emitting unit 120. The first charge generating layer 131 may serve to supply electrons to the first light emitting unit 120. The first charge generating layer 131 may include a first dopant and a first host material. Here, the first host material may be doped with a first dopant.

The first dopant can be any one of an alkali metal and an alkaline earth metal. Examples of the alkali metal include Li, Cs, Na and K, and the like. Examples of the alkaline earth metal may be Sr, Ba, Ra, Mg, and the like. Also, the first host material may be a material capable of performing electron transport, such as Alq3 (tris (8-hydroxyquinolino) aluminum) and Bphen (4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline).

The first charge generation layer 131 may include sub first charge generation layers 131a, 131b, and 131c having different doping amounts. Here, the plurality of sub first charge generation layers 131a, 131b, and 131c may have a reduced doping amount as they approach the second charge generation layer 132. [ At this time, the sub first charge generation layers 131a, 131b, and 131c may be reduced at a constant rate as they approach the second charge generation layer 132. This allows the first dopant to diffuse into the second charge generating layer 132 to retard the degradation of the function of the second charge generating layer 132. That is, the doping amount of the first dopant in the first charge generating layer 131 can be controlled to reduce the lifetime of the organic electroluminescent device due to the diffusion of the first dopant.

Hereinafter, the first charge generating layer will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

2 is a cross-sectional view specifically showing the first charge generating layer of FIG.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the first charge generation layer 131 is sequentially stacked on the first light emitting unit 120, and first, second, and third sub first charge generation layers Layers 131a, 131b, and 131c.

Here, the first, second, and third sub first charge generation layers 131a, 131b, and 131c include a first dopant doped with first, second, and third dopants, respectively, . Here, the second doping amount and the third doping amount may have a smaller value than the first doping amount. At this time, the second and third doping quantities can be reduced at a constant rate. For example, the second doping amount may be reduced by 1% with respect to the first doping amount, and the third doping amount may be reduced by 2% with respect to the first doping amount. That is, the first, second and third doping quantities can be reduced by a certain ratio, that is, by 1%.

Accordingly, the third sub first charge generation layer 131, which is in contact with the second charge generation layer 132, may have a smaller doping amount than the first sub charge generation layer 131a. Thus, it is possible to reduce the time and amount of diffusion of the dopant of the first charge generating layer 131 into the second charge generating layer 132, thereby reducing the lifetime of the organic electroluminescent device due to diffusion of the dopant can do.

Here, the amount of dopant in the first, second and third sub-first charge generation layers 131a, 131b and 131c is gradually decreased by 1%, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

For example, the amount of dopant in each sub first charge generating layer 131 can be expressed as shown in the following equation (1).

Here, Xn may be the doping amount of the sub first charge generation layer of the n layer. X1 may be the doping amount of the first layer, i.e., the sub first charge generating layer closest to the first light emitting unit. a is a natural number and may be a value less than X1. Also, n is the number of layers of the first charge generating layer.

Here, the first, second, and third sub first charge generation layers 131a, 131b, and 131c may have the same thickness.

The first charge generation layer 131 has a predetermined amount of dopant in each step, that is, the first, second, and third sub first charge generation layers 131a, 131b, and 131c. However, the present invention is not limited thereto , It may be gradually decreased in a certain ratio in the first charge generating layer 131. [ That is, in the first charge generation layer 131, the first dopant may have a concentration gradient of a straight line having a gradual, that is, a constant slope.

In addition, in the embodiment of the present invention, the sub first charge generating layer 131 is formed as three layers, but the present invention is not limited thereto and may be formed of two or more layers.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the amount of reduction of the dopant in the first charge generation layer 131 may vary depending on the design of the organic electroluminescent device, for example, the model size of the organic electroluminescent device, the driving method of the organic electroluminescent device, The material of the light emitting device, particularly, the materials of the first and second charge generating layers and the light emitting layers, and the like.

The first charge generating layer 131 may be formed by co-deposition or OVPD (Organic Vapor Phase Deposition). Here, when the host material of the first charge generation layer 131 is formed of an organic material soluble in a solvent, the first charge generation layer 131 may be formed by a coating method. Examples of the coating method include an ink jet printing method, a die coating method, a spin coating method, and a spray coating method.

The second charge generating layer 132 is disposed between the first charge generating layer 131 and the second light emitting unit 140. Here, the second charge generating layer 132 serves to provide holes to the second light emitting unit 140. At this time, the second charge generating layer 132 may include a second dopant and a second host material. Here, the second host material may be doped with a second dopant.

The second dopant includes at least one or more selected from the group consisting of a metal oxide, tetrafluoro-tetracyanoquinodimethane (F4-TCNQ), hexanitrile hexaazatriphenylene, FeCl3, FeF3 and SbCl5 . Examples of the metal oxide include MoO 3, V 2 O 5, ITO, TiO 2, WO 3, SnO 2, and the like. The second host material may include a material capable of transporting holes, such as NPD (N, N-diphenyl-N, N'-diphenyl benzidine), TPD (N, bis- (phenyl) -benzidine) and MTDATA (4,4 ', 4 "-tris (N-3-methylphenyl-N-phenylamino) -triphenylamine) .

And the second light emitting unit 140 may be disposed on the second charge generating layer 132. The second light emitting unit 140 may include a second light emitting layer 142 made of a material capable of mixing white light with the light of the first light emitting layer 122. For example, the second light emitting layer 142 may be formed of CBP (4,4'-N, N'-dicarbazolebiphenyl) or Balq (Bis (2-methyl-8-quinlinolato-N1, O8) - -4-olato) aluminum), a phosphorescent green dopant of Ir (ppy) 3 and Ir (Mnpy) 3, Btp2Ir (acac) (bis (2O- any one phosphorescent red dopant selected from pyridinato-N, C3O) iridium (zcetylactonate) or Btp2Ir (acac) (iridium (III) bis (1-phenylisoquinolyl) -N, C2 ') acetylacetonate may be mixed.

As another example, the second light emitting layer 142 may be formed by mixing a fluorescent green dopant of Alq3 (tris (8-hydroxyquinolino) aluminum) and a fluorescent red dopant of PBD: Eu (DBM) It is possible.

However, the material of the first and second light emitting layers is not limited in the embodiments of the present invention. In addition, in the embodiment of the present invention, the first and second light emitting units are signed with the laminated structure, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the light emitting units may further be laminated.

The second light emitting unit 140 may further include a second hole auxiliary layer 141. Here, the second hole-assist layer 141 may be a second hole-transport layer. In addition, the second light emitting unit 140 may further include a second electron assist layer 142. Here, the second electron-assisted layer may be a single layer of any one of the second electron-transporting layer and the second electron-injecting layer, or a stacked structure thereof. Here, the second hole transporting layer and the second electron transporting layer can be made of the materials of the first hole transporting layer and the first electron transporting layer.

Examples of materials for forming the second electron injection layer include LiF, MgO, MgF2, LiO2, CaF2, and the like.

In addition, an exciton blocking layer (EBL) may be further provided between the second hole-assist layer 141 and the second light-emitting layer 142 although not shown in the figure. Here, the exciton blocking layer may prevent the excitons generated in the second light emitting layer 142 from diffusing into the second hole assisting layer 141 during the driving process of the organic electroluminescent device. Examples of materials for forming the exciton blocking layer include TCTA (4,4 ', 4 "-tris (N-carbazolyl) -triphenylamine), Balq, BCP, CF-X, TAZ or spiro-TAZ.

The second electrode 150 may be disposed on the second light emitting unit 140. Here, the second electrode 150 may be made of a material having a smaller work function than the first electrode 110. In this case, when the organic electroluminescent device is a bottom emission type, the second electrode 150 may be made of a reflective material that reflects light to the bottom, that is, the base substrate layer. For example, the second electrode 150 may be formed of any one single metal selected from the group consisting of Al, Mg, Ca, Li and Ag, or an alloy containing at least one of the metals. At this time, the second electrode 150 may serve as an anode for providing electrons to the second light emitting unit 140, which will be described later.

Although not shown in the drawings, the base substrate layer 100 may include a plurality of pixels. Here, although not specifically shown in the drawing, a plurality of pixels can be defined by gate wirings and data wirings arranged so as to cross each other with an insulating film interposed therebetween on the bait substrate layer.

Each pixel may include a switching thin film transistor electrically connected to the gate wiring and the data wiring, and a driving thin film transistor electrically connected to the switching thin film transistor. At this time, the organic light emitting diode is disposed for each pixel and can be electrically connected to the driving thin film transistor.

The base substrate 100 is covered with the encapsulant 110. The encapsulant 110 is covered with the base substrate layer 100 by covering the first electrode 110, the first light emitting unit 120, the charge transport layer 130, the second light emitting unit 140, Member. ≪ / RTI > Here, the sealing member blocks the first and second light emitting units 140 from external moisture and oxygen, and can prevent deterioration of the organic electroluminescent device due to moisture or oxygen. At this time, examples of the material forming the sealing member may be a metal substrate, a glass substrate, a silicon oxide film, a silicon nitride film, or the like. However, the material of the sealing member is not limited in the embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, organic electroluminescent devices according to Comparative Examples and Examples of the present invention were compared with each other.

Here, the comparative example shows the luminance over time in the organic electroluminescent device having the first charge transporting layer having a single concentration. The embodiment is different from the comparative example in that the first, second, and third sub first charge transporting layers having a dose amount of the dopant reduced by 1% as the first charge transporting layer approaches the second light emitting unit And shows the luminance over time in the organic electroluminescent device having the same configuration. At this time, the first sub first charge transporting layer contains the same dopant amount as the first charge transporting layer of the comparative example.

Table 1 below compares the luminance and color reproduction rates according to the comparative example and the example.

division
Voltage (V)
Luminous efficiency CIE EQE
cd / A Im / W X Y Comparative Example 7.18 72.7 31.8 0.322 0.323 30.3 Experimental Example 7.07 72.2 32.1 0.320 0.322 30.2

As shown in Table 1, the organic electroluminescent devices according to the present invention and the comparative example have similar luminescence efficiency, color reproducibility and external quantum efficiency, and the organic electroluminescent device according to the embodiment of the present invention has a lower voltage .

FIG. 3 is a graph showing luminance of an organic electroluminescent device according to an embodiment and a comparative example with time.

As shown in FIG. 3, it can be seen that the luminance of the example (L2) is later than that of the comparative example (L1). That is, it was confirmed that the lifetime of the organic electroluminescent device of Example (L2) was further improved than that of Comparative Example (L1).

Therefore, as in the embodiment of the present invention, it was confirmed that the lifetime of the organic electroluminescent device is improved by gradually decreasing the content of the dopant in the first charge transport layer closer to the second charge transport layer.

100: base substrate layer 110: first electrode
120: first light emitting unit 130: charge generating layer
131: first charge generating layer 131a: first sub first charge generating layer
131b: second sub first charge generation layer 131c: third sub first charge generation layer
132: second charge generating layer 140: second light emitting unit
150: second electrode

Claims (9)

A first electrode;
A first light emitting unit disposed on the first electrode and having a first light emitting layer;
A first charge generation layer disposed on the first light emitting unit;
A second charge generation layer disposed on the first charge generation layer;
A second light emitting unit disposed on the second charge generating layer and having a second light emitting layer; And
And a second electrode disposed on the second light emitting unit,
Wherein the first charge generation layer comprises a host and a dopant and the doping amount of the dopant is reduced in the first charge generation layer toward the second charge generation layer.
The method according to claim 1,
The first charge generating layer
A first sub first charge generation layer having a first doping amount;
A second sub first charge generation layer disposed on the first sub first charge generation layer and having a second doping amount smaller than the first doping amount; And
A third sub first charge generation layer disposed on the second sub first charge generation layer and having a third doping amount smaller than the second doping amount;
An organic electroluminescent device
3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the first, second, and third sub first charge generation layers comprise the same host material.
3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the first, second, and third sub first charge generation layers comprise the same dopant material.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first charge generation layer comprises a plurality of sub first charge generation layers sequentially stacked and reduced in steps,
Wherein a doping amount of each of the sub first charge generating layers provided in the first charge generating layer is expressed by Equation (1).
[Equation 1]

Here, Xn is the doping amount of the sub first charge generating layer in the n layer. X1 is the doping amount of the sub first charge generating layer closest to the first light emitting unit. a is a natural number and is less than X1. Also, n is the number of the sub first charge generation layers.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the dopant has a linear concentration gradient in the first charge generating layer having a constant slope closer to the second charge generating layer.
A first electrode;
A first light emitting unit disposed on the first electrode and having a first light emitting layer;
A first charge generation layer disposed on the first light emitting unit and having sub-first charge generation layers stacked with different amounts of doping;
A second charge generation layer disposed on the first charge generation layer;
A second light emitting unit disposed on the second charge generating layer and having a second light emitting layer; And
And a second electrode disposed on the second light emitting unit.
8. The method of claim 7,
The sub first charge generation layers include a first sub-
A first sub first charge generation layer having a first doping amount;
A second sub first charge generation layer disposed on the first sub first charge generation layer and having a second doping amount smaller than the first doping amount; And
A third sub first charge generation layer disposed on the second sub first charge generation layer and having a third doping amount smaller than the second doping amount;
And an organic electroluminescent device.
8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein a doping amount of each of the sub first charge generating layers provided in the sub first charge generating layers is expressed by Equation (1).
[Equation 1]

Here, Xn is the doping amount of the sub first charge generating layer in the n layer. X1 is the doping amount of the sub first charge generating layer closest to the first light emitting unit. a is a natural number and is less than X1. Also, n is the number of the sub first charge generation layers.

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