INTRODUCTION TO ORGANIC

LIGHT EMITTING DIODES

ABSTRACT

The idea of image processing is of a vast trench. Oled’s which we are mentioning in
this paper gives us a picture of how a technology can be manipulated for a better
efficiency. As advances in the field of information science continues it demands for
better quality of displays which are also efficient. The paper mentions the types,
working principles, manufacturing techniques and applications of organic light
emitting diodes. Thus within half a year we can have a better optimized efficient
display.

INTRODUCTION

Scientific research in the area of semi conducting organic materials as the

active substance in light emitting diodes (LEDs) has increased immensely during
the last four decades. Organic semiconductors was first reported in the 60:s and
then the materials where only considered to be merely a scientific curiosity.

THE recent development in the field of image processing has given out
many fruitful applications. Further we can imagine a computer in hand and air as a
display media. The very big problem encountered is in these development is of
displays. The topic presented before you explains structure and working of Organic
light emitting diode displays.

The existing displays which are used for computers mainframes, television,
pda’s, laptops many other electronic applications use either conventional Cathode
ray tube, thin film transistors or liquid crystal display. Though these are found to
be very efficient the major problem is of their size and non flexibility. Cathode ray
tube displays consume more power and space. These cathode ray tubes are set out
of their use now a day.

Other reasons for the industrial attention are i.e. that eventually organic full
color displays will replace today’s liquid crystal displays (LCDs) used in laptop
computers and may even one day replace our ordinary CRT-screens. We know that
LCD displays use nematic crystals which are sensitive towards electricity because
of which display is possible. And tin film transistor display used packaged
transistors to display. These techniques became popular because they reduce the
size of the display devices, which you can realize by comparing a 19” CRT monitor
with 19”LCD.One can also find application of this simple technology can be used
in High-Resolution Holography

DEFINITION:
 ORGANIC LIGHT EMITTING DIODES are solid state devices composed
of thin film of organic molecules which emit light by the phenomena of
ectroluminescence. Which was accidentally discovered when organic solar cell was
subjected to potential variation. Organic led is as same as a p-n junction LED which
emits light when potential is applied. Instead of using doped silicon we use
amorphous organic materials which makes the led flexible, non crystalline which is
the actual principle of organic led.
They exploit the properties of certain organic materials which emit light
when an electric current passes through them. In its simplest form, an OLED
consists of a layer of this luminescent material sandwiched between two electrodes.
When an electric current is passed between the electrodes, through the organic
layer, light is emitted with a color that depends on the particular material used. The
layer usually contains a polymer substance that allows suitable organic compounds
to be deposited. They are deposited in rows and columns onto a flat carrier by a
simple "printing" process. The resulting matrix of pixels can emit light of different
colors.

A PROTOTYPE DISPLAY LAUNCHED BY BELL LABORATORIES

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 HOW DO THEY WORK?

An OLED is composed of an emissive layer, a conductive layer, a substrate,

and anode and cathode terminals. The layers are made of special organic polymer
molecules that conduct electricity. Their levels of conductivity range from those of
insulators to those of conductors, and so they are called organic semiconductors.
A voltage is applied across the OLED such that the anode is positive with
respect to the cathode. This causes a current of electrons to flow through the device
from cathode to anode. Thus, the cathode gives electrons to the emissive layer and
the anode withdraws electrons from the conductive layer; in other words, the anode
gives electron holes to the conductive layer
Soon, the emissive layer becomes negatively charged, while the conductive
layer becomes rich in positively charged holes. Electrostatic forces bring the
electrons and the holes towards each other and recombine. This happens closer to
the emissive layer, because in organic semiconductors holes are more mobile than
electrons (unlike in inorganic semiconductors). The recombination causes a drop in
the energy levels of electrons, accompanied by an emission of radiation whose
frequency is in the visible region. That is why this layer is called emissive.
The device does not work when the anode is put at a negative potential with
respect to the cathode. In this condition, holes move to the anode and electrons to
the cathode, so they are moving away from each other and do not recombine.
Indium tin oxide is commonly used as the anode material. It is transparent to visible
light and has a high work function which promotes injection of holes into the
polymer layer. Metals such as aluminium and calcium are often used for the
cathode as they have low work functions which promote injection of electrons into
the polymer layer.

4 5

2
 1

1- Anode, 2- Conductive layer, 3- Emissive layer, 4- Cathode, 5- Emission of

radiation.

COMPONENTS

Like an LED, an OLED is a solid-state semiconductor device that is 100 to

500 nanometers thick-about 200 times thinner than a human hair. OLEDs can have
either two layers or three layers of organic material; in the latter design, the third
layer helps transport electrons from the cathode to the emissive layer. In this article,
we'll be focusing on two-layer design.

An OLED consists of the following:

1. Substrate (clear plastic, glass, foil): The substrate supports the OLED.
2. Anode (transparent): The anode removes electrons (adds electron 'holes') when a
current flows through the device.
3. Organic layers: These layers are made of organic molecules or polymers.
4. Conducting layer: This layer is made of organic plastic molecules that transport
'holes' from the anode. One conducting polymer used in OLEDs is polyaniline.
5. Emissive layer: This layer is made of organic plastic molecules (different ones
from the conducting layer) that transport electrons from the cathode; this is where
light is produced. One polymer used in the emissive layer is polyfluorene.
6. Cathode (mayor may not be transparent depending on the type of OLED): The
cathode injects electrons when current flows through the device.
 MANUFACTURING ORGANIC LED’s

The organic led’s manufactured by applying the organic layers to the

substrate. This can be done through vacuum deposition or vacuum thermal evapo-
ration or organic vapour-phase deposition, inkjet printing.

Vacuum deposition:
In a vacuum chamber, the organic molecules are gently heated (evaporated)
and allowed to condense as thin films onto cooled substrates. This process is expen-
sive and inefficient.
Organic vapour-phase deposition.
In a low-pressure, hot walled reactor chamber, a carrier gas transports
evaporated organic molecules onto cooled substrates, where they condense into thin
films. Using a carrier gas increases the efficiency and reduces the cost of making
OLEDs.
Inkjet printing.
With inkjet technology, OLEDs are sprayed onto substrates just like inks are
sprayed onto paper during printing. Inkjet technology greatly reduces the cost of
OLED manufacturing and allows OLEDs to be printed onto very large films for
large displays like 203cm (80inch) TV screens or electronic billboards.

TYPES OF OLED’s
OLEDs can be passive-matrix, active-matrix, transparent, top-emitting,
foldable or white. Each type has different uses.
Passive-matrix OLEDs.
Passive matrix OLEDs has strips of cathode, organic layers and strips of
anode. The anode strips are arranged perpendicular to the cathode strips. The
intersections of the cathode and anode make up the pixels where light is emitted.
External circuitry applies current to selected strips of anode and cathode, determin-
ing which pixels get turned on and which pixels remain off. Again, the brightness of
each pixel is proportional to the amount of applied current. Passive-matrix OLEDs
are easy to make, but these consume more power than the other types of OLEDs,
mainly due to the power needed for the external circuitry. These are most efficient
for text and icons and best suited for small screens (2- to 3-inch diagonal) such as
those of cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and MP3 players. Even with
the external circuitry, passive-matrix OLEDs consume less battery power than the
LCDs that are currently used in these devices.
Active-matrix OLEDs.
Active-matrix OLEDs have full layers of cathode, organic molecules and
anode, but the anode layer overlays a thin-film transistor (TFT) array that forms a
matrix. The TFT array itself is the circuitry that determines which pixels get turned
on to form an image.Active-matrix OLEDs consume less power than passive matrix
OLEDs because the TFT array requires less power than the external circuitry, so
these are efficient for large displays. These also have faster refresh rates suitable for
video. The best uses for active-matrix OLEDs are computer monitors, large-screen
TVs, and electronic signs or billboards.
Active-matrix OLED displays stack cathode, organic and anode layers on
top of another layer - or substrate-that contains the circuitry. The pixels are defined
by the deposition of the organic material in a continuous, discrete' dot' pattern. Each
pixel is activated directly: A corresponding video. The substrate -low-temperature
polysilicon - transmits electrical current efficiently, and its integrated circuitry cuts
down weight and cost of active-matrix OLED displays.
Transparent OLEDs.
 Transparent OLEDs have only transparent components (substrate, cathode
and anode) and, when turned off, are up to 85 per cent as transparent as their
substrate. When a transparent OLED display is turned on, it allows light to pass in
both the directions. A transparent OLED display can be either active- or passive-
matrix. This technology can be used for heads-up displays.Top-emitting OLEDs.
Top emitting OLEDs have a substrate that is either opaque or reflective. These are
best suited to active matrix design. The top-emitting OLED displays are likely to be
used in smart cards.
Foldable OLEDs.
Foldable OLEDs have substrates made of very flexible metallic foils or plas-
tics. These are very lightweight and durable. Their use in devices like cell phones
and PDAs can reduce breakage-a major cause of return or repair. Foldable OLED
displays can also be sewn into fabrics for 'smart' clothing, such as outdoor survival
clothing with an integrated computer chip, cell phone, GPS receiver and OLED
display sewn into it.
White OLEDs.
White OLEDs emit white light that is brighter, more uniform and more
energy efficient than fluorescent lights. These also have the true colour qualities of
incandescent lighting. Because OLEDs can be made in large sheets, these can
replace fluorescent lights that are currently used in homes and buildings. Their use
could potentially reduce energy costs for lighting.

Advantages
 The radically different manufacturing process of OLEDs lends itself to
many advantages over flat-panel displays made with LCD technology. The
plastic, organic layers of an OLED are thinner, lighter and more flexible
than the crystalline layers of an LED or LCD.
 Because the light-emitting layers of an OLED are lighter, the substrate of an
OLED can be flexible instead of rigid. So OLED substrates can be plastic
rather than the glass used for LEDs and LCDs.
 Since OLEDs can be printed onto any suitable substrate using an inkjet
printer or even screen printing technologies they can theoretically have a
significantly lower cost than LCDs or plasma displays.
 Printing OLEDs on to flexible substrates opens the door to new applications
such as roll-up displays and displays embedded in fabrics or clothing.
 OLEDs enable a greater range of colors, brightness, and viewing angle than
LCDs, because OLED pixels directly emit light.

 OLED pixel colors appear correct and unshifted, even as the viewing angle
approaches 90 degrees from normal. LCDs use a backlight and cannot show
true black, while an "off" OLED element produces no light and consumes
no power.

 Energy is also wasted in LCDs because they require polarizer’s which filter
out about half of the light emitted by the backlight. Additionally, color
filters in color LCDs filter out two-thirds of the light.OLEDs also have a
faster response time than standard LCD screens. Whereas a standard LCD
currently has an average of 8-12 millisecond response time, an OLED can
have less than 0.01ms response time.

Disadvantages
 The biggest technical problem for OLEDs is the limited lifetime of the
organic materials.
 In particular, blue OLEDs historically have had a lifetime of around 14,000
hours when used for flat-panel displays, which is lower than typical lifetime
of LCD, LED or PDP technology – each currently rated for about 60,000
hours, depending on manufacturer and model.
 The intrusion of water into displays can damage or destroy the organic
materials. Therefore, improved sealing processes are important for practical
manufacturing and may limit the longevity of more flexible displays
 Manufacturing process is expensive right now.

Current and future applications

 Currently, OLEDs are used in small screen devices such as cell phones,
personal digital assistants and digital cameras. In September 2004, Sony an-
nounced that it was beginning mass production of OLED screens for its
CLIE PEG- VZ90 model of personal entertainment handhelds.
 Kodak already uses OLED displays in several of its digital camera models.
 Many companies have already built prototype computer monitors and large-
screen TVs. In May 2005, Samsung Electronics announced the first 102cm,
OLED-based, ultra-slim TV.
 R&D in the field of OLEDs is proceeding rapidly and may lead to future
applications in heads-up displays, automotive dashboards, billboard-type
displays, home and office lighting, and flexible displays.
 Because OLEDs refresh almost 1000 times faster than LCDs, a device with
an OLED display could change information almost in real time. Video
images could be much more realistic and constantly updated.
 The newspaper of the future might be an OLED display that refreshes with
breaking news and, like a regular newspaper