Light Emitting Diode 3

Organic LED. The exciting display device

Organic LED, the commonly called OLED is a solid state semiconductor light emitting diode
having a thickness of 100 to 500 nanometers. It is also called as Organic Electro Luminescent
Device (OELD !hese devices are currently used in small screen dis"lays such as mo#ile screen,
digital camera etc. !he OLED dis"lay is much thinner than L$D and consumes less "o%er.
&esearch in the 'eld of OLED is "rogressing and many manufacturers are trying to make OLED
dis"lays in !(, com"uter monitor etc
Organic LED is formed of aggregates of )mor"hous and $rystalline molecules %ithout de'nite
arrangement. !he OLED has many thin layers of organic material %hich emit light through the
"rocess of Electro"hos"horesence. !he organic material uses su#stances that can emit red,
green #lue and %hite lights. *hen a "otential is a""lied to the cathode and anode, OLED creates
light %hich a""ears as the dis"lay.
Structural aspects
Organic LED is a solid state device like the LED #ut com"osed of several layers .OLED may have
t%o or three layers of organic material along %ith other layers. !he di+erent layers of OLED are
1. ,u#strate layer-It su""orts OLED and is made u" of trans"arent "lastic or glass 'lm
.. )node layer / It is a trans"arent layer that removes electrons. Indium tin o0ide is
commonly used as the anode material.
1. Organic layer / Layer formed of organic "olymers
2. $onductive layer / !rans"orts holes from anode. 3ade u" of organic "lastic. 4olymer light-
emitting diodes (4LED, also light-emitting "olymers (LE4, are used in electroluminescent
conductive "olymer. !y"ical "olymers used in 4LED dis"lays include derivatives of "oly(p-
"henylene vinylene and "oly5uorene.
5. Emissive layer / !rans"orts electrons from the cathode layer. It is made u" of organic
"lastic
6. $athode layer / In7ects electrons. It may #e trans"arent or not. 3etals such as
)luminium
and $alcium are often used in the cathode
OLED Structure
How it emit light?
Organic LEDs are #righter devices than LED or L$D. !hey can give clear video "ictures and
"ictures that can #e vie%ed from any angle. !he "rocess of light emission in OLED includes
di+erent stages
1. *hen a "otential di+erence is a""lied #et%een the anode and cathode of OLED, current
5o%s through the organic layer of OLED.
.. During the 5o% of current, cathode layer emits electrons to the emissive layer.
1. )node then gives electrons from the conductive layer creating holes.
2. !hese electrons com#ine %ith the holes in 7unction #et%een the emissive and conductive
layers.
5. *hen the electrons com#ine %ith holes, the energy of electrons is emitted as "hotons.
$olor of the "hotons de"ends on the ty"e of the organic material in the emissive layer.
Light Emission in OLED
orms o! Organic LEDs
!here are di+erent ty"es of OLED #ased on the construction.
1. !rans"arent OLED / !hey have all trans"arent com"onents like anode, cathode and
su#strate.
.. !o" emitting OLED / ,u#strate layer is re5ective or o"a8ue
1. *hite OLED / Emit %hite light. !hese can #e made into large sheets to make 5uorescent
lam"s
2. 9olda#le OLED / ,u#strate layer is 5e0i#le and folda#le. :sed in cell "hones to avoid
damage.
5. )ctive matri0 OLED / !hey have all layers #ut the anode layer has a transistor array that
determines the "i0el of the dis"lay.
6. 4assive OLED / ;as stri"s of cathode and anode. E0ternal circuit determines the "i0el in
these devices.
OLED L"#$


%onventional T&' L%D T& and OLED T&

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