Correlation between interlayer thickness and device performance in blue phosphorescent organic light emitting diodes with a quantum well structure

We systematically examined the effects of interlayer (ITL) thickness variation in an emission layer (EML) on electrical and optical characteristics of blue phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes. The EML consisted of a quantum well structure using a hole transport material 1,1-bis[(di-4-tolylamino)phenyl]cyclohexane (TAPC) as an ITL. This ITL facilitated the confinement of charge carriers in the recombination zone (RZ), adjusted the charge carrier balance in the EML, and prevented the triplet exciton loss to adjacent transport layers. The thickness variation in the ITL greatly influenced the size and location of the RZ and the exciton density (ED), which is related to charge balance and exciton diffusion in the EML. A micro-cavity effect around 500 nm and the corresponding redshift/blueshift in the electroluminescent spectrum arose from different ITL thicknesses. Remarkably, the device having a 5-nm-thick TAPC ITL showed better current and power efficiencies than those of any other devices because of the rearrangement of the locations of excitons and ED through control of the hole/electron charge density.