Key components and materials of OLED

Introduction to Key Components and Materials of OLED – Illuminating the Future of Screen Technology: Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED), as an emerging display technology, has attracted much attention due to its characteristics such as self illumination, wide viewing angle, and high contrast. With the continuous maturity of technology and the decrease in costs, OLED is rapidly becoming popular in fields such as smartphones and televisions. However, behind these magnificent images lies complex scientific principles and technological innovations. This article will delve into the key components and materials of OLED, revealing its working principle and future development direction. Overview of Key Components Substrate: Substrate is the basic structure of OLED panels, usually made of glass or plastic. The glass substrate has good transparency and durability, making it suitable for products that require higher resolution and stability; The flexible plastic substrate allows the device to achieve bending or even folding design. Anode: The anode is usually a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer, such as indium tin oxide (ITO). It is responsible for collecting electrons and transmitting them to the hole transport layer. Cathode: A cathode is a thin layer of metal or alloy used to provide an electric field to electrons. Common materials include calcium, magnesium, silver, etc. Functional Layers: The functional layers mainly include luminescent layers, hole transport layers, electron transport layers, etc. Among them, the material selection of the luminescent layer directly determines the color characteristics of OLED. Encapsulation Layer: In order to protect OLED from the influence of oxygen and water vapor, a moisture-proof sealing film needs to be covered on the entire device, and sometimes a polarizer is added to reduce external light interference. Key Material Analysis Emission Materials: The performance of luminescent materials is crucial for OLED displays. The commonly used ones currently include phosphors, phosphors, and TADF (thermally activated delayed fluorescence) molecules. Among them, phosphors are widely used to improve the efficiency of OLEDs due to their ability to more effectively utilize current to generate light output. Conductive Polymers: As one of the main materials for hole transport layers, conductive polymers have high carrier mobility and are easy to process into thin films. Representative materials are polyaniline (PANI) and polyacetylene (PEDOT: PSS). Dielectric materials: Dielectric materials are commonly used in insulation and charge barrier layers, and they must have good chemical stability, barrier properties, and high dielectric strength. For example, silicon dioxide (SiO ₂) and silicon nitride (SiNx) are common dielectric materials. QD-OLED: A new display solution combining quantum dot technology with OLED, which enhances color expression and gamut range through the use of quantum dots. Micro LED: Micro LED technology is expected to challenge the position of OLED in the coming years, especially in the fields of large displays and virtual reality. The development of OLED not only relies on advanced technology, but also requires continuous innovation to optimize its performance, reduce costs, and solve long-term reliability problems. By gaining a deeper understanding of key components and materials, we can not only better understand the physical principles behind this technology, but also anticipate its broad application prospects in future electronic products.