Adhesion and Degradation of Organic and Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Light-Emitting Devices

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a combined analytical, computational and experimental study of adhesion and degradation of Organic Light Emitting Devices (OLEDs). The adhesion between layers that are relevant to OLEDs is studied using force microscopy during Atomic Force Microscopy. The interfacial failure mechanisms associated with blister formation in OLEDs and the addition of TiO2nanoparticles (into active regions) are then elucidated using a combination of fracture mechanics/finite element modeling and experiments. The blisters observed in the models are shown to be consistent with the results from adhesion and interfacial fracture mechanics models. The implications of the work are discussed for the future design of OLED structures with improved lifetimes and robustness.