Double-gate light-emitting electrochemical transistor: confining the organic p-n junction

In conventional light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs), an off-centered p-n junction is one of the major drawbacks, as it leads to exciton quenching at one of the charge-injecting electrodes and results in performance instability. To combat this problem, we have developed a new device configuration, the double-gate light-emitting electrochemical transistor (DG-LECT), in which the location of the light-emitting p-n junction can be precisely defined via the position of the two gate terminals. Based on a planar LEC structure, two gate electrodes made from an electrochemically active conducting polymer are employed to predefine the p- and n-doped area of the light-emitting polymer. Thus, a p-n junction is formed in between the p-doped and n-doped regions. We demonstrate a homogeneous and centered p-n junction as well as other predefined junction patterns in these DG-LECT devices. Additionally, we report an electrical model that explains the operation of the DG-LECTs. The DG-LECT device provides a new tool to study the fundamental physics of LECs, as it dissects the key working process of LEC into decoupled p-doping, n-doping, and electroluminescence.