Applications of Transparent Conducting Oxides in Organic Light Emitting Devices

Organic light emitting devices (OLEDs) have received great attention in the field of flat panel display. The transparent metal oxide semiconductor materials play crucial roles in the applications of OLEDs and have strong influence on the performance of OLEDs. In this review, we mainly pay attention to the application of transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) as anodes and buffer layers in OLEDs. Currently indium tin oxide (ITO) is the most widely used anode material in OLEDs owing to the advantage on electrical and optical properties, such as high work function, low resistivity and high transparency. TCO materials, such as ZnO et al., as the anode candidates also have been discussed and analyzed. The energy level can be controlled by semiconductor doping which improve the carrier density and Hall mobility. Interfacial engineering between the anodes and the overlying organic layers is an important process to obtain the high performance of the devices. Physical, chemical and the combined treatment methods to modify the TCO/organic interfaces are reviewed. The property of anode/organic interfaces can be modified and enhanced by introducing the buffer layers between anodes and hole transport layers.