High Spatial Resolution Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Organic Layers in an Organic...

To improve the durability of organic materials in electronic devices, an analytical method that can obtain information about the molecular structure directly from specific areas on a device is desired. For this purpose, laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (LDI-MSI) is one of the most promising methods. The high spatial resolution stigmatic LDI-MSI with MULTUM-IMG2 in the direct analysis of organic light-emitting diodes was shown to obtain a detailed mass image of organic material in the degraded area after air exposure. The mass image was observed to have a noticeably improved spatial resolution over typical X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, generally used technique in analysis of electronic devices. A prospective m/z was successfully deduced from the high spatial resolution MSI data. Additionally, mass resolution and accuracy using a spiral-orbit TOF mass spectrometer, SpiralTOF, were also investigated. The monoisotopic mass for the main component, N,N'-di-1-naphthalenyl-N,N'-diphenyl-1,1'-biphenyl-4,4'-diamine (m/z 588), was measured with a mass resolution of approximately 80,000 and a mass error of about 5 mDa using an external calibrant. This high mass resolution and accuracy data successfully deduced a possible elemental composition of partially remained material in the degraded area, C₃₆H₂₄, which was determined as anthracene, 9-[1,1'-biphenyl]-4-yl-10-(2-naphthalenyl) by combining structural information with high-energy CID data. The high spatial resolution of 1 μm in LDI-MSI along with high mass resolution and accuracy could be useful in obtaining molecular structure information directly from specific areas on a device, and is expected to contribute to the evolution of electrical device durability.