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Published on: December 9, 2011
Binary-Solvent-Programmed Single-Step Inkjet Printing of Self-Confined Micro-Inlaid OLED Arrays
JaeWoo Park1,2, Wonsun Kim3, Kimin Lee3
1Materials Science and Engineering, Fulton Schools of Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA.
Small Methods
|June 16, 2026
Summary
A novel inkjet micro-inlay process uses solvent programming for self-confined organic light-emitting diode (OLED) pixels. This method achieves uniform, high-performance µ-OLED arrays without photolithography, enabling scalable flexible and 3D OLED fabrication.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Organic Electronics
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Inkjet printing offers mask-free fabrication for large-area electronics.
- Achieving uniform micron-scale organic light-emitting diode (µ-OLED) arrays via inkjet printing remains a significant challenge.
- Existing methods often require complex photolithography steps.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a photolithography-free, single-step inkjet micro-inlay process for fabricating uniform µ-OLED arrays.
- To enable self-confinement of emissive pixels through lateral phase separation.
- To optimize solvent interactions for improved µ-OLED performance and uniformity.
Main Methods:
- A solvent-programmed, single-step inkjet micro-inlay process was developed.
- A binary solvent blend of trichloromethane (TCM) and 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) was designed based on solubility parameters.
- Characterization involved micro-Raman mapping, cross-sectional SEM, and AFM phase analysis.
Main Results:
- Lateral phase separation successfully self-confined emissive pixels to approximately 100 µm.
- The process yielded reproducible 180 dpi µ-OLED arrays with high uniformity and no jetting instability.
- Green µ-OLED arrays demonstrated a peak luminance of 2400 cd m⁻², peak current efficiency of 3.5 cd A⁻¹, and peak external quantum efficiency of 1.0%.
Conclusions:
- The developed solvent-programmed inkjet micro-inlay process enables mask-free, scalable fabrication of uniform µ-OLED arrays.
- This strategy significantly improves luminance uniformity and figure of merit compared to neat solvents.
- The technique facilitates the creation of flexible and 3D conformal OLED platforms.
