Yu-Tang Tsai

Incorporation of a CN group into mCP: a new bipolar host material for highly efficient blue and white electrophosphorescent devices

A novel bipolar host material mCPCN has been designed and synthesized by incorporating the electron-accepting CN group into the well-known benchmark host material mCP. Compared to mCP, the incorporation of the simple and small CN group significantly improves thermal/morphological stabilities (Tg = 97 °C and Td = 313 °C) and increases the electron affinity, while keeping electronic transition energies unaltered and maintaining a high triplet energy (ET = 3.03 eV). Characteristics of single-carrier devices containing mCPCN indicate its rather balanced hole/electron injection and transport properties. Highly efficient blue phosphorescent organic light emitting devices (PhOLEDs) with maximum external quantum, current and power efficiencies of 26.4%, 58.6 cd A−1, and 57.6 lm W−1, respectively, were achieved using mCPCN as the bipolar host material and bis[(4′,6′-difluorophenyl)pyridinato-N,C2′]iridium(III) picolinate (FIrpic; ET = 2.65 eV) as the triplet emitter. Furthermore, blue PhOLEDs adopting mCPCN exhibit impressively low efficiency roll-offs, retaining high quantum efficiencies of ∼25% at 1000 cd m−2 and ∼20% even at 8000 cd m−2. mCPCN has also been successfully used in implementing highly efficient white PhOLEDs having external quantum efficiencies in excess of 23%.

High-Performance Flexible a-IGZO TFTs Adopting Stacked Electrodes and Transparent Polyimide-Based Nanocomposite Substrates

We demonstrated flexible amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) on fully transparent and high-temperature polyimide-based nanocomposite substrates. The flexible nanocomposite substrates were coated on the carrier glass substrates and were debonded after the TFT microfabrication. The adoption of the Ti/IZO stacked electrodes as source/drain/ gain electrodes significantly improved the etching compatibility with other material layers, enabling successful implementation of flexible a-IGZO TFTs onto the transparent nanocomposite substrates by conventional lithographic and etching processes. The flexible a-IGZO TFTs exhibited decent mobility and mechanical bending capability. Field-effect mobility of up to 15.9 cm2/V · s, a subthreshold swing of 0.4 V/dec, a threshold voltage of 0.8 V, and an on/off ratio of >; 108 were extracted from the TFT characteristics. The devices could be bent down to a radius of curvature of 3 mm and yet remained normally functional. Such successful demonstration of flexible oxide TFTs on transparent flexible substrates using fully lithographic and etching processes that are compatible with existing TFT fabrication technologies shall broaden their uses in flexible displays and electronics.

Fabrication of p-Type SnO Thin-Film Transistors by Sputtering with Practical Metal Electrodes

P-type thin-film transistors using polycrystalline tin monoxide (SnO) active layers were achieved by an industry-compatible sputtering technique with a SnO ceramic target. The SnO films clearly exhibited p-type conduction with the p-type Hall mobilities of 1–4 cm2 V-1 s-1 and hole concentrations of 1017–1018 cm-3. The physical and chemical structures of SnO films were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. It is concluded that amorphous and SnO-dominant films were obtained as deposited. Further annealing at ≤300 °C induces crystallization but no major chemical reaction. The transmission line method was adopted to characterize the contact resistance between SnO layers and various metal electrodes. Results show that Mo and Ni could be used as effective electrodes for p-type SnO, avoiding the use of noble metals. Finally, p-type SnO TFTs using practical metal electrodes were fabricated, where a field-effect mobility of up to 1.8 cm2 V-1 s-1 and an on/off current ratio of >103 were achieved.

Evaluation of propylene-, meta-, and para-linked triazine and tert-butyltriphenylamine as bipolar hosts for phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes

Three representative bipolar hybrids – tBu-TPA-p-TRZ, tBu-TPA-m-TRZ, and tBu-TPA--TRZ with triplet energies, ET = 2.5, 2.7 and 3.0 eV, respectively – were synthesized and characterized for a comprehensive evaluation of their potential as a host for phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (PhOLEDs) using red-emitting Ir(piq)3 as the dopant with an ET value of 2.1 eV. Formation of charge transfer complexes, CTCs, was diagnosed by fluorescence bathochromism in increasingly polar solvents. Both intra- and inter-molecular charge transfer processes are invoked to explain CTC formation in all three hybrids. The ppp-hybrid is by far the most susceptible to CTC formation both in solution and neat solid film, resulting in PhOLEDs with reduced external quantum efficiency, EQE, despite the best balance between charge fluxes across the emitting layer, EML, as revealed by the electron- and hole-only devices in addition to PhOLEDs containing a sensing layer. The highest EQE is achieved with the mm-hybrid thanks to the compromise between balanced charge fluxes and CTC formation. The -hybrid is the least prone to CTC formation while suffering charge flux imbalance to yield an EQE intermediate between those of the mm- and ppp-hybrids. The least CTC formation involving the -hybrid is advantageous in accommodating the most singlets and triplets readily transferrable to both red and blue phosphors on account of its relatively high ET value. Furthermore, the -hybrid offers the best morphological stability of the desired glassy EML, thus holding promise for the fabrication of superior PhOLEDs overall.

Organic light-emitting devices integrated with internal scattering layers for enhancing optical out-coupling

Abstract— In this work, studies on organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) incorporating nanoparticle-based nanocomposite scattering layers as the internal extraction structures (i.e., between the substrate and the OLED structure) were concluded. By adjusting the nanoparticle sizes and concentrations, the optical properties (optical scattering and integrated transmittance) of the nanocomposite scattering layers can be widely tuned. With appropriate compositions, nanoparticle-based nanocomposite scattering layers with strong optical scattering, high integrated transmittance, and yet enough flatness for device integration can be obtained. The use of such nanocomposite internal scattering layers provides a convenient and effective approach for simultaneously achieving large efficiency enhancement (1.96× for quantum efficiency and 2.04× for cd/A efficiency) and improving viewing characteristics (more stable colors and emission patterns over angles). The fabrication of nanoparticle-based nanocomposite scattering films is based on solution-processing, which is relatively simple and convenient. These features may make it highly attractive for various OLED applications and mass production.

Enhancing light out-coupling of organic light-emitting devices using indium tin oxide-free low-index transparent electrodes

With its increasing and sufficient conductivity, the conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) has been capable of replacing the widely used but less cost-effective indium tin oxides (ITOs) as alternative transparent electrodes for organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs). Intriguingly, PEDOT:PSS also possesses an optical refractive index significantly lower than those of ITO and typical organic layers in OLEDs and well matching those of typical OLED substrates. Optical simulation reveals that by replacing ITO with such a low-index transparent electrode, the guided modes trapped within the organic/ITO layers in conventional OLEDs can be substantially suppressed, leading to more light coupled into the substrate than the conventional ITO device. By applying light out-coupling structures onto outer surfaces of substrates to effectively extract radiation into substrates, OLEDs using such low-index transparent electrodes achieve enhanced optical out-coupling and external quantum efficiencies in comparison with conventional OLEDs using ITO.

Electroluminescence from Spontaneously Generated Single-Vesicle Aggregates Using Solution-Processed Small Organic Molecules

Self-assembled aggregates offer great potential for tuning the morphology of organic semiconductors, thereby controlling their size and shape. This is particularly interesting for applications in electroluminescent (EL) devices, but there has been, to date, no reports of a functional EL device in which the size and color of the emissive domains could be controlled using self-assembly. We now report a series of molecules that spontaneously self-organize into small EL domains of sub-micrometer dimensions. By tailoring the emissive chromophores in solution, spherical aggregates that have an average size of 300 nm in diameter and emit any one color, including CIE D65 white, are spontaneously formed in solution. We show that the individual aggregates can be used in EL devices built either using small patterned electrodes or using a sandwich architecture to produce devices emitting in the blue, green, red, and white. Furthermore, sequential deposition of the three primary colors yields an RGB device in which single aggregates of each color are present in close proximity.

Left cervical aortic arch with aneurysm and obstruction: three-dimensional computed tomographic angiography and magnetic resonance angiographic appearance.

Cervical arch is a rare congenital anomaly presumed to result from persistence of the third aortic arch and regression of the normal fourth arch. Rather rare is cervical aortic arch associated with aneurysm and obstruction, with eight known cases reported. Definitive diagnosis with a noninvasive imaging modality is desirable and very important to prevent the need for disaster intervention. We present two cases of a pulsatile mass in the left supraclavicular region. Three-dimensional computed tomographic angiography and magnetic resonance angiography clearly showed a left-sided cervical aortic arch (Haughton type D) with arch aneurysm and coarctation (pseudocoarctation).

Kinetic isotope effects provide experimental evidence for proton tunneling in methylammonium lead triiodide perovskites

The occurrence of proton tunneling in MAPbI3 hybrid organic inorganic perovskites is demonstrated through the effect of isotopic labeling of the methylammonium (MA) component on the dielectric permittivity response. Deuteration of the ammonium group results in the acceleration of proton migration (inverse primary isotope effect), whereas deuteration of the methyl group induces a normal secondary isotope effect. The activation energies for proton migration are calculated to be 50 and 27 meV for the tetragonal and orthorhombic phases, respectively, which decrease upon deuteration of the ammonium group. The low activation barrier and the deviation from unity of the ratio of the pre-exponential factors (AH/AD = 0.3-0.4) are consistent with a tunneling mechanism for proton migration. Deuteration of the PEDOT:PSS hole transport layer results in a behavior that is intermediate between that of the deuterated and undeuterated perovskite, due to extrinsic ion migration between the two materials.

Influences of stacking architectures of TiO 2 nanoparticle layers on characteristics of dye-sensitized solar cells

We investigated the influences of stacking architectures of the TiO2 nanoparticle layers on characteristics and performances of DSSCs. TiO2 nanoparticles of different sizes and compositions were characterized for their morphological and optical/scattering properties in thin films. They were used to construct different stacking architectures of the TiO2 nanoparticle layers for use as working electrodes of DSSCs. Characteristics and performances of DSSCs were examined to establish correlation of the stacking architectures of TiO2 nanoparticle layers with characteristics of DSSCs. The results suggest that the three-layer DSSC architecture, with sandwiching a 20nm TiO2 nanoparticle layer between a 37 nm TiO2 nanoparticle layer and a hundred nm sized TiO2 back scattering/reflection layer, is effective in enhancing DSSC efficiencies. The high-total-transmittance 37 nm TiO2 nanoparticle layer with a larger haze can serve as an effective front scattering layer to scatter a portion of the incident light into larger oblique angles and therefore increase optical paths and absorption.