Symposium SB06: Structure-Function Relationships and Optoelectronic Processes in Organic and Organic/Inorganic Hybrid Materials for Flexible Electronics and Photovoltaics

Satoru Ohisa, Japan Broadcasting Corporation

Organic Light-Emitting Devices Using Common Uneven Aluminum Foil as the Electrode

Written by Senam Tamakloe

In recent decades, organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) have become competitive participants in advancing solid-state light devices. However, their limiting constraints involve shorter lifespans, high manufacturing costs and insufficient conductivity of their components, such as the indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode. An essential requirement is having smooth electrodes that achieve a low surface roughness (Ra < several nm) which mitigates severe electric leakage. Satoru Ohisa proposed aluminum foil as a viable candidate for OLED electrode substrates due to their low cost, high conductivity, high thermal tolerance, and gas barrier performance. However, their increased surface roughness (Ra > 200 nm) causes these substrates to be absent in OLEDs. Ohisa and his colleagues fabricated a thick buffer layer electrode by covering and planarizing the aluminum foil surface with a phosphotungstic acid (H₃PW₁₂O₄₀) (PWA) with a noticeably reduced surface roughness (Ra = 0.5 nm). As a result, Ohisa has successfully achieved an aluminum foil-based OLED with stable light emission.