Spectromicroscopic investigation of polymer light-emitting device degradation

✍ Scribed by Jaegwan Chung; Ki-Hong Kim; J.C. Lee; M.K. Kim; H.J. Shin

• Book ID: 103877200
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 417 KB
• Volume: 9
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1566-1199
• DOI: 10.1016/j.orgel.2008.06.009

✦ Synopsis

The degradation mechanism of a polymer light-emitting device (PLED) based on poly(3,4ethylenedioxythiophene) poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) was investigated by X-ray scanning photoelectron microscopy. Spectromicroscopic analysis of the surface of the emission layer (EML) of the degraded PLED revealed that island-like structures, containing sulfur (S) presumably in sulfide (-C-S-C-) and thiol (-C-S-H) configurations, were generated. The analysis results further suggest that S out-diffused from the PEDOT:PSS layer and formed sulfide and thiol configurations in the EML, and that effective conduction path channels were generated through the island-like structures for current dissipation between the electrodes, resulting in PLED degradation.