Luminescence mechanisms of green and blue organic light-emitting devices utilizing hole-blocking layers

Optical and electrical measurements on green and blue organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) with and without hole-blocking layers (HBLs) were performed, and the luminescence mechanisms of green and blue OLEDs utilizing HBLs were investigated by using energy band diagrams and carrier density distributions. The dependence of the electroluminescence efficiencies on the existence of HBLs was described on the basis of a luminescence mechanism. The density distributions of the electrons and the holes in OLEDs under applied electric fields were estimated from the energy band diagrams, taking into account the electronic parameters and the layer thicknesses. The luminescence efficiencies and the color chromaticities were significantly affected by the existence of the HBLs. These analyses can help improve understanding of the luminescence mechanisms at play in and the electroluminescence efficiencies of green and blue OLEDs with HBLs, and the present results provide important information on the optical properties for enhancing the efficiencies of OLEDs operating in the green and the blue regions of the spectra.