Organic light emitting diodes for production of polarized light

1. An OLED device comprising a substrate, an anode electrode and a cathode electrode, a uniaxial alignment layer disposed between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode, a light-emitting layer disposed over the uniaxial alignment layer and capable of producing polarized light, wherein the molecules in the light-emitting layer must be aligned uniaxially along a specific direction and a carrier confinement layer disposed over the light emitting layer and wherein the carrier confinement layer blocks either holes, electrons, or excitons, and wherein recombination of holes from the anode and electrons from the cathode is confined to this layer.

2. An OLED device according to claim 1 wherein the light-emitting layer contains an oligomeric fluorene or a mixture of oligomeric fluorenes.

3. The OLED device according to claim 2 wherein the fluorene or mixture of oligomeric fluorenes includes:

wherein:

R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 are each individually alkyl of from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, which are branched or unbranched, aryl or substituted aryl of from 5 to 24 carbon atoms, heteroaryl or substituted heteroaryl of from 5 to 24 carbon atoms, alkoxy, aryloxy, alkyl ether or aryl ether;

m+n is in the range of 1 to 20;

x+y is in the range of 1 to 20;

EG 1 and EG 2 are hydrogen, alkyl of from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, which are branched or unbranched, phenyl or substituted phenyl;

and Ar is:

wherein:

p is in a range of from 1 to 10;

R is alkyl of from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, which are branched or unbranched, aryl or substituted aryl of from 5 to 24 carbon atoms, heteroaryl or substituted heteroaryl of from 5 to 24 carbon atoms, alkoxy, aryloxy, alkyl ether or aryl ether,

or,

wherein:

p is in the range of from 1 to 10;

R 9 , R 10 , R 11 , R 12 , R 13 , and R 14 are each individually hydrogen, alkyl of from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, which are branched or unbranched, aryl or substituted aryl of from 5 to 24 carbon atoms, heteroaryl or substituted heteroaryl of from 5 to 24 carbon atoms, alkoxy, aryloxy, alkyl ether or aryl ether;

and X, Y, and Z are individually oxygen, sulfur, or nitrogen,

or,

wherein:

R15, R16, R19, and R20 are each individually hydrogen or cyano;

R17, R18, are hydrogen, cyano, alkoxy, alkyl of from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, aryl or substituted aryl of from 5 to 24 carbon atoms.

4. An OLED device according to claim 1 wherein the electroluminescence generated from the device is polarized light with a dichroic ratio greater than 10.

5. An OLED device according to claim 1 wherein the uniaxial alignment layer is disposed on the light-emitting layer.

6. An OLED device according to claim 1 wherein the light emitting layer is disposed between the uniaxial alignment layer and the carrier confinement layer.

7. An OLED device according to claim 1 wherein the uniaxial alignment layer is a rubbed polymer thin film.

8. An OLED device according to claim 1 wherein the uniaxial alignment layer is a vapor-deposited thin film.

9. An OLED device according to claim 1 wherein the uniaxial alignment layer is a photo-crosslinked polymer.

10. An OLED device according to claim 1 wherein the carrier confinement layer transports electrons and blocks holes.

11. An OLED device according to claim 1 wherein the carrier confinement layer transports holes and blocks electrons.

12. An OLED device according to claim 1 wherein the carrier confinement layer blocks excitons generated in the light-emitting layer.

13. An OLED device according to claim 1 wherein the ionization potential of the carrier confinement layer is greater than that of the light-emitting layer.

14. An OLED device according to claim 1 wherein the ionization potential of the carrier confinement layer is greater than 5.5 eV.

15. An OLED device according to claim 1 wherein the carrier confinement layer is comprised of organic compounds each with an ionization potential greater than 5.5 eV.

16. An OLED device according to claim 1 wherein the light-emitting layer contains a compound of the formula:

17. An OLED device according to claim 1 wherein the light-emitting layer contains a compound of the formula:

18. An OLED device according to claim 1 wherein the light-emitting layer contains a compound of the formula:

19. An OLED device according to claim 1 wherein the light emitting layer contains a compound of the formula: