IP Library Granted Patent US 12,382,777
Granted Patent B2
US 12,382,777 · App. 15/290,584 · Granted Aug 5, 2025

Organic light emitting diode having a mixed blocking layer

Inventors: Stephen Forrest (Ewing, NJ); Caleb Coburn (Ewing, NJ); Jaesang Lee (Ewing, NJ)
H10K50/11H10K50/15H10K50/16H10K50/18H10K85/30H10K85/324H10K85/40H10K85/626H10K85/633H10K85/6572H10K2101/10H10K2101/30H10K2101/40
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,382,777
App. No.
15/290,584
Granted
Aug 5, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention relates to mixed blocking layers and devices, such as organic light emitting diodes and other devices, including the same.

Claims (25)

1. An organic light emitting device comprising:

a cathode, an anode, and an organic light emission layer disposed between an electron transport layer and a non-emissive hole transport layer;

the light emission layer comprising an emissive material; and

a mixed electron blocking layer consisting of an electron blocking material and a first transport material, the mixed electron blocking layer positioned between the light emission layer and the hole transport layer such that the mixed electron blocking layer is in direct contact with the light emission layer and the hole transport layer;

wherein the blocking material has a lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy level shallower than that of the LUMO energy level of the emissive material, and a volume ratio between the blocking material and the first transport material is between 3:1 and 1:3;

wherein at least one of the electron blocking material and the first transport material is an organic compound;

wherein the mixed electron blocking layer is in direct contact with a single light emission layer;

wherein the hole transport layer has a uniform composition and is in direct contact with a non-emissive hole injection layer; and

wherein the hole injection layer has a uniform composition and is in direct contact with the anode.

2. The organic light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the blocking material has a highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy level deeper than that of the HOMO energy level of the emissive material.

3. The organic light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the blocking material is selected from the group consisting of 2,2′,2″-(1,3,5-benzinetriyl)-tris(1-phenyl-1-H-benzimidazole) (TPBi), di-[4-(N,N-di-p-tolyl-amino)-phenyl]cyclohexane (TAPC), 9,9′-diphenyl-6-(9-phenyl-9H-carbazol-3-yl)-9H,9′H-3,3′-bicarbazole (Tris-PCz), 1,4-bis(triphenylsilyl)benzene (UGH-2), and 9-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-3,6-bis(triphenylsilyl)-9H-carbazole (CZSi).

4. The organic light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the triplet exciton energy of the first transport material is equal to or greater than the triplet exciton energy of the emissive material.

5. The organic light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the triplet exciton energy of the first transport material is lower than the triplet exciton energy of the emissive material.

6. The organic light emitting device of claim 5 , wherein the difference between the triplet exciton energy of the first transport material and the triplet exciton energy of the emissive material is less than 0.5 eV.

7. The organic light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the first transport material has a lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy level shallower than that of the LUMO energy level of the emissive material.

8. The organic light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the first transport material has a highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy level deeper than that of the HOMO energy level of the emissive material.

9. The organic light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the first transport material is selected from the group consisting of N,N′-bis(naphthalen-1-yl)-N,N′-bis(phenyl)-benzidine (NPB), N,N′-bis(3-methylphenyl)-N,N′-bis(phenyl)-benzidine (TPD), di-[4-(N,N-di-p-tolyl-amino)-phenyl]cyclohexane (TAPC), 9,9′-diphenyl-6-(9-phenyl-9H-carbazol-3-yl)-9H,9′H-3,3′-bicarbazole (Tris-PCz), and 4,4′-bis(carbazol-9-yl)biphenyl (CBP).

10. The organic light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the first transport material is selected from the group consisting of tris(8-hydroxy-quinolinato)aluminium (Alq 3 ), bis(2-methyl-8-quinolinolate)-4-(phenylphenolato)aluminium (BAlq), 2,7-di(2,2′-bipyridin-5-yl)triphenylene (BPy-TP 2 ), and 2,2′,2″-(1,3,5-benzinetriyl)-tris(1-phenyl-1-H-benzimidazole) (TPBi).

11. The organic light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the ratio between the blocking material and the first transport material is about 1:1.

12. The organic light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the ratio between the blocking material and the first transport material is about 3:1.

13. The organic light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the emissive material is Ir(dmp) 3 .

14. The organic light emitting device of claim 13 , wherein the Ir(dmp) 3 is linearly graded in the light emission layer.

15. The organic light emitting device of claim 1 , wherein the electron blocking layer has a thickness from 5 nm to 20 nm.

16. The organic light emitting device of claim 1 , further comprising a mixed hole blocking layer consisting of a hole blocking material and a second transport material, the mixed hole blocking layer positioned between the light emissive layer and the electron transport layer.

17. The organic light emitting device of claim 16 , wherein the hole blocking material comprises CZSi.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 15, 2025
From: FORREST, STEPHEN R.; COBURN, CALEB; LEE, JAESANG
To: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
Reel/Frame 070840/0721 →
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE Recorded Feb 24, 2020
From: UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
To: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Reel/Frame 051897/0823 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62240298 · Oct 12, 2015
Related Publication 20170104172A1 · Apr 13, 2017
References Cited (43)
US 4769292A · Tang et al. · 1988 [cited by applicant]
US 5247190A · Friend et al. · 1993 [cited by applicant]
US 5703436A · Forrest et al. · 1997 [cited by applicant]
US 5707745A · Forrest et al. · 1998 [cited by applicant]
US 5834893A · Bulovic et al. · 1998 [cited by applicant]
US 5844363A · Gu et al. · 1998 [cited by applicant]
US 6013982A · Thompson et al. · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 6087196A · Sturm et al. · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 6091195A · Forrest et al. · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 6097147A · Baldo et al. · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 6294398B1 · Kim et al. · 2001 [cited by applicant]
US 6303238B1 · Thompson et al. · 2001 [cited by applicant]
US 6337102B1 · Forrest et al. · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 6468819B1 · Kim et al. · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 7279704B2 · Walters et al. · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 7431968B1 · Shtein et al. · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 7968146B2 · Wanger et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20030230980A1 · Forrest et al. · 2003 [cited by applicant]
US 20040174116A1 · Lu et al. · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 20060093856A1 · Helber · 2006 [cited by examiner]
US 20070241676A1 · Park · 2007 [cited by examiner]
US 20070252516A1 · Kondakova · 2007 [cited by examiner]
US 20090236973A1 · Yabe · 2009 [cited by examiner]
US 20100314613A1 · Kitamura · 2010 [cited by examiner]
US 20130026452A1 · Kottas et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20130119354A1 · Ma et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
EP 1238981 · 2002 [cited by applicant]
JP 2010135467 · 2010 [cited by applicant]
WO 2004111066 · 2004 [cited by applicant]
WO 2008044723 · 2008 [cited by applicant]
WO 2008057394 · 2008 [cited by applicant]
WO 2010011390 · 2010 [cited by applicant]
WO 2010111175 · 2010 [cited by applicant]
Mulani et al. (RSC Adv. 2013, 3, p. 215). [cited by examiner]
Zhang et al. (Nat. Commun. 2014, 5:5008). [cited by examiner]
Y. Zhang, J. Lee, S. R. Forrest, “Tenfold increase in the lifetime of blue phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes”, Nature Communications 5, 5008 (2014). [cited by applicant]
C. Coburn, J. Lee, S.R. Forrest, “Charge Balance and Exciton Confinement in Phosphorescent Organic Light Emitting Diodes”, Advanced Optical Materials 4, 889 (2016). [cited by applicant]
“Measurement of charge balance and its effect on blue electrophosphorescent organic light emitting device lifetime”, Caleb Coburn, Jaesang Lee, Stephen R. Forrest, SPIE (2015). [cited by applicant]
Giebink, N., D'Andrade, Weaver, Mackenzie, Brown, Thompson, & Forrest, “Intrinsic luminance loss in phosphorescent small-molecule organic light emitting devices due to bimolecular annihilation reactions.” Journal of App… [cited by applicant]
Hajime Nakanotani, Kensuke Masui, Junichi Nishide, Takumi Shibata, & Chihaya Adachi, “Promising operational stability of high-efficiency organic light-emitting diodes based on thermally activated delayed fluorescence.”,… [cited by applicant]
Giebink, N., D'Andrade, B., Weaver, M., Brown, J., & Forrest, S. “Direct evidence for degradation of polaron excited states in organic light emitting diodes.” Journal of Applied Physics, 105(12) (2009). [cited by applicant]
Baldo et al., “Highly Efficient Phosphorescent Emission from Organic Electroluminescent Devices,” Nature, vol. 395, 151-154, (1998). [cited by applicant]
Baldo et al., “Very high-efficiency green organic light-emitting devices based on electrophosphorescence,” Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 75, No. 1, 4-6 (1999). [cited by applicant]