Optoelectronic properties of poly( p-phenylene vinylene) for application in light-emitting devices

Organic electroluminescent devices (OLED's) have been intensely researched in recent years. Poly(p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV), due to its ease of processing and potential high quantum yield, is considered a good candidate for future display applications. By synthesizing PPV films and fabricating PPV-based organic ELD's, optoelectronic properties of this conjugated polymer were investigated. The PPV synthesis was modified to improve material quality which affected device stability, lifetime, and luminescent yield.;By utilizing transmission electron microscopy, the presence of PPV crystals which lowered the quantum yield was thoroughly investigated. Electron micrographs revealed that aggregates of crystals were embedded in an amorphous matrix. Analysis of diffraction patterns established that NaCl was a major impurity and that its crystals acted as nucleation sites. Steps were accordingly taken to exclude NaCl and prepare a more amorphous material.;Impedance spectroscopy was used to measure conductivity and the activation energy. The low activation energy suggested carrier transport via hopping between localized states. Furthermore, the presence of a metal/polymer interface, which limited charge injection into the sample and lowered the efficiency, was identified. By controlling the parameters affecting device/material preparation, this interface was to a great extent improved.;Electroluminescent devices with areas of 40 mm;The photovoltaic effect in PPV was explored by employing delayed-collection-field and field-induced fluorescent quenching techniques. A carrier generation efficiency of 42% was obtained. The strong field dependence of the carrier generation efficiency was noticed which supported the formation of bound electron-hole pairs.