Improved light-extraction efficiency from organic light-emitting diodes using hazy SiO₂ thin films created by using an aerosol-deposition method

We herein report an investigation of the effect of rough thin films of SiO₂ granules deposited on glass substrates of organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) by using a simple, low-cost and scalable process based on a powder spray of SiO₂ granules in vacuum, known as the aerosol-deposition method, with regard to their external light-extraction capabilities. The rough and hazy thin SiO₂ films produced by using aerosol-deposition and acting as scattering centers were able to efficiently reduce the light-trapping loss in the glass substrate (glass mode) for internally-generated photons and to enhance the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of the OLEDs. Based on aerosol-deposited silica films with a thickness of 800 nm and a haze of 22% on glass substrates, the EQE of phosphorescent green OLEDs was found to be enhanced by 17%, from an EQE of 7.0% for smooth bare glass substrates to an EQE of 8.2%. Furthermore, the EQEs of fluorescent blue and phosphorescent red OLEDs were shown to be enhanced by 16%, from an EQE of 3.7% to 4.3%, and by 16%, from an EQE of 9.3% to 10.8%, respectively. These improvements in the EQEs without serious changes in the emission spectra or the Lambertian emitter property clearly indicate the high potential of the aerosol-deposition technique for the realization of highly-efficient light extraction in colorful OLED lighting.