Predictive modeling of the current density and radiative recombination in blue polymer-based light-emitting diodes

The results of a combined experimental and modeling study of charge transport, recombination and light emission in blue organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on a polyfluorene derivative are presented. It is shown that the measured temperature-dependent current-voltage curves and the voltage-dependent current efficiency are accurately described using an OLED device model that is based on the separately determined unipolar electron and hole mobility functions. The recombination rate is calculated using the Langevin formula, including recombination of holes with free as well as trapped electrons. The light emission is obtained from the exciton formation profile using independently determined values of the exciton radiative decay probability, the average dipole orientation, and assuming a fraction of singlet excitons eta(S) = (22 +/- 3)%, close to the quantum-statistical value. No additional free parameter is used. This shows that predictive one-dimensional device modeling of OLEDs is feasible. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3553412]