Photoluminescence degradation in organic light-emitting devices

Polymer degradation under electrical stress was studied using the device structure indium tin oxide/poly(p-phenylene vinylene)/Ca/Ag. The devices that were used in this study do not show any significant decrease in electroluminescent intensity for up to several thousand hours of operation. However for devices that were electrically stressed and then exposed to normal ambient, there was a significant decrease in the photoluminescence. Those that were not electrically stressed but exposed to normal ambient or were electrically stressed but not exposed to normal ambient, there was no significant degradation in the photoluminescence. These results showed that both conditions of electrical stress and photo-oxidation are necessary for a significant decrease of the photoluminescence intensity. Degradation is accompanied by an increase in the x-ray crystallization peak. We interpret that the photoluminescence intensity degradation is due to the change in polymer crystallinity caused by electrical stress followed by photo-oxidation. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.