Highly efficient fluorescent-phosphorescent triplet-harvesting hybrid organic light-emitting diodes

We demonstrate highly efficient white and nonwhite hybrid organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) in which singlet and triplet excited states, generated in the recombination zone, are utilized by fluorescence and phosphorescence, respectively. The excited states are formed at a blue fluorescent light-emitting layer (LEL), and the triplets diffuse through a spacer layer to one or more phosphorescent LEL(s). A key feature enabling the triplet diffusion in such OLEDs is the use of a blue fluorescent emitter with triplet energy above, or not much below, that of the fluorescent host. Additional material properties required for triplet harvesting are outlined. At 1000 cd/m(2) a blue and yellow harvesting OLED shows 13.6% external quantum efficiency, 3.8 V, 30.1 lm/W, and color characteristics suitable for display application. High-efficiency harvesting R+G+B white, and B+G and B+R nonwhite OLEDs are also demonstrated. The triplet-harvesting mechanism was verified in all devices by physical methods including spectral analysis, time-resolved electroluminescence, magnetic field effect, and electron paramagnetic resonance.