Organic light-emitting transistors with an efficiency that outperforms the equivalent light-emitting diodes

The potential of organic semiconductor-based devices for light generation is demonstrated by the commercialization of display technologies based on organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Nonetheless, exciton quenching and photon loss processes still limit OLED efficiency and brightness. Organic light-emitting transistors (OLETs) are alternative light sources combining, in the same architecture, the switching mechanism of a thin-film transistor and an electroluminescent device. Thus, OLETs could open a new era in organic optoelectronics and serve as testbeds to address general fundamental optoelectronic and photonic issues. Here, we introduce the concept of using a p-channel/emitter/n-channel trilayer semiconducting heterostructure in OLETs, providing a new approach to markedly improve OLET performance and address these open questions. In this architecture, exciton-charge annihilation and electrode photon losses are prevented. Our devices are > 100 times more efficient than the equivalent OLED, > 2x more efficient than the optimized OLED with the same emitting layer and > 10 times more efficient than any other reported OLETs.