Indium tin oxide thin films grown on polyethersulphone (PES) substrates by pulsed-laser deposition for use in organic light-emitting diodes

High quality indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films were grown by pulse laser deposition (PLD) on flexible polyethersulphone (PES) substrates. The electrical, optical, and surface morphological properties of these films were examined as a function of substrate temperature and oxygen pressure. ITO thin films, deposited by PLD on a PES substrate at room temperature and an oxygen pressure of 15 mTorr, have a low electrical resistivity of 2.9x10(-4) Omega cm and a high optical transmittance of 84% in the visible range. They were used as the anode in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). The maximum electro luminescence (EL) and current density at 100 cd/m(2) were 2500 cd/m(2) and 2 mA/cm(2), respectively, and the external quantum efficiency of the OLEDs was found to be 2.0%.