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  • H05B33/00—Electroluminescent light sources
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  • H05B33/14—Light sources with substantially two-dimensional [2D] radiating surfaces characterised by the chemical or physical composition or the arrangement of the electroluminescent material, or by the simultaneous addition of the electroluminescent material in or onto the light source
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  • Y10S428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
  • Y10S428/917—Electroluminescent

Definitions

• This invention relates to an organic light emitting diode (OLED) electroluminescent (EL) device comprising a light-emitting layer containing an organometallic complex that can provide desirable electroluminescent properties.
• OLED organic light emitting diode
• EL electroluminescent
• an organic EL device is comprised of an anode for hole injection, a cathode for electron injection, and an organic medium sandwiched between these electrodes to support charge recombination that yields emission of light. These devices are also commonly referred to as organic light-emitting diodes, or OLEDs.
• organic EL devices are Gurnee et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,172,862, issued Mar. 9, 1965; Gumee U.S. Pat. No. 3,173,050, issued Mar. 9, 1965; Dresner, "Double Injection
• organic EL elements include an organic EL element consisting of extremely thin layers (e.g. ⁇ 1.0 ⁇ m ) between the anode and the cathode.
• organic EL element encompasses the layers between the anode and cathode electrodes.
• the light-emitting layer commonly consists of a host material doped with a guest material.
• a four-layer EL element comprising a hole- injecting layer (HIL), a hole-transporting layer (HTL), a light-emitting layer (LEL) and an electron transport/injection layer (ETL).
• HIL hole- injecting layer
• HTL hole-transporting layer
• LEL light-emitting layer
• ETL electron transport/injection layer
• singlet excitons can also transfer their energy to lowest singlet excited state of the same dopant.
• the singlet excited state can often relax, by an intersystem crossing process, to the emissive triplet excited state.
• One class of useful phosphorescent materials are transition metal complexes having a triplet excited state.
• phenylpyridinato-N,C r )iridium(III) (Ir(ppy) 3 ) strongly emits green light from a triplet excited state owing to the large spin-orbit coupling of the heavy atom and to the lowest excited state which is a charge transfer state having a Laporte allowed (orbital symmetry) transition to the ground state (K.A. King, P.J. Spellane, and R.J. Watts, J. Am. Chem. Soc, 107, 1431 (1985), M.G. Colombo, T.C. Brunold, T. Reidener, H.U. Gudel, M. Fortsch, and H.-B. Burgi, Inorg.
• the invention provides an electroluminescent device comprising a light-emitting layer containing a light emitting phosphorescent material that contains an organometallic complex comprising iridium and an indole compound with an unsubstituted phenyl ring or comprising Ir, Rh, Os, Ru, Pt, and Pd and an isoindole compound.
• the invention further comprises compositions of certain such complexes as well as a display or area lighting devices and a process for emitting light.
• the organometallic materials function as useful phosphorescent light emitting materials in electroluminescent devices.
• FIG. 1 shows a cross-section of a typical OLED device in which this invention may be used.
• the invention provides an electroluminescent device comprising a light-emitting layer that contains an organometallic complex material comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of Ir, Rh, Os, Pt, and Pd, and an indole or isoindole compound.
• An indole or isoindole compound that is useful for the practice of this invention has a five-membered unsaturated ring containing a nitrogen atom and fused with at least one aromatic ring. It is further desirable that the indole or isoindole ring system be further substituted with a substituent that has an at least one double bond.
• the double bond is part of a five or six-membered aromatic ring. It is desirable that this double bond be able to also form a bond with the metal. It is further desirable that the indole or isoindole ring system include two independently selected substituent groups on one carbon atom of the ' heterocyclic ring. Illustrative examples of indole and isoindole compounds are shown below.
• the invention provides an electroluminescent device comprising a light-emitting layer containing a light emitting phosphorescent material that contains an organometallic complex comprising iridium and an indole compound with an unsubstituted phenyl ring.
• organometallic complex can be represented by certain embodiments, which will be further described, of Formula (1),
• Z represents the atoms necessary to form a pyrrole ring group fused with at least one aromatic ring group, that is, an indole group and the indole group has at least one unsubstituted phenyl ring;
• M is a coordinated metal selected from the group consisting of Ir, Rh, Os, Pt, and Pd.
• M represents Ir or Rh, and more desirably M represents Ir; m is 1, 2 or 3 when M is Ir or Rh and m is 1 or 2 when M is Pt or Pd; w is 0- 4 as necessary in order to satisfy a 6 coordination sites when M is Ir, Rh, or Os, and w is 0- 2 as necessary in order to satisfy 4 coordination sites when M is Pt or Pd.
• L represents an independently selected ligand group. The ligand is chosen so that it can complex to the metal.
• L can be cyanide, or halogen, such as chloride.
• L represents a bidentate ligand.
• L can represent a carbonyl-substituted group such as an acetylacetonate group, a hexafiuoroacetylacetonate group, or a salicylaldehyde group.
• L can also represent an acid derivative of formula R a CO 2 " , wherein R a can be substituted or unsubstituted aryl, such as phenyl or tolyl, or substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, such as methyl or butyl.
• R a can be substituted or unsubstituted aryl, such as phenyl or tolyl, or substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, such as methyl or butyl.
• desirable bidentate acid derivatives are picolinic acid and 3-bromopicolinic acid.
• L can also represent an alkoxide of formula R a O-, wherein R a is as defined above, for example a phenoxide group.
• R and R represent independently selected substituent groups, provided that R 1 and R 2 can form a ring.
• R 1 and R 2 include phenyl, tolyl, and alkyl such as methyl and ethyl.
• R 1 and R 2 form an aromatic ring, such as a benzene ring group. Illustrative examples of R 1 and R 2 are shown below.
• the organometallic compound of the invention is represented by Formula (1), wherein: w is 0, m is 3, and R 1 and R 2 represent the atoms necessary to form a six-membered aromatic ring group.
• One useful embodiment of the organometallic complex of Formula (1) is represented by Formula (la):
• L represents an independently selected ligand group
• m is 1, 2 or 3 w is 0- 4 as necessary in order to satisfy a 6 coordination sites
• R 1 and R 2 represent independently selected substituent groups, provided that R 1 and R 2 may form a ring group.
• R 3 and R 4 represent independently selected substituent groups.
• the organometallic complex of Formula (1) is represented by Formula (lb): wherein: L, w, m, R J , and R are as defined above for structure la; and Ar represents a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic group.
• One desirable embodiment consists of an electroluminescent device comprising a light-emitting layer containing a light emitting material that contains an organometallic complex comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of Ir, Rh. Ru, Os, Pt, and Pd and an indole compound wherein the metal is fully complexed with a plurality of indole compounds.
• organometallic complexes with a plurality of indole compounds are more stable then when an auxiliary ligand is present.
• the organometallic complex of the invention is represented by Formula (2):
• M is a coordinated metal selected from the group consisting of Ir, Rh, Os, Pt, and Pd; m is 3 when M is Ir, Rh, or Os and m is 2 when M is Pt or Pd; R 1 and R 2 represent substituent groups, provided that R 1 and R 2 may form a ring group; R 3 and R 4 represent independently selected substituent groups; and Ar represents an aromatic group.
• One desirable embodiment consists of electroluminescent device comprising a light-emitting layer containing a light emitting material that contains an organometallic complex comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of Ir, Rh.
• organometallic complex of the invention is represented by Formula (3):
• M is a coordinated metal selected from the group consisting of Ir, Rh, Os, Pt, and Pd; m is 1, 2 or 3 when M is Ir, Rh, or Os and m is 1 or 2 when M is Pt or Pd; L represents an independently selected ligand group; w is 0- 4 as necessary in order to satisfy a 6 coordination sites when M is Ir, Rh, or Os, and w is 0- 2 as necessary in order to satisfy 4 coordination sites when M is Pt or Pd; R 1 and R 2 represent substituent groups, provided that R 1 and R 2 may fonn a ring group; Ar represents a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic group; and R 5 and R 6 independently represent substituted or unsubstituted aryl or substituted or unsubstituted alkyl components of 2-12 carbon atoms.
• R 5 and R 6 can independently represent ethyl groups, isopropyl groups, phenyl groups and tolyl groups.
• the organometallic complex of the invention comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of Ir, Rh, Os, Ru, Pt, and Pd and an isoindole compound. More desirably the metal is Ir.
• the organometallic complex of the invention is represented by Formula (4):
• M is a coordinated metal selected from the group consisting of Ir, Rh, Os, Pt, and Pd; m is 1, 2 or 3 when M is Ir, Rh, or Os and m is 1 or 2 when M is Pt or Pd; L represents an independently selected ligand group; w is 0- 4 as necessary in order to satisfy a 6 coordination sites when M is Ir, Rh, or Os, and w is 0- 2 as necessary in order to satisfy 4 coordination sites when M is Pt or Pd; R 1 and R 2 represent substituent groups, provided that R 1 and R 2 may form a ring group; R 3 and R 4 represent independently selected substituent groups; and Ar represents a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic group.
• Synthesis of the emitting materials useful in the invention can be accomplished by preparing the organic ligand and then using a metal to complex the ligand and form the organometallic compound.
• the synthesis of indole and isoindole ligands useful in the invention can be accomplished by various methods found in the literature, for example see R. J. Sundberg, Chemistry oflndoles; Organic Chemistry, v 18, (1970, publisher Academic Press, New York, NY) and A. Weissberger and W. J. Houlihan, Chemistry of Heterocyclic Compounds, v 25, pts 1-2, (1972, publisher John Wiley & Sons, New York, NY).
• indole ligands can be prepared by reacting a hydrazine compound with a ketone compound to give a hydrazone (Rxn-1, wherein G 1 - G 4 are hydrogen or independently selected substituent groups) followed by ring-closure to afford the indole (Rxn-2.)
• the organometallic complex useful in the invention may be synthesized from the prepared ligands by various literature methods. For example, see A. Tamayo, B. Alleyne, P. Djurovich, S. Lamansky, I. Tsyba, N. Ho, R. Bau, M. Thompson, Department of J. of the Amer. Chem. Soc. 125, 7377 (2003), H.
• substituted or “substituent” means any group or atom other than hydrogen.
• a group (including a compound or complex) containing a substitutable hydrogen is referred to, it is also intended to encompass not only the unsubstituted form, but also form further substituted derivatives with any substituent group or groups as herein mentioned, so long as the substituent does not destroy properties necessary for utility.
• a substituent group may be halogen or may be bonded to the remainder of the molecule by an atom of carbon, silicon, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur, selenium, or boron.
• the substituent may be, for example, halogen, such as chloro, bromo or fiuoro; nitro; hydroxyl; cyano; carboxyl; or groups which may be further substituted, such as alkyl, including straight or branched chain or cyclic alkyl, such as methyl, trifluoromethyl, ethyl, t-butyl, 3-(2,4-di-t-pentylphenoxy) propyl, and tetradecyl; alkenyl, such as ethylene, 2-butene; alkoxy, such as methoxy, ethoxy, propoxy, butoxy, 2-methoxyethoxy, sec-butoxy, hexyloxy, 2-ethylhexyloxy, tetradecyloxy, 2-(2,4-di-t-pentylphenoxy)ethoxy, and 2-dodecyloxyethoxy; aryl such as phenyl, 4-t-butylpheny
• the substituents may themselves be further substituted one or more times with the described substituent groups.
• the particular substituents used may be selected by those skilled in the art to attain the desired desirable properties for a specific application and can include, for example, electron-withdrawing groups, electron-donating groups, and steric groups.
• the substituents may be joined together to form a ring such as a fused ring unless otherwise provided.
• the above groups and substituents thereof may include those having up to 48 carbon atoms, typically 1 to 36 carbon atoms and usually less than 24 carbon atoms, but greater numbers are possible depending on the particular substituents selected.
• the light-emitting layer of the OLED device comprises a host material and one or more guest materials for emitting light.
• At least one of the guest materials is suitably a phosphorescent complex comprising a ring system of Formula 1 , 2, 3 or 4.
• the light-emitting guest material(s) is usually present in an amount less than the amount of host materials and is typically present in an amount of up to 15 wt % of the host, more typically from 0.1-10.0 wt % of the host
• the phosphorescent complex guest material may be referred to herein as a phosphorescent material.
• the phosphorescent material of Formula 1 , 2, 3 or 4 is preferably a low molecular weight compound, but it may also be an oligomer or a polymer having a main chain or a side chain of repeating units having the moiety represented by Formula 1, 2, 3 or 4. It may be provided as a discrete material dispersed in the host material, or it may be bonded in some way to the host material, for example, covalently bonded into a polymeric host.
• Suitable host materials should be selected so that the triplet exciton can be transferred efficiently from the host material to the phosphorescent material. For this transfer to occur, it is a highly desirable condition that the excited state energy of the phosphorescent material be lower than the difference in energy between the lowest triplet state and the ground state of the host. However, the band gap of the host should not be chosen so large as to cause an unacceptable increase in the drive voltage of the, OLED. Suitable host materials are described in WO 00/70655 A2; 01/39234 A2; 01/ 93642 Al; 02/074015 A2; 02/15645 Al, and US 20020117662.
• Suitable hosts include certain aryl amines, triazoles, indoles and carbazole compounds.
• Examples of desirable hosts are 4,4'-N,N'-dicarbazole- biphenyl (CBP), 2,2'-dimethyl-4,4'-N,N'-dicarbazole-bi ⁇ henyl, m-(N,N'- dicarbazole)benzene, and poly(N-vinylcarbazole), including their derivatives.
• Desirable host materials are capable of forming a continuous film.
• the light-emitting layer may contain more than one host material in order to improve the device's film morphology, electrical properties, light emission efficiency, and lifetime.
• the light emitting layer may contain a first host material that has good hole-transporting properties, and a second host material that has good electron-transporting properties.
• Phosphorescent materials of Formula 1, 2, 3 or 4 may be used in combination with other phosphorescent materials, either in the same or different layers. Some other phosphorescent materials are described in WO 00/57676, WO 00/70655, WO 02/15645 Al, US 2003/0017361 Al, WO 01/93642 Al, WO 01/39234 A2, US 6,458,475 Bl, WO 02/071813 Al, US 6,573,651 B2, US 2002/0197511 Al, WO 02/074015 A2, US 6,451,455 Bl, US 2003/ 0072964 Al, US 2003 / 0068528 Al, US 6,413,656 Bl, US 6,515,298 B2, US 6,451,415 Bl, US 6,097,147, US 2003/0124381 Al, US 2003/0059646 Al, US 2003/0054198 Al, EP 1 239 526 A2, EP 1 238 981 A2, EP 1 244 155 A2, US
• the emission wavelengths of cyclometallated Ir(III) complexes of the type IrL 3 and IrL 2 L' may be shifted by substitution of electron donating or withdrawing groups at appropriate positions on the cyclometallating ligand L, or by choice of different heterocycles for the cyclometallating ligand L.
• the emission wavelengths may also be shifted by choice of the ancillary ligand L'.
• red emitters examples include the bis(2-(2'-benzothienyl)pyridinato-N,C 3 )Iridium(III)(acetylacetonate) and tris(l-phenylisoquinolinato-N,C)Iridium(III).
• a blue-emitting example is bis(2- (4,6-diflourophenyl)-pyridinato-N,C 2, )Iridium(IH)(picolinate).
• phosphorescent materials include cyclometallated Pt(II) complexes such as cis-bis(2-phenylpyridinato-N,C 2 )platinum(II), cis-bis(2- (2'-thienyl)pyridinato-N,C 3' ) platinum(II), cis-bis(2-(2'-thienyl)quinolinato-N,C 5' ) platinum(II), or (2-(4,6-diflourophenyl)pyridinato-NC2') platinum (II) acetylacetonate.
• cyclometallated Pt(II) complexes such as cis-bis(2-phenylpyridinato-N,C 2 )platinum(II), cis-bis(2- (2'-thienyl)pyridinato-N,C 3' ) platinum(II), cis-bis(2-(2'-thienyl)quinolina
• Pt(II) porphyrin complexes such as 2,3,7,8,12,13, 17,18-octaethyl- 21H, 23H-porphine platinum(II) are also useful phosphorescent materials. Still other examples of useful phosphorescent materials include coordination complexes of the trivalent lanthanides such as Tb 3+ and Eu 3+ (J. Kido et A, Appl. Phys. Lett., 65, 2124 (1994))
• an OLED device employing a phosphorescent material often requires at least one exciton or hole blocking layers to help confine the excitons or electron-hole recombination centers to the light- emitting layer comprising the host and phosphorescent material.
• a blocking layer would be placed between the electron- transporting layer and the light-emitting layer - see Fig 1 , layer 110.
• the ionization potential of the blocking layer should be such that there is an energy barrier for hole migration from the host into the electron-transporting layer, while the electron affinity should be such that electrons pass more readily from the electron-transporting layer into the light-emitting layer comprising host and phosphorescent material.
• the triplet energy of the blocking material be greater than that of the phosphorescent material.
• Suitable hole-blocking materials are described in WO 00/70655A2 and WO 01/93642 Al. Two examples of useful materials are bathocuproine (BCP) and bis(2-methyl-8-quinolinolato)(4-phenylphenolato)Aluminum(III) (Balq). Metal complexes other than Balq are also known to block holes and excitons as described in US 20030068528.
• Embodiments of the invention can provide advantageous features such as operating efficiency, higher luminance, color hue, low drive voltage, and improved operating stability.
• Embodiments of the organometallic compounds useful in the invention can provide a wide range of hues including those useful in the emission of white light (directly or through filters to provide multicolor displays).
• the present invention can be employed in many OLED device configurations using small molecule materials, oligomeric materials, polymeric materials, or combinations thereof. These include very simple structures comprising a single anode and cathode to more complex devices, such as passive matrix displays comprised of orthogonal arrays of anodes and cathodes to form pixels, and active-matrix displays where each pixel is controlled independently, for example, with thin film transistors (TFTs).
• TFTs thin film transistors
• the essential requirements of an OLED are an anode, a cathode, and an organic light-emitting layer located between the anode and cathode. Additional layers may be employed as more fully described hereafter.
• FIG. 1 A typical structure, especially useful for of a small molecule device, is shown in FIG. 1 and is comprised of a substrate 101, an anode 103, a hole-injecting layer 105, a hole-transporting layer 107, a light-emitting layer 109, a hole- or exciton-blocking layer 110, an electron-transporting layer 111, and a cathode 113.
• a substrate 101 an anode 103, a hole-injecting layer 105, a hole-transporting layer 107, a light-emitting layer 109, a hole- or exciton-blocking layer 110, an electron-transporting layer 111, and a cathode 113.
• the substrate may alternatively be located adjacent to the cathode, or the substrate may actually constitute the anode or cathode.
• the organic layers between the anode and cathode are conveniently referred to as the organic EL element.
• the total combined thickness of the organic layers
• the anode and cathode of the OLED are connected to a voltage/current source through electrical conductors.
• the OLED is operated by applying a potential between the anode and cathode such that the anode is at a more positive potential than the cathode. Holes are injected into the organic EL element from the anode and electrons are injected into the organic EL element at the cathode.
• Enhanced device stability can sometimes be achieved when the OLED is operated in an AC mode where, for some time period in the cycle, the potential bias is reversed and no current flows.
• An example of an AC driven OLED is described in US 5,552,678.
• the OLED device of this invention is typically provided over a supporting substrate 101 where either the cathode or anode can be in contact with the substrate.
• the electrode in contact with the substrate is conveniently referred to as the bottom electrode.
• the bottom electrode is the anode, but this invention is not limited to that configuration.
• the substrate can either be light transmissive or opaque, depending on the intended direction of light emission. The light transmissive property is desirable for viewing the EL emission through the substrate. Transparent glass or plastic is commonly employed in such cases.
• the substrate can be a complex structure comprising multiple layers of materials. This is typically the case for active matrix substrates wherein TFTs are provided below the OLED layers.
• the substrate at least in the emissive pixilated areas, be comprised of largely transparent materials such as glass or polymers.
• the transmissive characteristic of the bottom support is immaterial, and therefore can be light transmissive, light absorbing or light reflective.
• Substrates for use in this case include, but are not limited to, glass, plastic, semiconductor materials, silicon, ceramics, and circuit board materials.
• the substrate can be a complex structure comprising multiple layers of materials such as found in active matrix TFT designs. It is necessary to provide in these device configurations a light-transparent top electrode.
• the anode When the desired electroluminescent light emission (EL) is viewed through the anode, the anode should be transparent or substantially transparent to the emission of interest.
• Common transparent anode materials used in this invention are indium-tin oxide (ITO), indium-zinc oxide (IZO) and tin oxide, but other metal oxides can work including, but not limited to, aluminum- or indium- doped zinc oxide, magnesium-indium oxide, and nickel-tungsten oxide.
• metal nitrides such as gallium nitride
• metal selenides such as zinc selenide
• metal sulfides such as zinc sulfide
• the transmissive characteristics of the anode are immaterial and any conductive material can be used, transparent, opaque or reflective.
• Example conductors for this application include, but are not limited to, gold, iridium, molybdenum, palladium, and platinum.
• Typical anode materials, transmissive or otherwise, have a work function of 4.1 eV or greater. Desired anode materials are commonly deposited by any suitable means such as evaporation, sputtering, chemical vapor deposition, or electrochemical means.
• Anodes can be patterned using well-known photolithographic processes. Optionally, anodes may be polished prior to application of other layers to reduce surface roughness so as to minimize shorts or enhance reflectivity.
• the cathode used in this invention can be comprised of nearly any conductive material.
• Desirable materials have good film-forming properties to ensure good contact with the underlying organic layer, promote electron injection at low voltage, and have good stability.
• Useful cathode materials often contain a low work function metal ( ⁇ 4.0 eV) or metal alloy.
• One useful cathode material is comprised of a Mg: Ag alloy wherein the percentage of silver is in the range of 1 to 20 %, as described in U.S. Patent No. 4,885,221.
• Another suitable class of cathode materials includes bilayers comprising the cathode and a thin electron-injection layer (EIL) in contact with an organic layer (e.g., an electron transporting layer (ETL)) which is capped with a thicker layer of a conductive metal.
• EIL electron-injection layer
• the EIL preferably includes a low work function metal or metal salt, and if so, the thicker capping layer does not need to have a low work function.
• a low work function metal or metal salt if so, the thicker capping layer does not need to have a low work function.
• One such cathode is comprised of a thin layer of LiF followed by a thicker layer of Al as described in U.S. Patent No. 5,677,572.
• An ETL material doped with an alkali metal, for example, Li-doped Alq is another example of a useful EIL.
• Other useful cathode material sets include, but are not limited to, those disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,059,861 , 5,059,862, and 6,140,763. When light emission is viewed through the cathode, the cathode must be transparent or nearly transparent.
• Optically transparent cathodes have been described in more detail in US 4,885,211, US 5,247,190, JP 3,234,963, US 5,703,436, US 5,608,287, US 5,837,391, US 5,677,572, US 5,776,622, US 5,776,623, US 5,714,838, US 5,969,474, US 5,739,545, US 5,981,306, US 6,137,223, US 6,140,763, US 6,172,459, EP 1 076 368, US 6,278,236, and US 6,284,3936.
• Cathode materials are typically deposited by any suitable method such as evaporation, sputtering, or chemical vapor deposition. When needed, patterning can be achieved through many well known methods including, but not limited to, through-mask deposition, integral shadow masking as described in US 5,276,380 and EP 0 732 868, laser ablation, and selective chemical vapor deposition.
• a hole-injecting layer 105 may be provided between anode 103 and hole-transporting layer 107.
• the hole-injecting material can serve to improve the film formation property of subsequent organic layers and to facilitate injection of holes into the hole-transporting layer.
• Suitable materials for use in the hole- injecting layer include, but are not limited to, porphyrinic compounds as described in US 4,720,432, plasma-deposited fluorocarbon polymers as described in US 6,208,075, and some aromatic amines, for example, m-MTDATA (4,4',4"-tris[(3- methylphenyl)phenylamino]triphenylamine).
• Alternative hole-injecting materials reportedly useful in organic EL devices are described in EP 0 891 121 Al and EP 1 029 909 Al.
• the hole-transporting layer 107 of the organic EL device contains at least one hole-transporting compound such as an aromatic tertiary amine, where the latter is understood to be a compound containing at least one trivalent nitrogen atom that is bonded only to carbon atoms, at least one of which is a member of an aromatic ring.
• the aromatic tertiary amine can be an arylamine, such as a monoarylamine, diarylamine, triarylamine, or a polymeric arylamine. Exemplary monomeric triarylamines are illustrated by Klupfel et al. US 3,180,730.
• triarylamines substituted with one or more vinyl radicals and/or comprising at least one active hydrogen containing group are disclosed by Brantley et al US 3,567,450 and US 3,658,520.
• a more preferred class of aromatic tertiary amines are those which include at least two aromatic tertiary amine moieties as described in US 4,720,432 and US 5,061,569.
• Such compounds include those represented by structural formula (A).
• Qi and Q 2 are independently selected aromatic tertiary amine moieties and G is a linking group such as an arylene, cycloalkylene, or alkylene group of a carbon to carbon bond.
• G is a linking group such as an arylene, cycloalkylene, or alkylene group of a carbon to carbon bond.
• at least one of Q or Q 2 contains a polycyclic fused ring structure, e.g., a naphthalene.
• G is an aryl group, it is conveniently a phenylene, biphenylene, or naphthalene moiety.
• a useful class of triarylamines satisfying structural formula (A) and containing two triarylamine moieties is represented by structural formula (B): R2 I g Rl — C— R3 R where R t and R each independently represents a hydrogen atom, an aryl group, or an alkyl group or R] and R 2 together represent the atoms completing a cycloalkyl group; and R 3 and R 4 each independently represents an aryl group, which is in turn substituted with a diaryl substituted amino group, as indicated by structural fonnula (C): Rs c Re -
• R 5 and R 6 are independently selected aryl groups.
• at least one of R 5 or R 6 contains a polycyclic fused ring structure!, e.g., a naphthalene.
• Another class of aromatic tertiary amines are the tetraaryldiamines. Desirable tetraaryldiamines include two diarylamino groups, such as indicated by formula (C), linked through an arylene group.
• Useful tetraaryldiamines include those represented by formula (D).
• each Are is an independently selected arylene group, such as a phenylene or anthracene moiety
• n is an integer of from 1 to 4
• Ar, R , R 8 , and R 9 are independently selected aryl groups.
• at least one of Ar, R , R 8 , and R 9 is a polycyclic fused ring structure, e.g., a naphthalene
• the various alkyl, alkylene, aryl, and arylene moieties of the foregoing structural formulae (A), (B), (C), (D), can each in turn be substituted.
• Typical substituents include alkyl groups, alkoxy groups, aryl groups, aryloxy groups, and halogen such as fluoride, chloride, and bromide.
• the various alkyl and alkylene moieties typically contain from about 1 to 6 carbon atoms.
• the cycloalkyl moieties can contain from 3 to about 10 carbon atoms, but typically contain five, six, or seven ring carbon atoms ⁇ e.g., cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, and cycloheptyl ring structures.
• the aryl and arylene moieties are usually phenyl and phenylene moieties.
• the hole-transporting layer can be formed of a single or a mixture of aromatic tertiary amine compounds.
• a triarylamine such as a triarylamine satisfying the fonnula (B)
• a tetraaryldiamine such as indicated by formula (D).
• a triarylamine is employed in combination with a tetraaryldiamine, the latter is positioned as a layer interposed between the triarylamine and the electron injecting and transporting layer.
• aromatic tertiary amines are the following: 1,1 -Bis(4-di-p-tolylaminophenyl)cyclohexane 1 , 1 -Bis(4-di-p-tolylaminophenyl)-4-phenylcyclohexane N,N,N',N'-tetra ⁇ henyl-4,4*"-diamino- 1 , 1 ':4", 1 ":4", 1 "'-quaterphenyl Bis(4-dimethylamino-2-methylphenyl)phenylmethane 1 ,4-bis[2-[4-[N,N-di(p-toly)amino] ⁇ henylJ vinyl]benzene (BDTAPVB) N,N,N',N'-Tetra-p-tolyl-4,4'-diaminobiphenyl N,N,N',N'-Tetraphenyl-4,4'
• Tertiary aromatic amines with more than two amine groups may be used including oligomeric materials.
• polymeric hole-transporting materials can be used such as poly(N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK), polythiophenes, polypyrrole, polyaniline, and copolymers such as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) / poly(4-styrenesulfonate) also called PEDOT/PSS.
• Fluorescent Light-Emitting Materials and Layers may be used in the OLED device, including fluorescent materials.
• fluorescent is commonly used to describe any light emitting material, in this case we are referring to a material that emits light from a singlet excited state. Fluorescent materials may be used in the same layer as the phosphorescent material, in adjacent layers, in adjacent pixels, or any combination. Care must be taken not to select materials that will adversely affect the performance of the phosphorescent materials of this invention.
• triplet excited state energies of materials in the same layer as the phosphorescent material or in an adjacent layer must be appropriately set so as to prevent unwanted quenching. As more fully described in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,769,292 and
• the light-emitting layer (LEL) of the organic EL element includes a luminescent fluorescent or phosphorescent material where electroluminescence is produced as a result of electron-hole pair recombination in this region.
• the light- emitting layer can be comprised of a single material, but more commonly consists of a host material doped with a guest emitting material or materials where light emission comes primarily from the emitting materials and can be of any color.
• the host materials in the light-emitting layer can be an electron-transporting material, as defined below, a hole-transporting material, as defined above, or another material or combination of materials that support hole-electron recombination. .
• Fluorescent emitting materials are typically incorporated at 0.01 to 10 % by weight of the host material.
• the host and emitting materials can be small non-polymeric molecules or polymeric materials such as polyfluorenes and polyvinylarylenes (e.g., poly(p-phenylenevinylene), PPV).
• small molecule emitting materials can be molecularly dispersed into a polymeric host, or the emitting materials can be added by copolymerizing a minor constituent into a host polymer.
• Host materials may be mixed together in order to improve film formation, electrical properties, light emission efficiency, lifetime, or manufacturability.
• the host may comprise a material that has good hole- transporting properties and a material that has good electron-transporting properties.
• An important relationship for choosing a fluorescent dye as a guest emitting material is a comparison of the singlet excited state energies of the host and light-emitting material. For efficient energy transfer from the host to the emitting material, a highly desirable condition is that the singlet excited state energy of the emitting material is lower than that of the host material.
• Host and emitting materials known to be of use include, but are not limited to, those disclosed in US 4,768,292, US 5,141,671, US 5,150,006, US 5,151,629, US 5,405,709, US 5,484,922, US 5,593,788, US 5,645,948, US 5,683,823, US 5,755,999, US 5,928,802, US 5,935,720, US 5,935,721, and US 6,020,078.
• Metal complexes of 8-hydroxyquinoline and similar derivatives constitute one class of useful host compounds capable of supporting electroluminescence, and are particularly suitable for light emission of wavelengths longer than 500 nm, e.g., green, yellow, orange, and red.
• the metal can be monovalent, divalent, trivalent, or tetravalent metal.
• the metal can, for example, be an alkali metal, such as lithium, sodium, or potassium; an alkaline earth metal, such as magnesium or calcium; an earth metal, such aluminum or gallium, or a transition metal such as zinc or zirconium.
• alkali metal such as lithium, sodium, or potassium
• alkaline earth metal such as magnesium or calcium
• earth metal such aluminum or gallium, or a transition metal such as zinc or zirconium.
• any monovalent, divalent, trivalent, or tetravalent metal known to be a useful chelating metal can be employed.
• Z completes a heterocyclic nucleus containing at least two fused aromatic rings, at least one of which is an azole or azine ring. Additional rings, including both aliphatic and aromatic rings, can be fused with the two required rings, if required. To avoid adding molecular bulk without improving on function the number of ring atoms is usually maintained at 18 or less.
• CO-1 Aluminum trisoxine [alias, tris(8-quinolinolato)aluminum(III)]
• CO-2 Magnesium bisoxine [alias, bis(8-quinolinolato)magnesium(II)]
• CO-3 Bis[benzo ⁇ f ⁇ -8-quinolinolato]zinc (II)
• CO-4 Bis(2-methyl-8-quinolinolato)aluminum(III)- ⁇ -oxo-bis(2-methyl-8- quinolinolato) aluminum(III)
• CO-6 Aluminum tris(5-methyloxine) [alias, tris(5-methyl-8-quinolinolato) aluminum(III)]
• CO-7 Lithium oxine [alias, (8-quinolinolato)lithium(I)] CO
• R , R , R , R , and R represent one or more substituents on each ring where each substituent is individually selected from the following groups: Group 1 : hydrogen, or alkyl of from 1 to 24 carbon atoms; Group 2: aryl or substituted aryl of from 5 to 20 carbon atoms; Group 3: carbon atoms from 4 to 24 necessary to complete a fused aromatic ring of anthracenyl; pyrenyl, or perylenyl; Group 4: heteroaryl or substituted heteroaryl of from 5 to 24 carbon atoms as necessary to complete a fused heteroaromatic ring of furyl, thienyl, pyridyl, quinolinyl or other heterocyclic systems; Group 5: alkoxylamino, alkylamino, or arylamino of from 1 to 24 carbon atoms; and Group 6: fluorine, chlorine, bromine or cyano.
• Illustrative examples include 9,10-di-(2-naphthyl)anthracene and 2- t-butyl-9,10-di-(2-naphthyl)anthracene.
• Other anthracene derivatives can be useful as a host in the LEL, including derivatives of 9,10-bis[4-(2,2- diphenylethenyl)phenyl] anthracene.
• Benzazole derivatives (Formula G) constitute another class of useful host materials capable of supporting electroluminescence, and are particularly suitable for light emission of wavelengths longer than 400 nm, e.g., blue, green, yellow, orange or red.
• n is an integer of 3 to 8;
• Z is O, NR or S; and
• R and R' are individually hydrogen; alkyl of from 1 to 24 carbon atoms, for example, propyl, t-butyl, heptyl, and the like; aryl or hetero-atom substituted aryl of from 5 to 20 carbon atoms for example phenyl and naphthyl, furyl, thienyl, pyridyl, quinolinyl and other heterocyclic systems; or halo such as chloro, fluoro; or atoms necessary to complete a fused aromatic ring; and
• L is a linkage unit consisting of alkyl, aryl, substituted alkyl, or substituted aryl, which conjugately or unconjugately connects the multiple benzazoles together.
• An example of a useful benzazole is 2, 2', 2"-(l,3,5-phenylene)tris[l- phenyl- 1 H-benzimidazole] .
• Styrylarylene derivatives as described in U.S. Patent 5,121,029 and JP 08333569 are also useful hosts for blue emission.
• 9,10-bis[4-(2,2- diphenylethenyl)phenyl]anthracene and 4,4'-Bis(2,2-diphenylethenyl)-l, - biphenyl (DPVBi) are useful hosts for blue emission.
• Useful fluorescent emitting materials include, but are not limited to, derivatives of anthracene, tetracene, xanthene, perylene, rubrene, coumarin, rhodamine, and quinacridone, dicyanomethylenepyran compounds, thiopyran compounds, polymethine compounds, pyrilium and thiapyrilium compounds, fluorene derivatives, periflanthene derivatives, indenoperylene derivatives, bis(azinyl)amine boron compounds, bis(azinyl)methane compounds, and carbostyryl compounds.
• useful materials include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Electron-Transporting Layer Prefened thin film-forming materials for use in forming the electron-transporting layer 111 of the organic EL devices of this invention are metal chelated oxinoid compounds, including chelates of oxine itself (also commonly referred to as 8-quinolinol or 8-hydroxyquinoline). Such compounds help to inject and transport electrons and exhibit both high levels of performance and are readily fabricated in the form of thin films.
• Exemplary of contemplated oxinoid compounds are those satisfying structural formula (E), previously described.
• Other electron-transporting materials include various butadiene derivatives as disclosed in US 4,356,429 and various heterocyclic optical brighteners as described in US 4,539,507. Benzazoles satisfying structural formula (G) are also useful electron transporting materials. Triazines are also known to be useful as electron transporting materials.
• layers 109 through 111 can optionally be collapsed into a single layer that serves the function of supporting both light emission and electron transportation.
• Layers 110 and 111 may also be collapsed into a single layer that functions to block holes or excitons, and supports electron transportation.
• emitting materials may be included in the hole-transporting layer, which may serve as a host. Multiple materials may be added to one or more layers in order to create a white-emitting OLED, for example, by combining blue- and yellow-emitting materials, cyan- and red- emitting materials, or red-, green-, and blue-emitting materials.
• White-emitting devices are described, for example, in EP 1 187 235, US 20020025419, EP 1 182 244, US 5,683,823, US 5,503,910, US 5,405,709, and US 5,283,182 and can be equipped with a suitable filter arrangement to produce a color emission.
• This invention may be used in so-called stacked device architecture, for example, as taught in US 5,703,436 and US 6,337,492.
• Deposition of Organic Layers The organic materials mentioned above are suitably deposited by any means suitable for the form of the organic materials. In the case of small molecules, they are conveniently deposited through sublimation, but can be deposited by other means such as from a solvent with an optional binder to improve film formation. If the material is a polymer, solvent deposition is usually preferred.
• the material to be deposited by sublimation can be vaporized from a sublimator "boat" often comprised of a tantalum material, e.g., as described in US
• 6,237,529 can be first coated onto a donor sheet and then sublimed in closer proximity to the substrate.
• Layers with a mixture of materials can utilize separate sublimator boats or the materials can be pre-mixed and coated from a single boat or donor sheet.
• Patterned deposition can be achieved using shadow masks, integral shadow masks (US 5,294,870), spatially-defined thermal dye transfer from a donor sheet (US 5,688,551, US 5,851,709 and US 6,066,357) and inkjet method (US 6,066,357).
• OLED devices are sensitive to moisture or oxygen, or both, so they are commonly sealed in an inert atmosphere such as nitrogen or argon, along with a desiccant such as alumina, bauxite, calcium sulfate, clays, silica gel, zeolites, alkaline metal oxides, alkaline earth metal oxides, sulfates, or metal halides and perchlorates.
• a desiccant such as alumina, bauxite, calcium sulfate, clays, silica gel, zeolites, alkaline metal oxides, alkaline earth metal oxides, sulfates, or metal halides and perchlorates.
• Methods for encapsulation and desiccation include, but are not limited to, those described in U.S. Patent No. 6,226,890.
• barrier layers such as SiOx, Teflon, and alternating inorganic/polymeric layers are known in the art for encapsulation.
• Optical Optimization OLED devices of this invention can employ various well-known optical effects in order to enhance its properties if desired. This includes optimizing layer thicknesses to yield maximum light transmission, providing dielectric mirror structures, replacing reflective electrodes with light-absorbing electrodes, providing anti-glare or anti-reflection coatings over the display, providing a polarizing medium over the display, or providing colored, neutral density, or color-conversion filters over the display. Filters, polarizers, and antiglare or anti-reflection coatings may be specifically provided over the cover or as part of the cover.
• Tetrakis(2-phenyl-3, 3'-dimethylindole- N,C)( ⁇ -dibromo)diiridium(III) was used without further purification in the next reaction.
• Tetrakis(2-phenyl-3 ,3 -dimethylindole-N,C)( ⁇ - dibromo)diiridium(III) (0.83 g) and 2-phenyl-3, 3-dimethylindole (0.90 g) and silver triflouroacetate (0.36 g) were placed in a 100 mL flask with 35 mL 1,2- propanediol. The mixture was freeze-thaw degassed and then refluxed under nitrogen for 4 h.
• Example 1 An EL device (Sample 1) satisfying the requirements of the invention was constructed in the following manner: 1. A glass substrate coated with an 85 nm layer of indium-tin oxide (ITO) as the anode was sequentially ultrasonicated in a commercial 10 detergent, rinsed in deionized water, degreased in toluene vapor and exposed to oxygen plasma for about 1 min. 2. Over the ITO was deposited a 1 nm fluorocarbon (CFx) hole- injecting layer (HIL) by plasma-assisted deposition of CHF 3 . 3.
• ITO indium-tin oxide
• HIL hole- injecting layer
• a hole-transporting layer (HTL)of NN'-di- 1 -naphthyl-NN'- 15 diphenyl-4, 4'-diaminobiphenyl ( ⁇ PB) having a thickness of 75 nm was then evaporated from a tantalum boat. 4.
• a 35 nm light-emitting layer (LEL) of 4,4'- ⁇ , ⁇ '-dicarbazole- biphenyl (CBP) and Inv-1 (4 % wt%) were then deposited onto the hole- transporting layer. These materials were also evaporated from tantalum
• HIL Hole-Injecting layer
• HTL Hole-Transporting layer
• HBL Hole-blocking layer
• Electron-Transporting layer (ETL) 113 Cathode

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