Organic light-emitting devices fabricated utilizing core/shell CdSe/ZnS quantum dots embedded in a polyvinylcarbazole

Electrical and the optical properties of organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) fabricated utilizing core/shell CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) embedded in a polyvinylcarbazole (PVK) layer were investigated. An abrupt increase of the current density above an applied voltage of 12 V for OLEDs consisting of Al/LiF/4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline/bis-(2-methyl-8-quinolinolate)-4-(phenylphenolato) aluminium/[CdSe/ZnS QDs embedded in PVK]/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) and poly(styrenesulfonate)/ITO/glass substrate was attributed to the existence of the QDs. Photoluminescence spectra showed that the peaks at 390 and 636 nm corresponding to the PVK layer and the CdSe/ZnS QDs were observed. While the electroluminescence (EL) peak of the OLEDs at low voltage range was related to the PVK layer, the EL peak of the OLEDs above 12 V was dominantly attributed to the CdSe/ZnS QDs. The Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage (CIE) chromaticity coordinates of the OLEDs at high voltages were (0.581, 0.380) indicative of a red color. When the holes existing in the PVK layer above 12 V were tunneled into the CdSe/ZnS QDs, the holes occupied by the CdSe/ZnS QDs combined with the electrons in the PVK layer to emit a red color related to the CdSe/ZnS QDs.