Effect of a urea/IPA-treated PEDOT:PSS hole injection layer in quantum-dot light emitting diodes

Quantum dot (QD) semiconductor nanocrystals are being considered a competitive contender as the emitting materials of next-generation light-emitting diodes (LEDS) in lighting and display applications. One of ways to improve the performance of a QDs-based device is to develop/modify the layers in the multi-layer structure of the device to have good stability and electrical properties. In this study, urea was selected as a treatment agent for PEDOT: PSS modification as a hole injection layer in QLED. The study found that the performance of a QLEDs with the urea-treated PEDOT:PSS film improved compared to that of a QLEDs with pristine PEDOT:PSS film, and that the performance could further be improved with modifications in the solvent system of PEDOT:PSS with the addition of isopropanol (IPA), resulting in better surface morphology. Consequently, a QLED made of the urea/IPA-treated PEDOT:PSS had a higher performances than those of conventional QLED. Thus, the use of a modified PEDOT:PSS layer in a QLED is very effective in enhancing the injection holes and overall performance of the QLED.