Improved operational stability of polyfluorene-based organic light-emitting diodes with plasma-treated indium–tin–oxide anodes

We report the influence of various surface treatments of indium–tin–oxide (ITO) anodes on the operational stability of high-efficiency (up to 8.2 lm/W) green-emitting polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs), employing a doped poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene), hole transport layer, a polyfluorene based emissive layer, and Ca–Al cathodes. The anodes were modified by physical (oxygen-plasma), chemical (aquaregia), and combined treatments. Oxygen plasma improves the stability under constant current with respect to all other anodes, with half-brightness (100 $cd/m2)$ lifetimes two to five times longer than for untreated samples, and 1000 times longer than for aquaregia samples. We derive two major indications for optimization of PLEDs. First, thermal management of the diode is of the uppermost importance and there is significant scope for improvement. Second, the ITO anode and in general the electrical properties of the hole-injecting contact are crucial to device operation, even in the presence of a hole transport layer.