Devices and sensors and electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11411192-B2
Application number	US-202016984510-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 4, 2020
Priority date	Sep 2, 2019
Publication date	Aug 9, 2022
Grant date	Aug 9, 2022

Abstract

A device includes a first electrode and a second electrode, an active layer between the first electrode and the second electrode and a plurality of auxiliary layers between the first electrode and the active layer. The auxiliary layers include first and second auxiliary layers, the first auxiliary layer proximate to the active layer, the second auxiliary layer proximate to the second electrode. An energy level of the active layer, an energy level of the first auxiliary layer, an energy level of the second auxiliary layer, and a work function of the first electrode become deeper sequentially or shallower sequentially.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
a first electrode and a second electrode;
an active layer between the first electrode and the second electrode; and
a plurality of auxiliary layers between the first electrode and the active layer,
wherein the plurality of auxiliary layers includes a first auxiliary layer and a second auxiliary layer, the first auxiliary layer proximate to the active layer in relation to the second auxiliary layer, the second auxiliary layer proximate to the first electrode in relation to the first auxiliary layer,
wherein
the first electrode has a work function,
the active layer, the first auxiliary layer, and the second auxiliary layer have respective energy levels that are
respective highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy levels of the active layer, the first auxiliary layer, and the second auxiliary layer, or
respective lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy levels of the active layer, the first auxiliary layer, and the second auxiliary layer, and

the work function of the first electrode and the respective energy levels of the active layer, first auxiliary layer, and the second auxiliary layer are each measured by photoelectron spectroscopy,

wherein the energy level of the active layer, the energy level of the first auxiliary layer, the energy level of the second auxiliary layer, and the work function of the first electrode have different magnitudes from each other and at least partially define a sequentially-changing energy level through the device, such that
a magnitude of the energy level of the first auxiliary layer is between a magnitude of the energy level of the active layer and a magnitude of the energy level of the second auxiliary layer, and
the magnitude of the energy level of the second auxiliary layer is between the magnitude of the energy level of the first auxiliary layer and a magnitude of the work function of the first electrode, and

wherein the active layer, the first auxiliary layer, the second auxiliary layer, and the first electrode satisfy Relationship Equation 1:
|ΔΦ 1 −ΔΦ 2 |≤0.1 eV  [Relationship Equation 1]

wherein, in Relationship Equation 1,
ΔΦ 1 is an energy barrier between the active layer and the first auxiliary layer that is a difference between the energy level of the active layer and the energy level of the first auxiliary layer, and
ΔΦ 2 is an energy barrier between the second auxiliary layer and the first electrode that is a difference between the energy level of the second auxiliary layer and the work function of the first electrode.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein
the first auxiliary layer is in contact with the active layer, and
the second auxiliary layer is in contact with the first electrode.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein
the active layer, the first auxiliary layer, the second auxiliary layer, and the first electrode satisfy Relationship Equations 2 and 3:
|ΔΦ 1 −ΔΦ 3 |≤0.1 eV  [Relationship Equation 2]

|ΔΦ 3 −ΔΦ 2 |≤0.1 eV  [Relationship Equation 3]

wherein, in Relationship Equations 2 and 3,
ΔΦ 1 is the energy barrier between the active layer and the first auxiliary layer that is the difference between the energy level of the active layer and the energy level of the first auxiliary layer,
ΔΦ 2 is the energy barrier between the second auxiliary layer and the first electrode that is the difference between the energy level of the second auxiliary layer and the work function of the first electrode, and
ΔΦ 3 is an energy barrier between the first auxiliary layer and the second auxiliary layer that is a difference between the energy level of the first auxiliary layer and the energy level of the second auxiliary layer.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein each of ΔΦ 1 , ΔΦ 2 , and ΔΦ 3 is less than or equal to about 0.5 eV.

5. The device of claim 3 , wherein the active layer, the first auxiliary layer, the second auxiliary layer, and the first electrode satisfy Relationship Equations 1E, 2E, and 3E,
[Relationship Equation 1E]
the magnitude of the energy level of the first auxiliary layer is between the magnitude of the energy level of the active layer and a magnitude of the energy level of the third auxiliary layer,
the magnitude of the energy level of the third auxiliary layer is between the magnitude of the energy level of the first auxiliary layer and the magnitude of the energy level of the second auxiliary layer, and
the magnitude of the energy level of the second auxiliary layer is between the magnitude of the energy level of the third auxiliary layer and the magnitude of the work function of the first electrode, and

the active layer, the first auxiliary layer, the third auxiliary layer, the second auxiliary layer, and the first electrode satisfy Relationship Equations 4 and 5:
|ΔΦ 2 −ΔΦ 4 |≤0.1 eV  [Relationship Equation 4]

|ΔΦ 1 −ΔΦ 5 |≤0.1 eV  [Relationship Equation 5]

wherein, in Relationship Equations 4 and 5,
ΔΦ 1 is the energy barrier between the active layer and the first auxiliary layer that is the difference between the energy level of the active layer and the energy level of the first auxiliary layer,
ΔΦ 2 is the energy barrier between the second auxiliary layer and the first electrode that is the difference between the energy level of the second auxiliary layer and the energy level of the first electrode,
0<|ΔΦ 1 −ΔΦ 2 |≤0.05 eV

0<|ΔΦ 1 −ΔΦ 3 |≤0.05 eV  [Relationship Equation 2E]

0<|ΔΦ 3 −ΔΦ 2 |≤0.05 eV  [Relationship Equation 3E]

wherein, in Relationship Equation 1E to 3E,
ΔΦ 1 is the energy barrier between the active layer and the first auxiliary layer that is the difference between the energy level of the active layer and the energy level of the first auxiliary layer,
ΔΦ 2 is the energy barrier between the second auxiliary layer and the first electrode that is the difference between the energy level of the second auxiliary layer and the work function of the first electrode, and
ΔΦ 3 is the energy barrier between the first auxiliary layer and the second auxiliary layer that is the difference between the energy level of the first auxiliary layer and the energy level of the second auxiliary layer.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of auxiliary layers further includes a third auxiliary layer between the first auxiliary layer and the second auxiliary layer,
the energy level of the active layer, the energy level of the first auxiliary layer, an energy level of the third auxiliary layer, the energy level of the second auxiliary layer, and the work function of the first electrode have different magnitudes from each other and at least partially define the sequentially-changing energy level through the device, such that
ΔΦ 4 is an energy barrier between the third auxiliary layer and the second auxiliary layer that is a difference between the energy level of the third auxiliary layer and the energy level of the second auxiliary layer, and
ΔΦ 5 is an energy barrier between the first auxiliary layer and the third auxiliary layer that is a difference between the energy level of the first auxiliary layer and the energy level of the third auxiliary layer.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the energy levels of the active layer, the first auxiliary layer, the third auxiliary layer, the second auxiliary layer, and the first electrode satisfy Relationship Equation 6:
|ΔΦ 4 −ΔΦ 5 |≤0.1 eV.  [Relationship Equation 6]

wherein, in Relationship Equation 6,
ΔΦ 4 is the energy barrier between the third auxiliary layer and the second auxiliary layer that is a difference between the energy level of the third auxiliary layer and the energy level of the second auxiliary layer, and
ΔΦ 5 is the energy barrier between the first auxiliary layer and the thir

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Kyung Bae
• Suganuma Naotoshi
• Heo Chul Joon
• Park Sung Jun
• Yun Sung Young

Classifications

• H10K30/86

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• H10K30/85

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• H10K30/353

  comprising blocking layers, e.g. exciton blocking layers · CPC title

• H10K30/81

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• H10F39/12

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