Transparent OLED displays for selective bidirectional viewing using ZnO/Yb:Ag cathode with highly smooth and low-barrier surface

Abstract Transparent organic light-emitting diode (TrOLED) displays represent cutting-edge technology posed to significantly enhance user experience. This study addresses two pivotal challenges in TrOLED development. Firstly, we focus on the innovation of transparent cathodes, a fundamental componen...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Eun-young Choi, Sung-Cheon Kang, Kanghoon Kim, Su-Hyeon Lee, Jeong-Beom Kim, Jang-Kun Song
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Publishing Group 2025-01-01
Series:Light: Science & Applications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-024-01739-0
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1832585345251672064
author Eun-young Choi
Sung-Cheon Kang
Kanghoon Kim
Su-Hyeon Lee
Jeong-Beom Kim
Jang-Kun Song
author_facet Eun-young Choi
Sung-Cheon Kang
Kanghoon Kim
Su-Hyeon Lee
Jeong-Beom Kim
Jang-Kun Song
author_sort Eun-young Choi
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Transparent organic light-emitting diode (TrOLED) displays represent cutting-edge technology posed to significantly enhance user experience. This study addresses two pivotal challenges in TrOLED development. Firstly, we focus on the innovation of transparent cathodes, a fundamental component in TrOLEDs, by introducing a ZnO/Yb:Ag cathode. This cathode employs a combination of seed layer and metal doping techniques to achieve a highly uniform surface morphology and a low surface energy barrier. The optimized Yb:Ag cathode on ZnO, with a mere thickness of 15 nm, exhibits remarkable properties: an extremely low surface roughness of 0.52 nm, sheet resistance of 11.6 Ω ϒ−1, an optical transmittance of 86.7% at 510 nm, and tunable work function (here, optimized to be 3.86 eV), ensuring superior electron injection capability. Secondly, we propose a novel TrOLED pixel structure that features selective bidirectional viewing, allowing different types of information to be selectively displayed on each side while preserving overall transparency and minimizing pixel complexity. This design innovation distinguishes itself from conventional TrOLEDs that display images on only one side. The bidirectional TrOLED design not only enhances openness and esthetic appeal but also holds promise for diverse applications across various user environments.
format Article
id doaj-art-376c54a7e2b144c0b705c2df0ee3ee24
institution Kabale University
issn 2047-7538
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Nature Publishing Group
record_format Article
series Light: Science & Applications
spelling doaj-art-376c54a7e2b144c0b705c2df0ee3ee242025-01-26T12:53:19ZengNature Publishing GroupLight: Science & Applications2047-75382025-01-0114111110.1038/s41377-024-01739-0Transparent OLED displays for selective bidirectional viewing using ZnO/Yb:Ag cathode with highly smooth and low-barrier surfaceEun-young Choi0Sung-Cheon Kang1Kanghoon Kim2Su-Hyeon Lee3Jeong-Beom Kim4Jang-Kun Song5Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Sungkyunkwan UniversityDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Sungkyunkwan UniversityDepartment of Semiconductor and Display Engineering, Sungkyunkwan UniversityDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Sungkyunkwan UniversityDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Sungkyunkwan UniversityDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Sungkyunkwan UniversityAbstract Transparent organic light-emitting diode (TrOLED) displays represent cutting-edge technology posed to significantly enhance user experience. This study addresses two pivotal challenges in TrOLED development. Firstly, we focus on the innovation of transparent cathodes, a fundamental component in TrOLEDs, by introducing a ZnO/Yb:Ag cathode. This cathode employs a combination of seed layer and metal doping techniques to achieve a highly uniform surface morphology and a low surface energy barrier. The optimized Yb:Ag cathode on ZnO, with a mere thickness of 15 nm, exhibits remarkable properties: an extremely low surface roughness of 0.52 nm, sheet resistance of 11.6 Ω ϒ−1, an optical transmittance of 86.7% at 510 nm, and tunable work function (here, optimized to be 3.86 eV), ensuring superior electron injection capability. Secondly, we propose a novel TrOLED pixel structure that features selective bidirectional viewing, allowing different types of information to be selectively displayed on each side while preserving overall transparency and minimizing pixel complexity. This design innovation distinguishes itself from conventional TrOLEDs that display images on only one side. The bidirectional TrOLED design not only enhances openness and esthetic appeal but also holds promise for diverse applications across various user environments.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-024-01739-0
spellingShingle Eun-young Choi
Sung-Cheon Kang
Kanghoon Kim
Su-Hyeon Lee
Jeong-Beom Kim
Jang-Kun Song
Transparent OLED displays for selective bidirectional viewing using ZnO/Yb:Ag cathode with highly smooth and low-barrier surface
Light: Science & Applications
title Transparent OLED displays for selective bidirectional viewing using ZnO/Yb:Ag cathode with highly smooth and low-barrier surface
title_full Transparent OLED displays for selective bidirectional viewing using ZnO/Yb:Ag cathode with highly smooth and low-barrier surface
title_fullStr Transparent OLED displays for selective bidirectional viewing using ZnO/Yb:Ag cathode with highly smooth and low-barrier surface
title_full_unstemmed Transparent OLED displays for selective bidirectional viewing using ZnO/Yb:Ag cathode with highly smooth and low-barrier surface
title_short Transparent OLED displays for selective bidirectional viewing using ZnO/Yb:Ag cathode with highly smooth and low-barrier surface
title_sort transparent oled displays for selective bidirectional viewing using zno yb ag cathode with highly smooth and low barrier surface
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-024-01739-0
work_keys_str_mv AT eunyoungchoi transparentoleddisplaysforselectivebidirectionalviewingusingznoybagcathodewithhighlysmoothandlowbarriersurface
AT sungcheonkang transparentoleddisplaysforselectivebidirectionalviewingusingznoybagcathodewithhighlysmoothandlowbarriersurface
AT kanghoonkim transparentoleddisplaysforselectivebidirectionalviewingusingznoybagcathodewithhighlysmoothandlowbarriersurface
AT suhyeonlee transparentoleddisplaysforselectivebidirectionalviewingusingznoybagcathodewithhighlysmoothandlowbarriersurface
AT jeongbeomkim transparentoleddisplaysforselectivebidirectionalviewingusingznoybagcathodewithhighlysmoothandlowbarriersurface
AT jangkunsong transparentoleddisplaysforselectivebidirectionalviewingusingznoybagcathodewithhighlysmoothandlowbarriersurface