Analysis and optimization of light outcoupling in OLEDs with external hierarchical textures.

Hierarchical textures (combining 2D periodic large and small micro textures) as an external outcoupling solution for OLEDs have been researched, both experimentally and by optical simulations. For the case of a red bottom emitting OLED, different hierarchical textures were fabricated using laser-based methods and a replication step and applied to the OLED substrate, resulting in an increased light outcoupling. Laboratory-size OLED devices with applied textured foils show a smaller increase in efficiency compared to the final large area devices.

Tailor-made nanostructures bridging chaos and order for highly efficient white organic light-emitting diodes.

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) suffer from notorious light trapping, resulting in only moderate external quantum efficiencies. Here, we report a facile, scalable, lithography-free method to generate controllable nanostructures with directional randomness and dimensional order, significantly boosting the efficiency of white OLEDs. Mechanical deformations form on the surface of poly(dimethylsiloxane) in response to compressive stress release, initialized by reactive ions etching with periodicity and depth distribution ranging from dozens of nanometers to micrometers.