Tuning charge carrier transport and optical birefringence in liquid-crystalline thin films: a new design space for organic light-emitting diodes

Liquid-crystalline organic semiconductors exhibit unique properties that make them highly interesting for organic optoelectronic applications. Their optical and electrical anisotropies and the possibility to control the alignment of the liquid-crystalline semiconductor allow not only to optimize charge carrier transport, but to tune the optical property of organic thin-film devices as well. In this study, the molecular orientation in a liquid-crystalline semiconductor film is tuned by a novel blading process as well as by different annealing protocols. The altered alignment is verified by cross-polarized optical microscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry. It is shown that a change in alignment of the liquid-crystalline semiconductor improves charge transport in single charge carrier devices profoundly. Comparing the current-voltage characteristics of single charge carrier devices with simulations shows an excellent agreement and from this an in-depth understanding of single charge carrier transport in two-terminal devices is obtained. Finally, p-i-n type organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) compatible with vacuum processing techniques used in state-of-the-art OLEDs are demonstrated employing liquid-crystalline host matrix in the emission layer.