Light Outcoupling Technologies

This chapter gives comprehensive description of the light outcoupling technologies for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Some state of art techniques will be introduced in detail. This chapter consists of three parts. The first part analyzes the light distribution in OLED with two models: ray optics model and dipole interference model. The second part introduces the external extraction structures, which can extract the light trapped in the substrate. The last part describes the more effective outcoupling technologies, the internal extraction structures, which can couple out not only the light in the substrate but also the light trapped in the active layers of the device. Finally, a conclusion will be given.

Keywords: Air mode, Dipole interference, External extraction structure, Internal extraction structure, Metal nanoparticles, Microlens array, Nanostructured random scattering layer, Outcoupling, Perforated hole injection layer, Photonic crystal, Ray optics, Scattering film, Substrate mode, Surface plasmon, Total internal reflection, Waveguide mode.