Origin of Positive Aging in Quantum-Dot Light-Emitting Diodes

The phenomenon of positive aging, i.e., efficiency increased with time, is observed in quantum-dot light-emitting diodes (QLEDs). For example, the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of blue QLEDs is significantly improved from 4.93% to 12.97% after storage for 8 d. The origin of such positive aging is thoroughly investigated. The finding indicates that the interfacial reaction between Al cathode and ZnMgO electron transport layer accounts for such improvement. During shelf-aging, the Al slowly reacts with the oxygen from ZnMgO, and consequently, leads to the formation of AlO _x and the production of oxygen vacancies in ZnMgO. The AlO _x interlayer reduces the electron injection barrier while the oxygen vacancies increase the conductivity of ZnMgO and, as a result, the electron injection is effectively enhanced. Moreover, the AlO _x can effectively suppress the quenching of excitons by metal electrode. Due to the enhancement of electron injection and suppression of exciton quenching, the aged blue, green, and red QLEDs exhibit a 2.6-, 1.3-, and 1.25-fold efficiency improvement, respectively. The studies disclose the origin of positive aging and provide a new insight into the exciton quenching mechanisms, which would be useful for further constructing efficient QLED devices.