Surface characterization of O2-plasma-treated indium-tin-oxide (ITO) anodes for organic light-emitting-device applications

The effects of O2-plasma treatment on the surface properties of indium-tin-oxide (ITO) anodes and the lifetime of fabricated organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) were studied. With the O2-plasma treatment, the carbon atoms remaining on the ITO surface were completely removed, and the surface atomic compositions were altered, which caused the work function of ITO to increase. The oxygen plasma treatment of the ITO surface improved the stability of OLEDs due to modifications of the surface chemical states. The measured lifetimes of the OLEDs were extended significantly with the use of plasma-treated ITO substrates. PACS numbers: 8