High-performance hybrid buffer layer using 1,4,5,8,9,11-hexaazatriphenylenehexacarbonitrile/molybdenum oxide in inverted top-emitting organic light-emitting diodes.

A high-performance 1,4,5,8,9,11-hexaazatriphenylenehexacarbonitrile (HATCN)/molybdenum oxide (MoO3) hybrid buffer layer with high hole-injection efficiency and superior plasma resistance under the sputtering process was developed. The HATCN enhances the hole-injection efficiency, and the MoO3 effectively protects the underlying organic layers from plasma damage during deposition by sputtering. This improves the characteristics of inverted top-emitting organic light-emitting diodes using a top transparent conductive oxide electrode. The device using the hybrid buffer layer showed the highest electroluminescence characteristics among devices with other buffer layers. The high hole-injection efficiency of HATCN was shown by the J–F curve of hole-only devices, and the plasma protection performance of MoO3 was shown by atomic force microscope surface morphology images of the buffer layer film after O2 plasma treatment.