Bilayer composite electrodes for diodes

Claim 2

In a diode comprising an ohmic hole-injecting layer electrode in contact with a first side of a layer of an electrically active material and an electron-injecting layer electrode in contact with a second side of said layer of an electrically active material, the improvement comprising employing as said ohmic hole-injecting layer electrode a composite ohmic hole-injecting layer electrode comprising at least one layer of a high work function conductive inorganic material plus at least one layer of conductive polyaniline.

Claim 3

The diode of claim 1 wherein one of said at least one layers of conductive polyaniline in said composite ohmic hole-injecting layer is in contact with said second side of said layer of an electrically active material.

Claim 4

The diode of claim 2 wherein the composite ohmic hole-injecting electrode consists essentially of a layer of a high work function conductive inorganic material plus a layer of conductive polyaniline.

Claim 5

The diode of claim 2 wherein the high work function conductive inorganic material is a high work function 1 metal.

Claim 6

The diode of claim 2 wherein the high work function conductive inorganic material is a high work function metal/metal oxide.

Claim 7

The diode of claim 5 wherein the high work function metal/metal oxide is indium/tin oxide.

Claim 8

The diode of claim 2 wherein the polyaniline is in the emeraldine form.

Claim 9

The diode of claim 6 wherein the polyaniline is in the emeraldine form.

Claim 10

The diode of claim 8 wherein the polyaniline is selected from PANI-CSA and PANI-DBSA.

Claim 11

The diode of claim 2 wherein the diode is a light-reactive photovoltaic diode and wherein the thicknesses of the layers in the composite ohmic hole-injecting layer electrode are selected to permit the light employed by the photovoltaic diode to pass through the composite ohmic hole-injecting layer electrode.

Claim 12

The diode of claim 10 wherein the layer of polyaniline is from 25 to 1000 Å in thickness.

Claim 13

The diode of claim 2 wherein the diode is a light-emitting diode and wherein the thicknesses of the layers in the composite ohmic hole-injecting layer electrode are selected to permit the light emitted by the light-emitting diode to pass through the composite ohmic hole-injecting layer electrode.

Claim 14

The diode of claim 12 wherein the layer of polyaniline is from 25 to 1000 Å in thickness.

Claim 15

The diode of claim 13 wherein the composite ohmic hole-injecting electrode consists essentially of a layer of a high work function conductive inorganic material plus a layer of conductive polyaniline.

Claim 16

The diode of claim 13 wherein the high work function conductive inorganic material is a high work function metal.

Claim 17

The diode of claim 13 wherein the high work function conductive inorganic material is a high work function metal/metal oxide.

Claim 18

The diode of claim 16 wherein the high work function metal/metal oxide is indium/tin oxide.

Claim 19

The diode of claim 13 wherein the polyaniline is in the emeraldine form.

Claim 20

The diode of claim 17 wherein the polyaniline is in the emeraldine form.

Claim 21

The diode of claim 19 wherein the polyaniline is selected from PANI-CSA and PANI-DBSA.

Claim 22

The diode of claim 12 wherein the electrically active material comprises an electroluminescent conjugated semiconducting organic polymer.

Claim 23

The diode of claim 21 wherein the electroluminescent conjugated semiconducting organic polymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(phenylenevinylene) and alkoxy derivatives thereof, including poly(2-methoxy,5-(2'-ethyl-hexyloxy)-p-phenylenevinylene), poly(2,5-bis(cholestanoxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene), PPPV soluble derivatives of polythiophene including poly(3-alkylthiophene) wherein the alkyl is from about 6 to about 16 carbons atoms in length and poly(2,5-thienylenevinylene).

Claim 24

The diode of claim 22 wherein the electroluminescent conjugated semiconducting organic polymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(2-methoxy,5-(2'-ethyl-hexyloxy)-p-phenylenevinylene), poly(2,5-bis(cholestanoxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene), and poly(2,5-dimethoxy-p-phenylene vinylene).

Claim 25

The diode of claim 17 wherein the electrically active material comprises a electroluminescent conjugated semiconducting organic polymer.

Claim 26

The diode of claim 24 wherein the electroluminescent conjugated semiconducting organic polymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(2-methoxy,5-(2'-ethyl-hexyloxy)-p-phenylenevinylene), poly(2,5-bis(cholestanoxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene), and poly(2,5-dimethoxy-p-phenylene vinylene).

Claim 27

The diode of claim 25 wherein the polyaniline is in the emeraldine form.

Claim 28

The diode of claim 26 wherein the polyaniline is selected from PANI-CSA and PANI-DBSA.

Claim 29

The diode of claim 21 wherein the active material additionally comprises a hole-transporting polymer as a blend with the electroluminescent conjugated semiconducting polymer.

Claim 30

The diode of claim 21 wherein the active material additionally comprises an electron-transporting polymer as a blend with the electroluminescent conjugated semiconducting polymer.

Claim 31

A process for producing light comprising (a) applying a given voltage across the composite ohmic hole-injecting layer electrode and the electron-injecting layer electrode of the light-emitting diode of claim 12, said given voltage being not greater than 0.6 times the voltage necessary to produce light from a light-emitting diode having a noncomposite high work function inorganic ohmic hole-injecting layer electrode but being otherwise identical to the light emitting diode of claim 12 and (b) using said light.

Claim 32

A process for producing a defined quantity of light comprising (a) applying a given wattage across the composite ohmic hole-injecting layer electrode and the electron-injecting layer electrode of the light emitting diode of claim 12, said given wattage being not greater than 0.6 times the wattage necessary to produce said defined quantity of light from a light-emitting diode having a noncomposite high work function inorganic ohmic hole-injecting layer electrode but being otherwise identical to the light-emitting diode of claim 12 and (b) using said defined quantity of light.

Claim 33

A process for producing a defined quantity of light comprising (a) applying a given wattage at a given voltage across the composite ohmic hole-injecting layer electrode and the electron-injecting layer electrode of the light emitting diode of claim 12, said given wattage being not greater than 0.6 times the wattage necessary to produce said defined quantity of light from a light emitting diode having a noncomposite high work function inorganic ohmic hole-injecting layer electrode but being otherwise identical to the light-emitting diode of claim 12 and said given voltage being not greater than 0.6 times the voltage necessary to produce light from a light emitting diode having a noncomposite high work function inorganic ohmic hole-injecting layer electrode but being otherwise identical to the light emitting diode of claim 12 and (b) using said defined quantity of light.

Claim 34

A process for producing a defined quantity of light comprising (a) applying a given wattage at a given voltage across the composite ohmic hole-injecting layer electrode and the electron-injecting layer electrode of the light emitting diode of claim 26, said given wattage being not greater than 0.6 times the wattage necessary to produce said defined quantity of light from a light emitting diode having a noncomposite high work function inorganic ohmic hole-injecting layer electrode but being otherwise identical to the light-emitting diode of claim 26 and said given voltage being not greater than 0.6 times the voltage necessary to produce light from a light emitting diode having a noncomposite high work function inorganic ohmic hole-injecting layer electrode but being otherwise identical to the light emitting diode of claim 26 and (b) using said defined quantity of light.