Light: Science & Applications (Jul 2024)

Vertically stacked skin-like active-matrix display with ultrahigh aperture ratio

  • Juntong Li,
  • Yanping Ni,
  • Xiaoli Zhao,
  • Bin Wang,
  • Chuang Xue,
  • Zetong Bi,
  • Cong Zhang,
  • Yongjun Dong,
  • Yanhong Tong,
  • Qingxin Tang,
  • Yichun Liu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-024-01524-z
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 1
pp. 1 – 13

Abstract

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Abstract Vertically stacked all-organic active-matrix organic light-emitting diodes are promising candidates for high-quality skin-like displays due to their high aperture ratio, extreme mechanical flexibility, and low-temperature processing ability. However, these displays suffer from process interferences when interconnecting functional layers made of all-organic materials. To overcome this challenge, we present an innovative integration strategy called “discrete preparation-multilayer lamination” based on microelectronic processes. In this strategy, each functional layer was prepared separately on different substrates to avoid chemical and physical damage caused by process interferences. A single interconnect layer was introduced between each vertically stacked functional layer to ensure mechanical compatibility and interconnection. Compared to the previously reported layer-by-layer preparation method, the proposed method eliminates the need for tedious protection via barrier and pixel-defining layer processing steps. Additionally, based on active-matrix display, this strategy allows multiple pixels to collectively display a pattern of “1” with an aperture ratio of 83%. Moreover, the average mobility of full-photolithographic organic thin-film transistors was 1.04 cm2 V−1 s− 1, ensuring stable and uniform displays. This strategy forms the basis for the construction of vertically stacked active-matrix displays, which should facilitate the commercial development of skin-like displays in wearable electronics.