Differences in ITO Surfaces According to the Formation of Aromatic Rings and Aliphatic Self-Assembled Monolayers for Organic Light-Emitting Diode Applications

In this study, we investigated the effects on the characteristic changes in OLED devices of using self-assembled monolayers with different functional groups as the hole injection layer, resulting in changes in their performance. Thus, we confirmed that it is possible to control the wetting properties, surface roughness, and work function of the indium tin oxide (ITO) surface by introducing self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). The contact angle measurements confirmed that the substrate surface contact angle tended to increase with SAM deposition. In addition, AFM measurements confirmed that the substrate surface roughness tended to decrease when SAM was deposited on the surface. Finally, it was confirmed through the work function measurement results that the work function increased when the ITO surface was modified by SAM. Furthermore, compared to OLEDs using only the ITO anode, the SAM-modified device showed a higher current density (359.68 A/cm2), improved brightness (76.8 cd/cm2), and a smaller turn-on voltage (7 V). This approach provides a simple route for fabricating organic light-emitting diode applications.