Bendable and Curlable Electroluminescent Devices Based on Room Temperature Deposited Flexible Indium Zinc Tin Oxide Electrode

The pursuit of high-performance, stable, and mechanically superior transparent conductive electrodes, compatible with flexible optoelectronic devices, remains a constant endeavor. Indium tin oxide (ITO) currently stands out as the most stable electrode, yet the flexibility of commercial ITO films falls short of meeting the requirements for flexible device applications. In this study, we successfully synthesized amorphous Zn- and Sn-doped In2O3 (IZTO) with exceptional flexibility at room temperature. The sheet resistance of IZTO remained consistent even after enduring 10,000 bending cycles with a radius of 4 mm and exhibited resilience to bending radii as low as 1 mm. Employing IZTO thin films in alternating current electroluminescent (ACEL) devices revealed a brightness of 171.6 cd/m2 at 160 V and 300 Hz. The flexibility of the IZTO thin films allows ACEL devices to maintain brightness after 2000 bends at a 4 mm radius. Furthermore, curlable ACEL devices with dimensions of approximately ten square centimeters were successfully demonstrated on flexible fabrics. The developed IZTO electrode emerges as a promising candidate for future applications in flexible ACEL devices.