A SIMPLE METHOD FOR FABRICATING POLYMERIC LIGHT-EMITTING-DIODES

A simple, inexpensive method involving chemical deposition of silver m etal onto a polymer layer by noncatalytic chemical reduction from silv er nitrate solution is used in the fabrication of polymeric light-emit ting diodes (LEDs). The method yielded silver films with good polymer/ metal interfaces and the resulting LEDs emitted light uniformly over t he entire device area, but the emission efficiencies were lower by an order of magnitude compared to LEDs with vacuum-deposited metal electr odes, The chemical deposition of the metal film was carried out on a l ab bench in open air without any special precautions. In addition to i ts cost advantage over vacuum deposition methods, the chemical process may also allow fabrication of polymer LEDs on nonflat and/or large ar ea substrates.