Flexible Quantum-Dot Light-Emitting Diodes Using Embedded Silver Mesh Transparent Electrodes Manufactured by an Ultraprecise Deposition Method

Transparent conductive electrodes (TCEs) fabricated onto flexible substrates are crucial parts of organic-light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), which are vastly utilized for display and lightning applications. Indium tin oxide (ITO), which is so far the most popular material for transparent and conductive electrodes, is found to be an unsuitable candidate for flexible devices mostly due to its brittleness. Here, we present a novel approach for the fabrication of transparent, conductive, and flexible electrodes for optoelectronic applications made of silver metal mesh by an ultraprecise deposition (UPD) method. The fabricated mesh exhibits an 80% (λ = 550 nm) optical transmittance and a sheet resistance of 11 Ω/sq. The Ag-mesh embedded into the polymer is implemented as an anode for a quantum-dot light-emitting diode (QLED) in order to assess its performance. The fabricated QLED is characterized by the maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 2% and a current efficiency (CE) of 6 cd/A, reaching the maximum luminance (L) of 3200 cd/m2 at a current density of 100 mA/cm2. This method shows a fast and relatively simple approach to fabricate optoelectronic devices without the need for special treatment and sophisticated equipment.