Lead-Free Halide Light-Emitting Diodes with External Quantum Efficiency Exceeding 7% Using Host–Dopant Strategy

Lead-free halide light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are fabricated using nontoxic and earth-abundant CsCu2I3 with a strong yellow emission at a peak wavelength of 568 nm. CsCu2I3-based host–dopant emitters are formed by vacuum thermal evaporation (VTE) film codeposition process instead of the commonly used solution-based film deposition process. Using the VTE process, extremely thin (30 nm) host–dopant emitters have successfully been formed with the CsCu2I3 dopant and various organic host molecules. A bright yellow emission with a photoluminescence quantum yield value of 84.8% is achieved in the 0.5% CsCu2I3-doped halide emitter film due to the successful spatial localization of charge carriers and excitons using an organic host with appropriate energy levels to CsCu2I3. With the further enhancement in charge balance using the cohost system, a record-breaking lead-free halide LED has been fabricated with an EQE of 7.4%. The lead-free halide LEDs are also highly stable in the device operation with LT70 of 20 h at 100 cd/m2.