Abstract
We have investigated the effects of atmospheric exposure on the properties of tris (8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq3) thin films by photoluminescence (PL) and UV-Vis absorption measurements. Alq3 films were evaporated on glass substrates at different temperatures. The influence of annealing on the environmental stability of the films has also been investigated. It has been found that deposition at higher substrate temperature and annealing of the samples deposited at room temperature yield an improvement in the environmental stability of the films, i.e. less decrease in the PL intensity over time with exposure to atmosphere, as well as increased PL intensity. To investigate further the effects of the air exposure, films deposited at room temperature were stored for four days in air, nitrogen, and oxygen. No decrease in PL intensity has been found for storage in nitrogen, while the decrease for the film stored in oxygen was smaller than that for the film stored in air, indicating that both humidity and oxygen play a role in the PL intensity decrease in Alq3 thin films.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
J.R. Sheats, H. Antoniadis, M. Hueschen, W. Leonard, J. Miller, R. Moon, D. Roitman, A. Stocking: Science 273, 884 (1996)
G.S. Saini, D.G. Hopper: Proc. SPIE 3363, 288 (1998)
C.W. Tang, S.A. VanSlyke, C.H. Chen: J. Appl. Phys. 65, 3610 (1989)
X. Zhou, M. Pfeiffer, J. Blochwitz, A. Werner, A. Nollau, T. Fritz, K. Leo: Appl. Phys. Lett. 78, 410 (2001)
F. Papadimitrakopoulos, X.M. Zhang, K.A. Higginson: IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron. 4, 49 (1998)
F. Papadimitrakopoulos, X.M. Zhang, D.L. Thomsen, III, K.A. Higginson: Chem. Mater. 8, 1363 (1996)
K.A. Higginson, X.M. Zhang, F. Papadimitrakopoulos: Chem. Mater. 10, 1017 (1998)
A. Aziz, K.L. Narasimhan: Synth. Met. 114, 133 (2000)
J. Shen, D. Wang, E. Langlios, W.A. Barrow, P.J. Green, C.W. Tang, J. Shi: Synth. Met. 111–112, 233 (2000)
P.E. Burrows, V. Bulovic, S.R. Forrest, L.S. Sapochak, D.M. McCarty, M.E. Thompson: Appl. Phys. Lett. 65, 2922 (1994)
Z.D. Popovic, H. Aziz, N.-X. Hu, A.-M. Hor, G. Xu: Proc. SPIE 3797, 310 (1999)
Z.D. Popovic, S. Xie, N. Hu, A. Hor, D. Fork, G. Anderson, C. Tripp: Thin Solid Films 363, 6 (2000)
H. Aziz, Z. Popovic, S. Xie, A. Hor, N. Xu, C. Tripp, G. Xu: Appl. Phys. Lett. 72, 756 (1998)
H. Aziz, Z. Popovic, C.P. Tripp, N.-X. Hu, A.-M. Hor, G. Xu: Appl. Phys. Lett. 72, 2642 (1998)
T.P. Nguyen, P. Jolinat, P. Destruel, R. Clergereaux, J. Farenc: Thin Solid Films 325, 175 (1998)
L.-M. Do, M. Oyamada, A. Koike, E.-M. Han, N. Yamamoto, M. Fujihira: Thin Solid Films 273, 209 (1996)
Y. Sato, S. Ichinosawa, H. Kanai: IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron. 4, 40 (1998)
Z.D. Popovic, H. Aziz, N.X. Hu, A. Ionnaidis, P.N.M. dos Anjos: J. Appl. Phys. 89, 4673 (2001)
D. Kolosov, D.S. English, V. Bulovic, P.F. Barbara, S.R. Forrest, M.E. Thompson: J. Appl. Phys. 90, 3242 (2001)
J. McElvain, H. Antoniadis, M.R. Hueschen, J.N. Miller, D.M. Roitman, J.R. Sheats, R.L. Moon: J. Appl. Phys. 80, 6002 (1996)
J.S. Scott, J.H. Kaufman, P.J. Brock, R. Dipietro, J. Salem, J.A. Goitia: J. Appl. Phys. 79, 2745 (1996)
L.S. Liao, J. He, X. Zhou, M. Lu, Z.H. Xiong, Z.B. Deng, X.Y. Hou, S.T. Lee: J. Appl. Phys. 88, 2386 (2000)
D.S. Qin, D.C. Li, Y. Wang, J.D. Zhang, Z.Y. Xie, G. Wang, L.X. Wang, D.H. Yan: Appl. Phys. Lett. 78, 437 (2001)
S.T. Lee, C.S. Lee, Z.Q. Gao, B.J. Chen, W.Y. Lai, T.C. Wong: Proc. SPIE 3797, 138 (1999)
M. Brinkmann, G. Gadret, M. Muccini, C. Taliani, N. Masciocchi, A. Sironi: J. Am. Chem. Soc. 122, 5147 (2000)
M. Muccini, M. Brinkmann, G. Gadret, C. Taliani, N. Masciocchi, A. Sironi: Synth. Met. 122, 31 (2001)
M. Brinkmann, F. Biscarini, C. Taliani, I. Aiello, M. Ghedini: Phys. Rev. B 61, R16339 (2000)
M. Braun, J. Gmeiner, M. Tzolov, M. Coelle, F.D. Meyer, W. Milius, H. Hillebrecht, O. Wendland, J.U. von Schütz, W. Brütting: J. Chem. Phys. 114, 9625 (2001)
F. Toffolo, M. Brinkmann, O. Greco, F. Biscarini, C. Taliani, H.L. Gomes , I. Aiello, M. Ghedini: Synth. Met. 101, 140 (1999)
A. Aziz, K.L. Narasimhan: Synth. Met. 122, 53 (2001)
M. Tzolov, W. Brütting, V. Petrova-Koch, A. Mückl, S. Berleb, J. Gmeiner, M. Schwörer: Synth. Met. 119, 559 (2001)
X. Yang, Y. Tang, M. Yu, Q. Qin: Thin Solid Films 358, 187 (2000)
L.F. Cheng, L.S. Liao, W.Y. Lai, X.H. Sun, N.B. Wong, C.S. Lee, S.T. Lee: Chem. Phys. Lett. 319, 418 (2000)
J. Laubender, L. Chkoda, M. Sokolowski, E. Umbach: Synth. Met. 111–112, 373 (2000)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
PACS
78.55.Kz; 78.40.Me
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Djurišić, A., Lau, T., Lam, L. et al. Influence of atmospheric exposure of tris (8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq3): a photoluminescence and absorption study. Appl. Phys. A 78, 375–380 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-002-1915-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-002-1915-5