The Effect of a Metal Electrode on the Electroluminescence of Poly(p-phenylenevinylene)

The effect of metal on the emission characteristics of a ITO-poly(p-phenylenevinylene)-M (M: Al, In, Mg, or Ca) electroluminescence device was studied. The emission peak at 550 nm is substantially smaller than that at 515 nm for devices with metals which have a larger work function. In the case of photoluminescence, the thinner the poly(p-phenylenevinylene) (PPV) film the smaller is the 550-nm peak observed using an Al electrode. These results are discussed in terms of the interaction of metal with PPV at the PPV-metal interface.