Barrier coating for polymer light-emitting diodes using carbon nitride thin films deposited at low temperature by PECVD technique

In this work, a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system was used to deposit carbon nitride at low deposition temperatures (ca. 100 °C) to improve the lifetime of polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs) and to decrease photo-degradation of MEH-PPV (poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene-vinilene]) in air. The characteristics of the carbon nitride and MEH-PPV films are investigated with FTIR and UV–Visible spectroscopies, with particular emphasis on the degradation process of MEH-PPV under illumination. It was shown by absorbance measurements that the coating protects the polymer film since the damage caused by photo-oxidation diminishes considerably. Current vs. voltage curves for PLEDs also indicated that the protection of a carbon nitride layer enhances the device lifetime.