Electrode for an electronic device

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention pertains to an electrode that includes a metal oxide layer, and a conductive layer on that metal oxide layer. The metal oxide layer is an alkali metal oxide or an alkaline earth metal oxide that is formed by: (1) decomposing a compound that includes (a) oxygen and (b) an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal, or (2) thermally reacting at least two compounds where one of the at least two compounds includes the alkali metal or the alkaline earth metal, and another one of the at least two compounds includes oxygen. The metal oxide layer can also be formed by thermally reacting at least two compounds where one of those compounds includes (a) oxygen and (b) an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal.

1 - 44 . (canceled)  
   
   
       45 . An electrode, comprising:  
     a metal oxide layer; and  
     a conductive layer on said metal oxide layer,  
     wherein said metal oxide layer is an alkali metal oxide or an alkaline earth metal oxide that is formed by: (1) decomposing a compound that includes (a) oxygen and (b) an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal, or (2) thermally reacting at least two compounds where one of said at least two compounds includes said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal, and another one of said at least two compounds includes said oxygen.  
   
   
       46 . The electrode of  claim 45  wherein 
 said compound that includes (a) said oxygen and (b) said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal is a salt that includes (a) said oxygen and (b) said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal; and    said one of said at least two compounds that includes said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal is a salt that includes said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal.    
   
   
       47 . The electrode of  claim 46  wherein 
 said salt that includes (a) said oxygen and (b) said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal is any one of: formates, acetates, carbonates, bicarbonates, sulphates, nitrates, or oxalates of said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal; and    said salt that includes said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal is any one of: formates, acetates, carbonates, bicarbonates, sulphates, nitrates, or oxalates of said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal.    
   
   
       48 . The electrode of  claim 45  wherein  
     said metal oxide layer is a cesium oxide layer;  
     said compound that includes (a) said oxygen and (b) said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal is a compound that includes (a) said oxygen and (b) cesium; and  
     said one of said at least two compounds includes said cesium.  
   
   
       49 . The electrode of  claim 48  wherein 
 said compound that includes (a) said oxygen and (b) said cesium is a cesium salt.    
   
   
       50 . The electrode of  claim 49  wherein 
 said cesium salt is any one of: a cesium carbonate, a cesium bicarbonate, a cesium acetate, a cesium oxalate, or a cesium formate.    
   
   
       51 . The electrode of  claim 45  wherein  
     said metal oxide layer is a cesium oxide layer;  
     said compound that includes (a) said oxygen and (b) said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal is cesium carbonate;  
     said one of said at least two compounds is cesium sulfate; and  
     said other one of said at least two compounds is barium oxide.  
   
   
       52 . The electrode of  claim 51  wherein said cesium oxide layer is any one of: CsO, Cs 2 O, or CSO 2 .  
   
   
       53 . The electrode of  claim 51  wherein said cesium oxide layer has a thickness from about 0.2 nm to about 10 nm.  
   
   
       54 . The electrode of  claim 45  wherein  
     decomposing said compound that includes (a) said oxygen and (b) said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal includes heating said compound, and  
     thermally reacting said two compounds includes physically mixing said two compounds and then heating said mixture.  
   
   
       55 . The electrode of  claim 45  wherein said metal oxide layer has a thickness from 0.1 nm to 0.4 nm.  
   
   
       56 . An electrode, comprising:  
     a metal oxide layer; and  
     a conductive layer on said metal oxide layer,  
     wherein said metal oxide layer is an alkali metal oxide or an alkaline earth metal oxide that is formed by thermally reacting at least two compounds where one of said at least two compounds includes (1) oxygen and (2) an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal.  
   
   
       57 . The electrode of  claim 56  wherein 
 said one of said at least two compounds that includes (1) said oxygen and (2) said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal is a salt that includes (1) said oxygen and (2) said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal.    
   
   
       58 . The electrode of  claim 57  wherein 
 said salt that includes (1) said oxygen and (2) said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal is any one of: formates, acetates, carbonates, bicarbonates, sulphates, nitrates, or oxalates of said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal.    
   
   
       59 . The electrode of  claim 56  wherein 
 said metal oxide layer is a cesium oxide layer; and    said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal is cesium,    wherein said cesium oxide layer is any one of: CsO, Cs 2 O, or CsO 2 .    
   
   
       60 . The electrode of  claim 56  wherein  
     thermally reacting said at least two compounds includes physically mixing said at least two compounds and then heating said mixture.  
   
   
       61 . The electrode of  claim 56  wherein said metal oxide layer has a thickness from 0.1 nm to 0.4 nm.  
   
   
       62 . An electronic device, comprising:  
     a substrate;  
     a first electrode on said substrate;  
     at least one semiconductive layer on said first electrode; and  
     a second electrode on said at least one semiconductive layer,  
     wherein a particular one of said first electrode or said second electrode includes  
     a metal oxide layer; and  
     a conductive layer on said metal oxide layer,  
     wherein said metal oxide layer is an alkali metal oxide or an alkaline earth metal oxide that is formed by: (1) decomposing a compound that includes (a) oxygen and (b) an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal, or (2) thermally reacting at least two compounds where a first one of said at least two compounds includes said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal, and a second one of said at least two compounds includes said oxygen, or (3) thermally reacting at least two compounds where a particular one of said at least two compounds includes (1) oxygen and (2) an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal.  
   
   
       63 . The electronic device of  claim 62  wherein 
 said compound that includes (a) said oxygen and (b) said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal is a salt that includes (a) said oxygen and (b) said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal;    said first one of said at least two compounds that includes said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal is a salt that includes said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal; and    said particular one of said at least two compounds that includes (1) said oxygen and (2) said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal is a salt that includes (1) said oxygen and (2) said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal.    
   
   
       64 . The electronic device of  claim 63  wherein 
 said salt that includes (a) said oxygen and (b) said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal is any one of: formates, acetates, carbonates, bicarbonates, sulphates, nitrates, or oxalates of said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal;    said salt that includes said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal is any one of: formates, acetates, carbonates, bicarbonates, sulphates, nitrates, or oxalates of said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal; and    said salt that includes (1) said oxygen and (2) said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal is any one of: formates, acetates, carbonates, bicarbonates, sulphates, nitrates, or oxalates of said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal.    
   
   
       65 . The electronic device of  claim 62  wherein said electronic device is an organic light emitting diode and  
     said metal oxide layer is a cesium oxide layer;  
     said compound that includes (a) said oxygen and (b) said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal is a compound that includes (a) said oxygen and (b) cesium;  
     said first one of said at least two compounds includes said cesium; and  
     said particular one of said at least two compounds includes (1) oxygen and (2) cesium.  
   
   
       66 . The electronic device of  claim 62  wherein said electronic device is an organic light emitting diode and  
     said metal oxide layer is a cesium oxide layer;  
     said compound that includes (a) said oxygen and (b) said alkali metal or said alkaline earth metal is cesium carbonate;  
     said first one of said at least two compounds is cesium sulfate;  
     said second one of said at least two compounds is barium oxide; and  
     said particular one of said at least two compounds includes (1) oxygen and (2) cesium.  
   
   
       67 . The electronic device of  claim 66  wherein said cesium oxide layer has a thickness from about 0.2 nm to about 10 nm.  
   
   
       68 . The electronic device of  claim 62  wherein  
     decomposing said compound includes heating said compound, and  
     thermally reacting said at least two compounds includes physically mixing said at least two compounds and then heating said mixture.  
   
   
       69 . The electronic device of  claim 66  wherein said at least one semiconductive layer includes an organic emissive polymer layer and said cesium oxide layer is on said organic emissive polymer layer, and when said organic light emitting diode is activated, said organic emissive polymer layer efficiently emits any one of the following colors: (1) red, (2) green, (3) blue, or ( 4 ) white.  
   
   
       70 . The electronic device of  claim 62  wherein said metal oxide layer has a thickness from 0.1 nm to 0.4 nm.