건국대학교 이위형 교수(재료공학과, 교신저자)팀이 노스웨스턴대학교 이정훈 박사(재료공학과, 제1저자), 충남대학교 구자승 교수(유기재료공학과, 교신저자)와 공동으로 중수소(Deuterium, D2)를 활용한 새로운 소재 기술을 개발해 차세대 디스플레이 기술의 안정성과 성능을 크게 향상시켰다.
Key role in development of next-generation flexible display switching devices
It was shown that using a polymer blend element based on deuterium (D2) can simultaneously improve high mobility, thermal stability, and performance stability according to continuous voltage while saving costs compared to the method of directly adding deuterium.
Professor Lee Wi-hyung's team (Department of Materials Engineering, corresponding author) at Konkuk University, Dr. Lee Jeong-hoon (Department of Materials Engineering, first author) at Northwestern University, and Professor Koo Ja-seung (Department of Organic Materials Engineering, corresponding author) at Chungnam National University jointly developed a new material technology using deuterium, which was announced on the 19th, and it was announced that it can significantly improve the stability and performance of next-generation display technology.
The results of this study were published online on November 27, 2024 in Advanced Functional Materials (IF = 18.5), a leading authority in the materials field.
Deuterium is an isotope of hydrogen that has a unique structure with one extra neutron in the nucleus.
Although it exists in trace amounts in nature, its structural characteristics open up new possibilities in the development of advanced materials.
In particular, deuterium plays an important role in improving the performance and stability of electronic devices in next-generation display technology.
For example, in organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology, heat resistance was significantly improved by replacing hydrogen in the emitting layer with deuterium, which led to an extension of the OLED's lifespan and improved efficiency.
On the other hand, the existing method of directly introducing deuterium into the active layer had the limitation of high production costs.
To overcome these limitations, the research team proposed a new type of phase-separation structure by mixing an insulating polymer (PMMA, PS) containing deuterium with an organic semiconductor.
Through this, it was possible to simultaneously improve high mobility and thermal stability as well as performance stability under continuous voltage without directly introducing deuterium into the active layer.
Experimental results showed that the deuterium-based polymer blend devices exhibited superior electrical properties and stability in high-temperature environments compared to conventional general-purpose polymers.
Additionally, performance was maintained even when voltage was applied for a long period of time. This technology is compatible with existing manufacturing processes and is attracting attention as a practical solution that can secure high performance and durability while minimizing costs.
The technology of this study is expected to play a key role in the development of switching elements for next-generation flexible displays.
Transistor technology utilizing deuterium will provide both high performance and stability, and will have a major impact, especially in applications where flexibility and durability are important.
This is expected to be an important opportunity to redefine the performance of electronic devices beyond the display industry and open a new industrial paradigm.
This study was participated by Professor Lee Wi-hyung of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Konkuk University and Professor Koo Ja-seung of Chungnam National University as corresponding authors. The first author, Dr. Lee Jeong-hoon, graduated from the Department of Organic Nanosystems Engineering at Konkuk University, received his doctorate from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Seoul National University, and is currently working as a postdoctoral researcher at Northwestern University.
In addition, Soo-Hwan Lim, a student at Konkuk University, and Min-Song Kim, a student at Chungnam National University, participated as co-first authors, and the quantum mechanical calculations according to deuterium substitution were conducted by the team of Professor Hoon-Kyung Lee of the Department of Physics at Konkuk University.
This study was conducted with the support of the Ministry of Science and ICT's mid-career research project and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and with the cooperation of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute's neutron scattering experiment.