Comparative Electrothermal Characterization of Organic Light-Emitting Diodes Using Thermocouple and Infrared Thermography
This paper reports a comparative experimental study on the thermal behavior of organic lightemitting diodes (OLEDs) under varying electrical driving conditions. Temperature
distributions were simultaneously measured at both the top emission surface and rear substrate
surface using K-type digital thermocouples and high-resolution infrared thermography over
continuous 120 minutes operational periods. The OLED device was characterized at multiple
direct current levels (45 mA, 30 mA, 20 mA, and 5/15 mA) to establish comprehensive thermal
profiles. Experimental results reveal that device surface temperature, used as a proxy for
junction temperature, exhibits strong positive correlation with applied current density, with
thermal steady-state conditions achieved between 60–110 minutes depending on operating
conditions. The rear surface consistently exhibited temperatures 3–6 °C higher than the top
surface across all current levels, indicating heat accumulation within the substrate and the
thermal resistance of the multilayer OLED structure. Thermal imaging revealed temperature
gradients of approximately 1.5–2.5 °C between device center and edges at steady state.
Comparison of measurement methodologies shows infrared thermography consistently
recorded temperatures 1–3°C higher than thermocouple measurements due to emissivity
considerations and surface radiation effects. These findings quantify the thermal management
requirements for OLED devices and establish baseline thermal characteristics essential for
reliability modeling, lifetime prediction, and packaging optimization in display and lighting
applications. The proposed dual-measurement framework establishes a practical experimental
benchmark for validating electrothermal simulations of OLED devices. Accurate experimental
thermal characterization remains a prerequisite for predictive electrothermal modelling of
emerging OLED technologies.