Method of manufacturing organic EL element, organic EL element, and organic EL display device

• US 20020041926A1
• Filed: 10/24/2001
• Published: 04/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kiguchi, Hiroshi, Kanbe, Sadao, Shimoda, Tatsuya, Miyashita, Satoru
• Granted Patent: US 6,833,156 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/66
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2323/00 Functional layers of liquid crystal optical display excluding electroactive liquid crystal layer characterised by chemical composition
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/10 Apparatus or processes specially adapted to the manufacture of electroluminescent light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8426 Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/844 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/865 comprising light absorbing layers, e.g. light-blocking layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/12 Active-matrix OLED [AMOLED] displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/17 Passive-matrix OLED displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/173 comprising banks or shadow masks
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/35 comprising red-green-blue [RGB] subpixels
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/353 characterised by the geometrical arrangement of the RGB subpixels
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/00 Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/135 using ink-jet printing
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/164 using vacuum deposition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/917 Electroluminescent
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24868 Translucent outer layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31855 Of addition polymer from unsaturated monomers

Abstract

A method of manufacturing an organic EL element according to the present invention comprises the steps of forming pixel electrodes (801), (802), (803) on a transparent substrate (804) and forming on the pixel electrodes by patterning luminescent layers (806), (807), (808) made of an organic compound by means of an ink-jet method. According to this method, it is possible to carry out a high precise patterning easily and in a short time, thereby enabling to carry out optimization for a film design and luminescent characteristic easily as well as making it easy to adjust a luminous efficiency.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing an organic EL device, comprising the steps of:

forming electrodes on or above a substrate;

forming at least one luminescent layer having a certain color and made of an organic compound on or above said electrodes by patterning, said at least one luminescent layer including a plurality of pixel luminescent layers; and

forming a counter electrode opposing the electrodes,

the formation of said at least one luminescent layer being performed by discharging a composition for said at least one luminescent layer out from a nozzle toward said substrate so that a thus formed luminescent layer can be used as a substantially final pattern in which the respective pixel luminescent layers of the luminescent layer have a predetermined shape and are arranged in a predetermined order.

2. A method of manufacturing an organic EL device, comprising the steps of:

forming electrodes on or above a substrate;

forming three types of luminescent layers on or above said electrodes by patterning, each of said luminescent layers having a certain color and made of an organic compound and including respectively a plurality of pixel luminescent layers formed on or above said electrodes; and

forming a counter electrode opposing the electrodes,

the formation of said at least two luminescent layers being performed by discharging a composition for said luminescent layer out from a nozzle toward said substrate so that a thus formed luminescent layer can be used as a substantially final pattern in which the respective pixel luminescent layers of the luminescent layer have a predetermined shape and are arranged in a predetermined order.

3. A method of manufacturing an organic EL device, comprising the steps of:

forming electrodes on or above a substrate;

forming at least one luminescent layer having a certain color and made of an organic compound on or above said pixel electrodes by patterning, said at least one luminescent layer including a plurality of pixel luminescent layers; and

forming a counter electrode opposing the electrodes,

the formation of said at least one luminescent layer being performed by discharging a composition for said at least one luminescent layer out from a nozzle toward said substrate so that a thus formed luminescent layer is used as a separate layer from an underlying layer.

4. A method of manufacturing an organic EL device, comprising the steps of:

forming electrodes on or above a substrate;

forming three types of luminescent layers on or above predetermined pixel electrodes by patterning, each of said luminescent layers having a certain color and made of an organic compound and including respectively a plurality of pixel luminescent layers formed on or above said electrodes; and

forming a counter electrode opposing the electrodes,

the formation of said at least two luminescent layers being performed by discharging a composition for said luminescent layer out from a nozzle toward said substrate so that a thus formed luminescent layer is used as a separate layer from an underlying layer.

5. A method of manufacturing an organic EL device, comprising the steps of:

forming an electrode on or above a substrate;

forming at least one luminescent layer to be used as a separate layer from an underlying layer, having a certain color and made of an organic compound, on or above said electrode by discharging a composition for said at least one luminescent layer out from a nozzle toward said substrate; and

forming a counter electrode opposing the electrode.

6. A method of manufacturing an organic EL device, comprising the steps of:

forming electrodes on or above a substrate;

forming three types of luminescent layers to be used as separate layers from underlying layers on or above said electrodes by discharging compositions for said luminescent layers out from nozzles toward said substrate; and

forming a counter electrode opposing the electrodes.