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

• US 20020136823A1
• Filed: 07/10/2001
• Published: 09/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1996
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kiguchi, Hiroshi, Kanbe, Sadao, Shimoda, Tatsuya, Miyashita, Satoru
• Application Number:
  US09/901,097
• Publication Number:
  US 20020136823A1
• 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 element, comprising the steps of:

forming pixel electrodes on a transparent substrate;

forming on said pixel electrodes by patterning at least one luminescent layer having a certain color and made of an organic compound; and

forming a counter electrode opposing the pixel electrodes, wherein the formation of the luminescent layer is performed by means of an ink-jet method.

2. The method of manufacturing an organic EL element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the organic compound is a polymer organic compound.

3. The method of manufacturing an organic EL element as claimed in claim 2, wherein the polymer organic compound is a hole injection and transfer type material.

4. The method of manufacturing an organic EL element as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the polymer organic compound is a polyparaphenylene vinylene or its derivative or a copolymer which contains at least either one of these compounds.

5. The method of manufacturing an organic EL element as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said at least one luminescent layer comprises three luminescent layers having diff erent three colors, and at least two luminescent layers in the three luminescent layers are formed by patterning by means of an ink-jet method.

6. The method of manufacturing an organic EL element as claimed in claim 5, wherein said three colors include red, green and blue, and the red luminescent layer and the green luminescent layer are formed by patterning by means of an ink-jet method.

7. The method of manufacturing an organic EL element as claimed in claim 6, wherein the blue luminescent layer is formed by a vacuum deposition method.

8. The method of manufacturing an organic EL element as claimed in claim 7, wherein the blue luminescent layer is made of an electron injection and transfer type material.

9. The method of manufacturing an organic EL element as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said at least one luminescent layer is laminated with a hole injection and transfer layer.

10. The method of manufacturing an organic EL element as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising the step of forming a protective film on the counter electrode.

11. The method of manufacturing an organic EL element as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising the step of forming on said transparent substrate electrodes for driving the respective pixels.

12. The method of manufacturing an organic EL element as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein said pixel electrodes are transparent pixel electrodes.

14. The organic EL element, as claimed in claim 13, wherein the organic compound is a polymer organic compound.

15. The organic EL element as claimed in claim 14, wherein the polymer organic compound is a hole injection and transfer type material.

16. The organic EL element as claimed in claim 14 or 15, wherein the polymer organic compound is a polyparaphenylene vinylene or its derivative or a copolymer which contains at least either one of these compounds.

18. The organic EL element as claimed in claim 17, wherein said three colors include red, green and blue, and the red luminescent layer and the green luminescent layer are patterned by means of an ink-jet method.

20. The organic EL element as claimed in claim 19, wherein the blue luminescent layer is made of an electron injection and transfer type material.

13. An organic EL element, comprising:

a transparent substrate;

pixel electrodes provided on the transparent substrate;

at least one luminescent layer having a certain color and made of an organic compound, said luminescent layer being patterned on the pixel electrodes by an ink-jet system; and

a counter electrode formed on the luminescent layer.

17. The organic EL element as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein said at least one luminescent layer comprises three luminescent layers having different three colors, and at least two luminescent layers in the three luminescent layers are formed by patterning by means of an ink-jet method.

19. The organic EL element as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 18, wherein the blue luminescent layer is formed by a vacuum deposition method.

21. The organic EL element as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 20, wherein said at least one luminescent layer is laminated with an electron injection and transfer type material.

22. The organic EL element as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 31, further comprising a protective film formed on the counter electrode.

23. The organic EL element as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 22, wherein said pixel electrodes are transparent pixel electrodes.

24. An organic EL display device comprising the organic EL element as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 23.