METHOD OF FABRICATING TRANSPARENT CONTACTS FOR ORGANIC DEVICES
First Claim
1. A light emitting device including at least one organic light emitting device (OLED) that is substantially transparent (TOLED) when de-energized, comprising:
- a substantially transparent substrate having top and bottom surfaces;
a first substantially transparent thin film coating of indium tin oxide (ITO) applied to the top surface of said substrate;
a substantially transparent coating of a hole conducting material applied over said ITO layer;
a substantially transparent layer of an electron conducting and highly electroluminescent organic material overlaying said ITO layer;
a relatively thin film of a substantially transparent metal electrode applied over said organic material layer;
a second substantially transparent thin film coating of ITO overlying said metal electrode film; and
first and second electrical contacts bonded to said first and second ITO layers for receiving a bias voltage to energize said device, and cause it to emit light of a given color from top and bottom surfaces thereof.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A multicolor organic light emitting device employs vertically stacked layers of double heterostructure devices which are fabricated from organic compounds. The vertical stacked structure is formed on a glass base having a transparent coating of ITO or similar metal to provide a substrate. Deposited on the substrate is the vertical stacked arrangement of three double heterostructure devices, each fabricated from a suitable organic material. Stacking is implemented such that the double heterostructure with the longest wavelength is on the top of the stack. This constitutes the device emitting red light on the top with the device having the shortest wavelength, namely, the device emitting blue light, on the bottom of the stack. Located between the red and blue device structures is the green device structure. The devices are configured as stacked to provide a staircase profile whereby each device is separated from the other by a thin transparent conductive contact layer to enable light emanating from each of the devices to pass through the semitransparent contacts and through the lower device structures while further enabling each of the devices to receive a selective bias. The devices are substantially transparent when de-energized, making them useful for heads-up display applications.
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Citations
47 Claims
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1. A light emitting device including at least one organic light emitting device (OLED) that is substantially transparent (TOLED) when de-energized, comprising:
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a substantially transparent substrate having top and bottom surfaces;
a first substantially transparent thin film coating of indium tin oxide (ITO) applied to the top surface of said substrate;
a substantially transparent coating of a hole conducting material applied over said ITO layer;
a substantially transparent layer of an electron conducting and highly electroluminescent organic material overlaying said ITO layer;
a relatively thin film of a substantially transparent metal electrode applied over said organic material layer;
a second substantially transparent thin film coating of ITO overlying said metal electrode film; and
first and second electrical contacts bonded to said first and second ITO layers for receiving a bias voltage to energize said device, and cause it to emit light of a given color from top and bottom surfaces thereof. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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14. A method of fabricating a multicolor light emitting device (LED) structure that is substantially transparent when de-energized, comprising the steps of:
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forming a first transparent conductive layer upon a transparent substrate;
depositing a substantially transparent first hole transporting layer upon said first transparent conductive layer;
depositing a substantially transparent first organic emission layer upon said first hole transporting layer to provide a first emission color;
depositing via vapor deposition a substantially transparent first electron transporting layer upon said first organic emission layer;
depositing via sputtering a second transparent conductive layer upon said first electron transporting layer, said second transparent conductive layer adapted to receive a first bias potential;
depositing a substantially transparent second hole transporting layer upon said second transparent conductive layer;
depositing a substantially transparent second organic emission layer upon said second hole transporting layer to provide a second emission color;
depositing via vapor deposition a substantially transparent second electron transporting layer upon said second emission layer; and
depositing via sputtering a third transparent conductive layer upon said second electron transporting layer, said third transparent conductive layer adapted to receive a second bias potential.
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23. A method for applying a transparent electrically conductive contact to a layer of organic material on a substrate, comprising the steps of:
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selecting a metallic material determined to form a chemical bond with said organic material;
placing said substrate into a vacuum chamber of a vapor deposition system;
positioning said metallic material in molybdenum boats in said vacuum chamber;
establishing a vacuum in said vacuum chamber;
melting said metallic material;
establishing a vaporization/deposition rate for depositing said metallic material onto said organic layer;
measuring the thickness of metallic material on said organic layer as the metallic material is being deposited;
terminating the deposition of said metallic material on said organic layer when a desired thickness of the metallic material layer is obtained;
transferring the substrate to a load lock chamber;
reducing the pressure in said load lock chamber to establish a vacuum therein;
reducing the pressure in a sputtering chamber associated with said load lock chamber to the pressure in said load lock chamber;
transferring the substrate from said load lock chamber to said sputtering chamber;
positioning said substrate with its organic layer facing over and spaced from a sputtering target;
positioning a target shutter in the closed position;
establishing argon and oxygen gas flows into said sputtering chamber;
setting a butterfly valve of said sputtering chamber to maintain a predetermined chamber pressure;
adjusting RF power to said sputtering chamber for igniting a plasma;
reducing the pressure in said sputtering chamber via resetting of said butterfly valve;
slowly reducing the RF power to said sputtering chamber to a minimum wattage for sustaining ignition of said plasma;
positioning said target shutter into its open position; and
depositing a desired thickness of electrically conductive material from said sputtering target to said layer of organic material.
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32. A light emitting device including at least one organic light emitting device (OLED) that is substantially transparent (TOLED) when de-energized, comprising:
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a substantially transparent substrate having top and bottom surfaces;
a first substantially transparent thin film coating of electrically conductive material applied to the top surface of said substrate;
at least one substantially transparent layer including a highly electroluminescent organic material overlying said first layer of electrically conductive material;
a second substantially transparent thin film coating of electrically conductive material overlying said layer of organic material; and
first and second electrical contacts bonded to said first and second electrically conductive coatings for receiving a bias voltage to energize said device, and cause it to emit light of a given color from top and bottom surfaces thereof. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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Specification