Light emitting device, method of preparing the same and device for fabricating the same

• US 20030183830A1
• Filed: 01/22/2003
• Published: 10/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kuwabara, Hideaki, Hiroki, Masaaki, Yamazaki, Shunpei, Murakami, Masakazu
• Granted Patent: US 7,098,069 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/90
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/824 combined with auxiliary electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/828 Transparent cathodes, e.g. comprising thin metal layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/844 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/86 Arrangements for improving contrast, e.g. preventing reflection of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/00 Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one organic light-emitting element covered by group H10K50/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/122 Pixel-defining structures or layers, e.g. banks
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/124 Insulating layers formed between TFT elements and OLED elements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/35 comprising red-green-blue [RGB] subpixels
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/38 comprising colour filters or colour changing media [CCM]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/80522 combined with auxiliary electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/80524 Transparent cathodes, e.g. comprising thin metal layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/873 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8792 comprising light absorbing layers, e.g. black layers

Abstract

A light emitting device having a high definition, a high aperture ratio and a high reliability is provided. The present invention realizes a high definition and a high aperture ratio for a flat panel display of full colors using luminescent colors of red, green and blue without being dependent upon the film formation method and deposition precision of an organic compound layer by forming the laminated sections 21, 22 by means of intentionally and partially overlapping different organic compound layers of adjacent light emitting elements. Moreover, the protective film 32a containing hydrogen is formed and the drawback in the organic compound layer is terminated with hydrogen, thereby realizing the enhancement of the brightness and the reliability.

Claims

1. A light emitting device having a plurality of light emitting elements having a cathode, a layer comprising organic compound in contact with the cathode and an anode in contact with the layer comprising organic compound, wherein

a first light emitting element having a first layer comprising organic compound, a second light emitting element having a second layer comprising organic compound and a third light emitting element having a third layer comprising organic compound are arranged,

said light emitting device has an insulator for covering ends of said anode, said first layer, said second layer or said third layer is provided over said insulator and said anode.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said light emitting element is covered with a film containing hydrogen.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said light emitting element is covered with a silicon nitride film containing hydrogen or a thin film containing hydrogen whose major component is carbon.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein said insulator comprises an inorganic insulating film.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein said insulator is a bank comprising an organic resin covered with an inorganic insulating film.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein said inorganic insulating film comprises silicon nitride film containing hydrogen or a thin film containing hydrogen whose major component is carbon.

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein said first light emitting element emits any one color out of red color, green color and blue color.

8. A device according to claim 1, wherein said first light emitting element, said second light emitting element and said third light emitting element emit colors different from each other.

9. A device according to claim 1, wherein said light emitting device has color filters corresponding to respective pixels configured with said first light emitting element, said second light emitting element or said third light emitting element, respectively.

10. A device according to claim 1, wherein said light emitting device is incorporated into one selected from the group consisting of a video camera, a digital camera, a goggle type display, a car navigation, a personal computer or a portable information terminal.

11. A light emitting device having a plurality of light emitting elements having a cathode, a layer comprising organic compound in contact with the cathode and an anode in contact with the layer comprising organic compound, wherein

a first light emitting element having a first layer comprising organic compound, a second light emitting element having a second layer comprising organic compound and a third light emitting element having a third layer comprising organic compound are arranged,

said light emitting device has an insulator for covering ends of said cathode, said first layer, said second layer or said third layer is provided over said insulator and said cathode.

12. A device according to claim 11, wherein said light emitting element is covered with a film containing hydrogen.

13. A device according to claim 11, wherein said light emitting element is covered with a silicon nitride film containing hydrogen or a thin film containing hydrogen whose major component is carbon.

14. A device according to claim 11, wherein said insulator comprises an inorganic insulating film.

15. A device according to claim 11, wherein said insulator is a bank comprising an organic resin covered with an inorganic insulating film.

16. A device according to claim 11, wherein said inorganic insulating film comprises silicon nitride film containing hydrogen or a thin film containing hydrogen whose major component is carbon.

17. A device according to claim 11, wherein said first light emitting element emits any one color out of red color, green color and blue color.

18. A device according to claim 11, wherein said first light emitting element, said second light emitting element and said third light emitting element emit colors different from each other.

19. A device according to claim 11, wherein said light emitting device has color filters corresponding to respective pixels configured with said first light emitting element, said second light emitting element or said third light emitting element, respectively.

20. A device according to claim 11, wherein said light emitting device is incorporated into one selected from the group consisting of a video camera, a digital camera, a goggle type display, a car navigation, a personal computer or a portable information terminal.

21. A method of fabricating a light emitting device having a plurality of light emitting elements having an anode, a layer comprising organic compound in contact with and superimposed over the anode and a cathode in contact with and superimposed over the layer comprising organic compound, said method comprising,

forming a layer comprising organic compound over an anode;

performing a treatment for terminating a drawback in said layer comprising organic compound with hydrogen by generating plasma under an atmosphere containing hydrogen after said layer comprising organic compound has been formed; and

forming a cathode over said layer comprising organic compound.

22. A method of fabricating a light emitting device having a plurality of light emitting elements having an anode, a layer comprising organic compound in contact with and superimposed over the anode and a cathode in contact with and superimposed over the layer comprising organic compound, said method comprising,

forming a layer comprising organic compound over an anode;

forming a cathode over said layer comprising organic compound; and

performing a treatment for terminating a drawback in said layer comprising organic compound with hydrogen by generating plasma under an atmosphere containing hydrogen after said cathode has been formed.

23. A method of fabricating a light emitting device having a plurality of light emitting elements having a cathode, a layer comprising organic compound in contact with and superimposed over the cathode and an anode in contact with and superimposed over the layer comprising organic compound, said method comprising,

forming a layer comprising organic compound over a cathode;

performing a treatment for terminating a drawback in said layer comprising organic compound with hydrogen by generating plasma under an atmosphere containing hydrogen after said layer comprising organic compound has been formed; and

forming an anode over said layer comprising organic compound.

24. A method of fabricating a light emitting device having a plurality of light emitting elements having a cathode, a layer comprising organic compound in contact with and superimposed over the cathode and an anode in contact with and superimposed over the layer comprising organic compound, wherein said method comprises,

forming a layer comprising organic compound over a cathode;

forming an anode over said layer comprising organic compound; and

performing a treatment for terminating a drawback in said layer comprising organic compound with hydrogen by generating plasma under an atmosphere containing hydrogen after said anode has been formed.

25. A fabrication unit, comprising:

a loading chamber, a first carrier chamber coupled to the loading chamber and a pretreatment chamber coupled to the first carrier chamber;

a second carrier chamber coupled to said first carrier chamber, and film forming chambers of a plurality of layers comprising organic compound coupled to the second carrier chamber;

a third carrier chamber coupled to said second carrier chamber, and a film forming chamber of a metal layer coupled to the third carrier chamber, a film forming chamber of a transparent conductive film, a treatment chamber equipped with means for generating plasma under an atmosphere containing hydrogen and a film forming chamber of a protective film, and

a fourth carrier chamber coupled to said third carrier chamber, a dispenser chamber coupled to the relevant fourth carrier chamber, a sealing substrate loading chamber, and a sealing chamber.

26. A unit according to claim 25, wherein said pretreatment chamber has vacuum exhaust means, heating means and plasma generation means.

27. A unit according to claim 25, wherein a unit for forming a layer composed of a polymer molecule material is coupled to said first carrier chamber.

28. A unit according to claim 27, wherein said unit for forming a layer composed of a polymer molecule material is a unit in which a film formation is performed by a spin coat method, a spray method, an ion plating method, or an ink jet method.

29. A unit according to claim 25, wherein said treatment chamber equipped with means for generating plasma under said atmosphere containing hydrogen is a film formation unit of a silicon nitride film or a film whose major component is carbon.

30. A unit according to claim 25, wherein said film forming chambers of a plurality of layers comprising organic compound coupled to said second carrier chamber has a vapor deposition source.