Light attenuation in defective pixel in organic EL panel

• US 20030222861A1
• Filed: 03/19/2003
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagata, Ryouzou, Ogawa, Takashi, Nishikawa, Ryuji, Jinno, Yushi
• Granted Patent: US 7,234,984 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/204
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/006 Electronic inspection or testing of displays and display drivers, e.g. of LED or LCD displays testing individual LED's G01R31/2635; testing lamps G01R31/44; testing of optical features of LCD displays G02F1/1309
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/12 Active-matrix OLED [AMOLED] displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/861 Repairing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/917 Electroluminescent

Abstract

An organic EL element of one pixel is selectively irradiated with laser light. With the laser irradiation, the functionality of the organic layer of the organic EL element is selectively degraded and the light emission capability is removed without damaging the cathode.

Claims

1. A method for attenuating in an organic EL panel, wherein an attenuation process is applied to an organic EL element in a region of a defective pixel to alter characteristics of one or more organic layers in the organic EL element in the defective pixel and to degrade a light emission capability of the organic EL element, and the defective pixel is attenuated.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein

the attenuation process is a process of selectively irradiating the organic EL element in the region of defective pixel with light.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein

the light is laser light.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein

the laser is an UV laser.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein

the attenuation process is a process to selectively supply a current larger than a current applied in a normal light emission to the organic EL element in the region of defective pixel.

6. An organic EL panel comprising a pixel which is attenuated by an attenuating method according to claim 1.

7. A method for attenuating a defective pixel in an organic EL panel, comprising the steps of:

irradiating a partial region of an emissive region of a defective pixel with laser light; and

partially degrading a light emission capability of an organic EL element in the portion irradiated with laser light to attenuate the defective pixel.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein

the region irradiated with laser light is a region excluding a peripheral region of the emissive region.

9. An organic EL panel comprising a pixel which is attenuated by an attenuating method according to claim 7.

10. A laser processing method in an organic EL panel in which a plurality of pixels each comprising an organic EL element are arranged in a matrix form, wherein a peripheral region of a foreign body adhered to the organic EL element is irradiated with laser light to make the organic layer of the organic EL element to which the foreign body is adhered highly resistive.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein

the laser irradiation is performed in a plurality of bursts in the peripheral regions of the foreign body.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein the wavelength of the laser light is 532 nm or less.