Light emitting device, method of manufacturing the same and manufacturing apparatus therefor

• US 20050045917A1
• Filed: 10/12/2004
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hamatani, Toshiji, Takayama, Toru, Yamazaki, Shunpei
• Granted Patent: US 7,057,209 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/202
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67207 comprising a chamber adapted to a particular process
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/3026 Top emission
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/125 specially adapted for multicolour light emission, e.g. for emitting white light
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/13 comprising stacked EL layers within one EL unit
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/84 Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/841 Self-supporting sealing arrangements
• 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 59/123 Connection of the pixel electrodes to the thin film transistors [TFT]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/124 Insulating layers formed between TFT elements and OLED elements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/17 Passive-matrix OLED displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/32 Stacked devices having two or more layers, each emitting at different wavelengths
• 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 59/38 comprising colour filters or colour changing media [CCM]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/00 Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass

Abstract

A light emitting device having high definition, a high aperture ratio, and high reliability is provided. The present invention achieves high definition and a high aperture ratio with a full color flat panel display using red, green, and blue color emission light by intentionally forming laminate portions, wherein portions of different organic compound layers of adjacent light emitting elements overlap with each other, without depending upon the method of forming the organic compound layers or the film formation precision.

Claims

1-25. -25. (Canceled).

26. A portable information terminal comprising:

at least one light emitting element comprising;

a first light emitting region, the first light emitting region comprising a first organic compound layer between a cathode and an anode;

a second light emitting region adjacent to the first light emitting region, the second light emitting region comprising the first organic compound layer and a second organic compound layer overlapped with the first organic compound layer between the cathode and the anode.

27. A portable information terminal according to claim 26, wherein a light emitting element adjacent to the at least one light emitting element has the second light emitting layer, and

wherein color of the light emission of the second light emitting layer is different from that of the first light emitting layer.

34. A portable information terminal according to claim 26, further comprising color filters corresponding to each pixel.

37. A portable information terminal according to claim 26, wherein the portable information terminal is selected from the group consisting of a mobile computer, a mobile phone and an electronic book.

28. A portable information terminal comprising:

at least one first light emitting element, the at least one first light emitting element comprising a first organic compound layer between a first electrode and a second electrode;

at least one second light emitting element, the at least one second light emitting element comprising a second organic compound layer between the first electrode and the second electrode; and

at least one third light emitting element, the at least one third light emitting element comprising a third organic compound layer between the first electrode and the second electrode,

wherein the first organic compound layer overlaps a part of the second organic compound layer in the first light emitting element.

30. A portable information terminal according to claim 28, wherein:

the first light emitting element emits light of one color selected from the group consisting of red, green, and blue.

32. A portable information terminal according to claim 28, wherein:

the first light emitting element, the second light emitting element, and the third light emitting element each emit light having a mutually different color.

35. A portable information terminal according to claim 28, further comprising color filters corresponding to each pixel.

38. A portable information terminal according to claim 28, wherein the portable information terminal is selected from the group consisting of a mobile computer, a mobile phone and an electronic book.

29. A portable information terminal comprising:

at least one first light emitting element, the at least one first light emitting element comprising a first organic compound layer between a first electrode and a second electrode;

at least one second light emitting element, the at least one second light emitting element comprising a second organic compound layer between the first electrode and the second electrode; and

at least one third light emitting element, the at least one third light emitting element comprising a third organic compound layer between the first electrode and the second electrode,

wherein the first organic compound layer overlaps a part of the second organic compound layer in the first light emitting element, and

wherein the second organic compound layer overlaps a part of the third organic compound layer in the second light emitting element.

31. A portable information terminal according to claim 29, wherein:

the first light emitting element emits light of one color selected from the group consisting of red, green, and blue.

33. A portable information terminal according to claim 29, wherein:

the first light emitting element, the second light emitting element, and the third light emitting element each emit light having a mutually different color.

36. A portable information terminal according to claim 29, further comprising color filters corresponding to each pixel.

39. A portable information terminal according to claim 29, wherein the portable information terminal is selected from the group consisting of a mobile computer, a mobile phone and an electronic book.