Electro-optical device and electronic apparatus

• US 20050112341A1
• Filed: 10/12/2004
• Published: 05/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Ito, Tomoyuki, Nozawa, Ryoichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,294,856 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/209
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/122 Pixel-defining structures or layers, e.g. banks
• 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 71/40 Thermal treatment, e.g. annealing in the presence of a solvent vapour
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24917 including metal layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31504 Composite [nonstructural laminate]

Abstract

To provide an electro-optical device comprising a thin film having a uniform thickness, which is formed by drying liquid droplets filled in a liquid droplet ejection region surrounded by a partition. An electro-optical device comprises partitions 22 for separating a plurality of regions formed on a substrate 10. Each of the partitions 22 has a lyophilic first partition 43 and a liquid-repellent second partition 44 which is formed on an upper surface portion of the first partition except for a circumferential portion surrounding the region of the first partition 43. The device also comprises a functional layer 45 which is formed on the region surrounded by the partition and includes at least a light emitting layer. The device further comprises a pair of electrodes 41 and 46 with the functional layer interposed therebetween, in which the first partition 43 has the thickness larger than the thickness of the functional layer 45, and a side inclined angle of the first partition 43 is less than the side inclined angle of the second partition 44.

Claims

1. An electro-optical device comprising:

partitions for separating a plurality of regions formed on a substrate, each partition having a lyophilic first partition which, in each region, has a side portion and an upper surface portion surrounding the region and a liquid-repellent second partition which is formed on at least a portion of the upper surface portion of the first partition;

a functional layer which is formed on the region surrounded by the partition and has at least a light emitting layer; and

a pair of electrodes with the functional layer interposed therebetween,

wherein the thickness of the first partition is larger than the thickness of the functional layer, and

an inclined angle of the side portion of the first partition surrounding the region is less than an inclined angle of a side portion of the second partition surrounding the region.

2. The electro-optical device according to claim 1,

wherein the second partition is formed to entirely cover the upper surface portion of the first partition.

3. The electro-optical device according to claim 1,

wherein the first partition has:

a lyophilic third partition having a side portion and an upper surface portion to surround the region; and

a lyophilic fourth partition which is formed on at least a portion of the upper surface portion of the third partition.

4. The electro-optical device according to claim 3,

wherein the functional layer has an auxiliary layer, which is formed as a lower layer of the light emitting layer, for assisting light emission by the light emitting layer,

the thickness of the third partition is larger than the thickness of the auxiliary layer, and

the inclined angle of the side portion of the second partition is greater than inclined angles of the side portions of the third and fourth partitions.

5. The electro-optical device according to claim 3,

wherein the functional layer has an auxiliary layer, which is formed as a lower layer of the light emitting layer, for assisting light emission by the light emitting layer,

the thickness of the third partition is larger than the thickness of the auxiliary layer, and

the thickness of the first partition is larger than the thickness of the functional layer.

6. The electro-optical device according to claim 3,

wherein the third partition has a lyophilic property higher than that of the fourth partition, and the second partition has a liquid-repellent property higher than that of the fourth partition.

7. The electro-optical device according to claim 3,

wherein the region has a polygonal shape,

in an opening portion of the second or third partition, a cross-sectional surface shape in a horizontal plane direction has a round shape in the vicinities of angled portions of the region, and

the width of a flat portion of the third or fourth partition in the vicinities of the angled portions is longer than the widths of other portions in the vicinities of the angled portions.

11. An electronic apparatus comprising an electro-optical device as claimed in claim 1.

8. An electro-optical device comprising:

partitions for separating a plurality of regions formed on a substrate, each partition having a lyophilic first partition which, in each region, has a side portion and an upper surface portion surrounding the region and a liquid-repellent second partition which is formed on at least a portion of the upper surface portion of the first partition;

a functional layer which is formed on the region surrounded by the partition and has at least a light emitting layer; and

a pair of electrodes with the functional layer interposed therebetween,

wherein a first opening portion of the first partition is formed wider than a second opening portion of the second partition.

9. The electro-optical device according to claim 8,

wherein the thickness of the first partition is larger than the thickness of the functional layer, and

an angle at which a side portion of the second partition surrounding the region meets a surface parallel to a surface of the substrate is a right angle or an obtuse angle.

10. The electro-optical device according to claim 8,

wherein the functional layer has an auxiliary layer, which is formed as a lower layer of the light emitting layer, for assisting light emission by the light emitting layer,

the thickness of the first partition is larger than the thickness of the auxiliary layer, and

a lower surface portion of the second partition is formed to extend to the side of the region further than the upper surface portion of the first partition.