Organic electroluminescence display apparatus

• US 20050212413A1
• Filed: 11/22/2004
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Displays Limited (Japan Display Incorporated)
• Inventors: Matsuzaki, Eiji, Ishihara, Shingo, Matsuura, Hiroyasu, Takanosu, Keiji
• Granted Patent: US 7,365,487 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 313/504
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/3026 Top emission
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/321 Inverted OLED, i.e. having cathode between substrate and anode
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/814 combined with auxiliary electrodes, e.g. ITO layer combined with metal lines
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/824 combined with auxiliary electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8428 Vertical spacers, e.g. arranged between the sealing arrangement and the OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/844 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/846 comprising getter material or desiccants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/865 comprising light absorbing layers, e.g. light-blocking layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/122 Pixel-defining structures or layers, e.g. banks
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/131 Interconnections, e.g. wiring lines or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/38 comprising colour filters or colour changing media [CCM]

Abstract

The organic electroluminescence display apparatus of the present invention comprises a first and second substrates, the former being coated with banks for separating pixels, a lower electrode, organic light-emitting layer and upper electrode of a transparent material in this order, and the latter being coated with a color filter and electroconductive shadow pattern, wherein the organic light-emitting layer surrounded by the banks for separating pixels faces the color filter, and the first and second substrates face each other in such a way that the upper electrode over the banks for separating pixels is electrically connected to the electroconductive shadow pattern. This structure connects at least one of the upper electrode and electroconductive shadow pattern to a power supply point, to control ununiform emitted light brightness which may result from voltage drop at the upper transparent electrode. Moreover, the organic light-emitting layer can be formed without a vapor deposition mask having a precise aperture pattern, to efficiently produce the organic EL display apparatus.

Claims

1. An organic electroluminescence display apparatus comprising a first and second substrates, the former being coated with banks for separating pixels, a lower electrode, organic light-emitting layer and upper electrode of a transparent material in this order, and the latter being coated with a color filter and electroconductive shadow pattern, wherein the organic light-emitting layer surrounded by the banks for separating pixels faces the color filter, the first and second substrates face each other in such a way that the upper electrode over the banks for separating pixels is electrically connected to the electroconductive shadow pattern, and at least one of the upper electrode and electroconductive shadow pattern is connected to an outside power supply point.

2. The organic electroluminescence display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electroconductive shadow pattern is composed of a shadow layer and electroconductive layer, wherein the electroconductive layer is electrically connected to the upper electrode.

3. The organic electroluminescence display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electroconductive shadow pattern is made of a material having a lower resistivity than the upper electrode.

4. The organic electroluminescence display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electroconductive shadow pattern is made of a material having a resistivity of 1/100 or less of that of the upper electrode.

11. The organic electroluminescence display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the organic light-emitting layer emits a single color.

13. The organic electroluminescence display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the organic light-emitting layer emits white color.

15. The organic electroluminescence display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second substrates are sealed by an adhesive layer provided around at least one of the first and second substrates, with the sealed space filled with an inert gas.

5. An organic electroluminescence display apparatus comprising a first and second substrates, the former being coated with a transistor driving layer provided with a transistor element having a gate, source and drain interconnections, banks for separating pixels, lower electrode, organic light-emitting layer and upper electrode of a transparent material in this order, and the latter being coated with a color filter and electroconductive shadow pattern, wherein the organic light-emitting layer surrounded by the banks for separating pixels faces the color filter, the first and second substrates face each other in such a way that the upper electrode over the banks for separating pixels is electrically connected to the electroconductive shadow pattern via an electroconductive member, and at least one of the upper electrode and electroconductive shadow pattern is provided with a power supply point electrically connected to an outside DC power source.

6. The organic electroluminescence display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the electroconductive member is a spherical spacer positioned on the electroconductive shadow pattern.

7. The organic electroluminescence display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the electroconductive member is a columnar spacer positioned on the electroconductive shadow pattern.

8. The organic electroluminescence display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the electroconductive member is a columnar spacer positioned on the electroconductive shadow pattern, and the electroconductive shadow pattern and upper electrode are connected to each other via a transparent, electroconductive film provided on the columnar spacer.

9. The organic electroluminescence display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the upper electrode is covered with a protective film, and the upper electrode and electroconductive shadow pattern are electrically connected to each other via the electroconductive member provided in such a way to pass through the protective film.

10. The organic electroluminescence display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second substrate is further coated with a transparent, overcoat film, after the color filter and electroconductive shadow pattern are formed, to electrically connect the upper electrode and electroconductive shadow pattern to each other via the electroconductive member provided in such a way to pass through the overcoat film.

12. The organic electroluminescence display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the organic light-emitting layer emits a single color.

14. The organic electroluminescence display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the organic light-emitting layer emits white color.

16. The organic electroluminescence display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first and second substrates are sealed by an adhesive layer provided around at least one of the first and second substrates, with the sealed space filled with an inert gas.