OLED device having spacers

• US 20070013293A1
• Filed: 07/12/2005
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Global OLED Technology LLC (LG Display Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Cok, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US11/179,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20070013293A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 313/504
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/3026 Top emission
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/331 Nanoparticles used in non-emissive layers, e.g. in packaging layer
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/814 combined with auxiliary electrodes, e.g. ITO layer combined with metal lines
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/82 Cathodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8428 Vertical spacers, e.g. arranged between the sealing arrangement and the OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/85 Arrangements for extracting light from the devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/854 comprising scattering means
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/858 comprising refractive means, e.g. lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/86 Arrangements for improving contrast, e.g. preventing reflection of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/80516 combined with auxiliary electrodes, e.g. ITO layer combined with metal lines
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8052 Cathodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8723 Vertical spacers, e.g. arranged between the sealing arrangement and the OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/875 Arrangements for extracting light from the devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/877 comprising scattering means
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/879 comprising refractive means, e.g. lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8791 Arrangements for improving contrast, e.g. preventing reflection of ambient light

Abstract

An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) device, comprising: a substrate; an OLED formed on the substrate comprising a first electrode formed over the substrate, one or more layers of organic material, one of which emits light, formed over the first electrode, and a transparent second electrode formed over the one or more layers of organic material, the transparent second electrode and layer(s) of organic light-emitting material having a first refractive index range; a transparent cover provided over the OLED through which light from the OLED is emitted, the cover having a second refractive index; a light scattering layer located between the substrate and cover for scattering light emitted by the light-emitting layer; and an auxiliary electrode grid located above the transparent second electrode, providing spacing between the transparent second electrode and the cover, and forming transparent gaps between the transparent second electrode and the cover within grid openings, the transparent gaps having a third refractive index lower than each of the first refractive index range and second refractive index.

Claims

1. An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) device, comprising:

a substrate;

an OLED formed on the substrate comprising a first electrode formed over the substrate, one or more layers of organic material, one of which emits light, formed over the first electrode, and a transparent second electrode formed over the one or more layers of organic material, the transparent second electrode and layer(s) of organic light-emitting material having a first refractive index range;

a transparent cover provided over the OLED through which light from the OLED is emitted, the cover having a second refractive index;

a light scattering layer located between the substrate and cover for scattering light emitted by the light-emitting layer; and

an auxiliary electrode grid located above the transparent second electrode, providing spacing between the transparent second electrode and the cover, and forming transparent gaps between the transparent second electrode and the cover within grid openings, the transparent gaps having a third refractive index lower than each of the first refractive index range and second refractive index.

2. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary electrode grid is black or forms a black matrix.

3. The OLED device of claim 1, further comprising one or more protective and/or optical layers formed over the transparent second electrode and/or electrode grid.

4. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary electrode grid is randomly located over the transparent second electrode, is regularly distributed over the transparent second electrode, or is located between light-emitting portions of the OLED device.

5. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary electrode grid is transparent or light absorbing.

6. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary electrode grid comprises a conductive polymer, metal, metal oxide, carbon, or metal sulfide.

7. The OLED display claimed in claim 6, wherein the auxiliary electrode grid comprises aluminum, copper, magnesium, molybdenum, silver, titanium, or alloys thereof.

8. The OLED display claimed in claim 6, wherein the auxiliary electrode grid comprises indium tin oxide or indium zinc oxide.

9. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein the cover is affixed directly to the substrate.

10. The OLED device of claim 1, further comprising an encapsulating end-cap affixed to both the cover and the substrate.

11. The OLED device of claim 10, wherein the transparent gaps are filled with an inert gas, air, nitrogen, or argon.

12. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary electrode grid has a thickness equal to or greater than 1 micron.

13. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary electrode grid is in contact with the cover and the transparent second electrode.

14. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein the transparent gaps are maintained at a pressure of less than one atmosphere.

15. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein the scattering layer is adjacent to and in contact with the transparent second electrode.

16. The OLED device of claim 15, wherein scattering layer located in the transparent gaps between the transparent second electrode and the cover within grid openings.

17. The OLED device of claim 16, wherein the scattering layer comprises scattering particles having a size less than the thickness of the auxiliary electrode grid.

18. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein the light scattering layer is an electrode.

19. The OLED device of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary electrode grid comprises grid elements having sides extending from the surface of the transparent second electrode, and wherein at least a portion of the sides are light reflective and/or form an angle of greater than 90 degrees relative to the surface of the second electrode within the grid openings.