LIGHT EMITTING ELEMENT, LIGHT EMITTING DEVICE, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20070194321A1
• Filed: 02/09/2007
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: YAMAMOTO, Yoshiaki, KAWAKAMI, Takahiro, YAMAZAKI, Shunpei, SAKATA, Junichiro, KATAYAMA, Miki, YOKOYAMA, Kohei
• Application Number:
  US11/673,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20070194321A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/72
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/10 Apparatus or processes specially adapted to the manufacture of electroluminescent light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/22 characterised by the chemical or physical composition or the arrangement of auxiliary dielectric or reflective layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/19 Tandem OLEDs

Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to provide a light emitting element which can be driven at a low voltage. Other objects of the present invention are to provide a light emitting element with a high luminescent efficiency; a light emitting element with a high luminance; a light emitting element having long-life luminescence; a light emitting element and an electronic device having reduced power consumption; and a light emitting element and an electronic device which can be manufactured at low cost. The light emitting element has a light emitting layer and a barrier layer between a first electrode and a second electrode, the light emitting layer contains a base material and an impurity element, and the barrier layer is provided so as to be in contact with the first electrode. Light emission is obtained when a voltage is applied such that a potential of the second electrode becomes higher than a potential of the first electrode.

Claims

1. A light emitting device comprising:

a light emitting element comprising a light emitting layer and a barrier layer interposed between a first electrode and a second electrode,

wherein the light emitting layer contains a base material and an impurity element which forms a luminescent center,

wherein the barrier layer is provided in contact with the first electrode, and

wherein light emission is obtained when a voltage is applied to the first electrode and the second electrode such that a potential of the second electrode is higher than a potential of the first electrode.

2. A light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the barrier layer is 1 to 10 nm.

3. A light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the barrier layer comprises a metal oxide or a metal nitride.

4. A light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the barrier layer comprises an oxide of a metal constituting the first electrode.

5. A light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the base material is at least one of zinc sulphide, cadmium sulfide, calcium sulfide, yttrium sulphide, gallium sulphide, strontium sulphide, barium sulphide, zinc oxide, yttrium oxide, aluminum nitride, gallium nitride, indium nitride, zinc selenide, zinc telluride, calcium-gallium sulphide, strontium-gallium sulphide, and barium-gallium sulphide.

6. A light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the impurity element is a metal element which forms the luminescent center.

7. A light emitting device according to claim 6, further comprising a second impurity element which is at least one of fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), iodine (I), boron (B), aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), indium (In), and thallium (Tl), and a third impurity element which is at least one of lithium (Li), sodium (Na), potassium (K), rubidium (Rb), cesium (Cs), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), and bismuth (Bi).

8. A light emitting device according to claim 6, wherein the metal element is contained at a concentration of 0.05 to 5 atomic % with respect to the base material.

9. A light emitting device according to claim 6, wherein the metal element is at least one of manganese, copper, samarium, terbium, erbium, thulium, europium, cerium, and praseodymium.

10. A light emitting device according to claim 1, further comprising a second impurity element which is at least one of copper, silver, gold, platinum, and silicon, and a third impurity element which is at least one of fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, boron, aluminum, gallium, indium, and thallium.

11. A light emitting device according to claim 1, further comprising a second impurity element which is at least one of copper, silver, gold, platinum, and silicon, and a third impurity element which is at least one of lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, and bismuth.

12. A light emitting device according to claim 1, further comprising a second impurity element which is at least one of copper, silver, gold, platinum, and silicon, and a third impurity element which is at least one of fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, boron, aluminum, gallium, indium, and thallium, and a fourth impurity element which is at least one of lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, and bismuth.

13. A light emitting device according to claim 1, further comprising a controller for controlling light emission of the light emitting element.

14. An electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a display portion, wherein the display portion includes the light emitting element, and a controller for controlling light emission of the light emitting element.