ORGANIC EL APPARATUS, METHOD OF MANUFACTURING ORGANIC EL APPARATUS, ELECTRONIC APPARATUS

• US 20100244005A1
• Filed: 03/24/2010
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lumitek Display Technology Limited (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Gyoda, Kozo
• Granted Patent: US 8,698,131 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/40
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133305 Flexible substrates, e.g. plastics, organic film
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133603 with LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/167 by electrophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/311 Flexible OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/84 Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8426 Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/844 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/87 Arrangements for heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8722 Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/873 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8794 Arrangements for heating and cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/00 Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/40 Thermal treatment, e.g. annealing in the presence of a solvent vapour

Abstract

Provided is an organic EL apparatus including: an organic EL panel including organic EL devices; a heat releasing member; and a pair of film sheets of which at least one is transparent, wherein the organic EL panel and the heat releasing member overlap and are interposed and encapsulated by the pair of film sheets in a state where a portion of the heat releasing member is exposed outside the pair of film sheets.

Claims

1. An organic EL apparatus comprising:

an organic EL panel including organic EL devices;

a heat releasing member; and

a pair of film sheets of which at least one is transparent,

wherein the organic EL panel and the heat releasing member overlap and are interposed and encapsulated by the pair of film sheets in a state where a portion of the heat releasing member is exposed outside the pair of film sheets.

2. The organic EL apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the heat releasing member is a lamination structure constituted by a heat releasing sheet, of which thermal conductivity in the in-plane direction is higher than that in the thickness direction thereof, and a heat releasing plate that is made of a metal,

wherein the organic EL panel overlaps the heat releasing sheet, and

wherein a portion of the heat releasing plate is exposed outside the pair of film sheets.

3. The organic EL apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least interstices generated between the pair of film sheets and outer circumferential portion end surfaces of the organic EL panel are filled with a sealing resin, and the organic EL panel is encapsulated by the pair of film sheets.

4. The organic EL apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the organic EL panel includes a base material layer that is constructed with a glass substrate and the organic EL devices which are disposed on the base material layer, and

wherein a thickness of the base material layer is equal to or larger than 20 μ

m and equal to or smaller than 50 μ

m.

5. The organic EL apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the heat releasing sheet includes a graphite sheet.

6. The organic EL apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a display panel is further disposed at a side of the heat releasing member opposite to a side where the heat releasing member and the organic EL panel overlap, and

wherein the organic EL panel, the heat releasing member, and the display panel are interposed and encapsulated by the pair of film sheets.

7. The organic EL apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the display panel is the organic EL panel or an electrophoretic panel having an electrophoretic layer.

14. An electronic apparatus having the organic EL apparatus according to any one of claims 1.

8. A method of manufacturing an organic EL apparatus having an organic EL panel, where organic EL devices are formed, and a heat releasing member which is closely attached to the organic EL panel directly or through an adhesive agent layer, comprising:

disposing the organic EL panel and the heat releasing member between a pair of film sheets, of which at least one is transparent, and inserting a lamination structure of the pair of film sheets, the organic EL panel, and the heat releasing member between a pair of pressing units; and

pressing the lamination structure and adhering the pair of film sheets to circumferential portions of the organic EL panel by using the pair of pressing units in a state where there is an adhesive agent on the inner surfaces of the pair of film sheets and a portion of the heat releasing member is exposed outside the pair of film sheets between the pair of film sheets.

9. The method according to claim 8,

wherein in the pressing of the lamination structure and adhering of the pair of film sheets to the circumferential portions of the organic EL panel, interstices are sealed by pressing the lamination structure by using the pair of pressing units, pressing and spreading the adhesive agent into the interstices between the pair of film sheets, the organic EL panel, and the heat releasing member, and the organic EL panel is encapsulated inside the pair of film sheets by adhering the portions of the pair of film sheets that face each other at the circumferential portions of the organic EL panel and the portions of the heat releasing member and the film sheets that face each other by using the adhesive agent.

10. The method according to claim 9,

wherein the pair of pressing units is a pair of pressing rollers, and

wherein in the disposing of the organic EL panel and the heat releasing member between the pair of film sheets and inserting of the lamination structure, the lamination structure is inserted from an end portion of the sides of the pair of film sheets opposite to a side, where the heat releasing member is exposed, between the pair of pressing rollers.

11. The method according to claim 8,

wherein the adhesive agent is a thermoplastic adhesive agent, and

wherein the adhesive agent is formed on the surfaces of the pair of film sheets, which face each other, and on the surfaces of the heat releasing member, which face the film sheets.

12. The method according to claim 8,

wherein in the disposing of the organic EL panel and the heat releasing member between the pair of film sheets and inserting of the lamination structure, the display panel further overlaps the side of the heat releasing member opposite to the side where the organic EL panel overlaps, and

wherein in the pressing of the lamination structure and adhering of the pair of film sheets to the circumferential portions of the organic EL panel, the pair of film sheets are sealed by circumferential portions of the lamination structure where the organic EL panel, the heat releasing member, and the display panel are stacked.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the display panel is the organic EL panel or an electrophoretic panel having an electrophoretic layer.