Electroluminescence element

• US 5,003,221 A
• Filed: 08/26/1988
• Issued: 03/26/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hoya Corporation
• Original Assignee: Hoya Corporation
• Inventors: Shimizu, Yasumoto
• Primary Examiner(s): O SHEA, SANDRA L
• Application Number:
  US07/237,528
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 313/114, 313/506, 313/509, 313/512, 427/66, 428/690, 428/917
• US Class Current: 313/509
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/22 characterised by the chemical or physical composition or the arrangement of auxiliary dielectric or reflective layers

Abstract

In an EL element of this invention, a thin film layer is formed between a transparent substrate and a layer formed adjacent to the transparent substrate, and the refractive index of the thin film layer is changed to be approximated to those of these layers toward the interfaces between the thin film layer and the corresponding layers, so that a difference in refractive index at these interfaces is minimized. The thin film layer may be formed between at least two adjacent layers formed on the transparent substrate.

Claims

1. An electroluminescence element in which a plurality of layers including at least a transparent electrode layer, a back electrode layer, and at least one layer including an electroluminescent layer disposed between said back electrode layer and said transparent electrode layer, wherein said transparent electrode layer is formed on a transparent substrate, so as to emit light upon the application of an electric field between said transparent electrode layer and said back electrode layer;

wherein a thin film layer for preventing electroluminescent light from being reflected on paths from said luminescent layer to said transparent substrate is disposed at an intervening portion between said transparent substrate and said electroluminscent layer and a refractive index of said thin film layer changes in a direction from the transparent substrate toward the electroluminesecent layer.

2. An electroluminescence element according to claim 1, wherein said thin film layer is formed between said transparent substrate and said transparent electrode layer formed on said transparent substrate.

3. An electroluminescence element according to claim 1, wherein said thin film layer is formed between said transparent electrode layer formed on said transparent substrate and a dielectric layer formed on said transparent electrode layer.

4. An electroluminescence element according to claim 1, wherein said thin film layer is formed such that a value x or y of materials expressed by a formula MO_x or LN_y is changed in a direction of thickness, so that the refractive index of said thin film layer is changed to be approximated to a refractive index of a corresponding one of other layers contacting said thin film layer toward an interface between said thin film layer and the corresponding one of said other layers:

where

M, L . . . metal element selected from the group of Si, Al, Mg, Ta, Ti, Zr, Hf, Y

O . . . oxygen

N . . . nitrogen

5. An electroluminescence element according to claim 1, wherein said thin film layer is formed of a material containing silicon (Si) and oxygen (0) expressed by a formula SiO_x, and a value x of the material is changed in a direction of thickness, so that the refractive index of said thin film layer is changed to be approximated to a refractive index of a corresponding one of other layers contacting said thin film layer toward an interface between said thin film layer and the corresponding one of said other layers

6. An electroluminescence element according to claim 1, wherein said thin film layer is formed by mixing two kinds of materials having different refractive indices, and a mixing ratio of the materials is changed in a direction of thickness, so that the refractive index of said thin film layer is changed to be approximated to a refractive index of a corresponding one of other layers contacting said thin film layer toward an interface between said thin film layer and the corresponding one of said other layers.

7. An electroluminescence element according to claim 6, wherein the two kinds of materials comprise SiO₂ and Ta₂ O₅.

8. A method of manufacturing an electroluminescence element of claim 1, wherein said thin film layer is a composite film of two kinds of materials consisting of first and second materials, and said thin film layer is formed by simultaneously sputtering the two kinds of materials consisting of the first and second materials and continuously or stepwisely changing a mixing ratio of the first and second materials, so that the mixing ratio of the first and second materials in said thin film layer is continuously or stepwisely changed along a direction of thickness.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the two kinds of materials comprise SiO₂ and Ta₂ O₅.