Optical interference, electroluminescent device having low reflectance

• US 5,049,780 A
• Filed: 09/29/1989
• Issued: 09/17/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: National Research Council of Canada Intellectual Property Services
• Original Assignee: National Research Council Canada
• Inventors: Bajcar, Robert C., Sullivan, Brian T., Dobrowolski, Jerzy A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko, Donald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Giust, John
• Application Number:
  US07/414,461
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 313/503, 313/506, 313/509, 313/112, 350/163, 350/164, 350/166, 350/357
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/86 Arrangements for improving contrast, e.g. preventing reflection of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8791 Arrangements for improving contrast, e.g. preventing reflection of ambient light

Abstract

An optical interference electroluminescent device having low reflectance comprises three layers forming an electroluminescent transparent front electrode, a counter electrode and an electroluminescent layer between the electrodes, with or without dielectric layers between them, and at least one optical interference film layer sandwiched between two of the layers or at the faces of the electrodes. The optical interference layer comprises at least one transparent optical interference film and is in interfacial contact with a layer so that the reflectance of ambient light by the device is reduced by optical interference at the interfaces between the layers and the film(s). The optical interference layer(s) may include at least one partially absorbing film. The device may have arrays of electrodes forming pixels.

Claims

1. An optical interference, electroluminescent device having low reflectance, comprising:

(a) an electroluminescence transmitting, electro-optical, front electrode, comprising at least one layer,

(b) an electro-optical counter electrode, disposed to the rear of the front electrode and comprising at least one layer,

(c) an electro-optical electroluminescent member, comprising at least one layer, and disposed between the front electrode and the counter electrode, and

(d) at least one optical interference member disposed in said electroluminescent device such that at least an optical interference member is in interfacial contact with a front face of the counter electrode, the optical interference member comprising at least one optical interference film which is substantially transparent to ambient light and is of a thickness and material such that the spectral reflectance of said electroluminescent device is so modified that the reflectance of ambient light by the electroluminescent device towards a viewer is reduced.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the said at least one optical interference member comprises at least one further absorbing film which is partially absorbing and substantially transparent with respect to visible light such that the reflectance of ambient light by the electroluminescent device towards the viewer is further reduced by optical interference enhanced absorption.

3. A device according to claim 1, further comprising:

(a) a first electro-optical, electroluminescence transmitting, dielectric member, comprising at least one layer, and being disposed between the front electrode and the electroluminescent member, and

(b) a second electro-optical, electroluminescence transmitting, dielectric member, comprising at least one layer, and being disposed between the counter electrode and the electroluminescent member.

4. A device according to claim 2, further comprising:

(a) a first electro-optical, electroluminescence transmitting, dielectric member, comprising at least one layer, and being disposed between the front electrode and the electroluminescent member, and

(b) a second electro-optical, electroluminescence transmitting, dielectric member, comprising at least one layer, and being disposed between the counter electrode and the electroluminescent member.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the thicknesses and materials of the layers in said device are chosen to further reduce the reflectance of the device by optical interference.

6. A device according to claim 2, wherein,

(a) the counter electrode has low reflectance and high transmittance at the wavelengths in which the electroluminescence is emitted,

(b) a said optical interference member is in interfacial contact with a rear face of the counter electrode, and

(c) the optical interference member of (b) is of such thicknesses and materials that, at the wavelengths at which the electroluminescense is emitted, the reflectance is high so as to increase the brightness of the device, while at other wavelengths the absorptance of light is high to reduce the reflectance of ambient light of the device towards the viewer at these other wavelengths.

7. A device according to claim 4, wherein,

(a) the counter electrode has low reflectance and high transmittance at the wavelengths in which the electroluminescence is emitted,

(b) a said optical interference member is in interfacial contact with a rear face of the counter electrode, and

(c) the optical interference member of b) is of such thicknesses and materials that, at the wavelengths at which the electroluminescence is emitted, the reflectance is high so as to increase the brightness of the device, while at other wavelengths the absorptance of light is high to reduce the reflectance of ambient light of the device towards the viewer at these other wavelengths.

8. A device according to claim 1, wherein the front and counter electrodes each comprise one of a plurality of electrodes, with the front electrode partially overlying areas of the counter electrode to form a display depicting device.

9. A device according to claim 2, wherein the front and counter electrodes each comprise one of a plurality of electrodes, with the front electrode partially overlying areas of the counter electrode to form a display depicting device.

10. A device according to claim 3, wherein the front and counter electrodes each comprise one of a plurality of electrodes, with the front electrode partially overlying areas of the counter electrode to form a display depicting device.

11. A device according to claim 8, wherein the front and counter electrodes form a grid system of a pixel display depicting device.

12. A device according to claim 9, wherein the front and counter electrodes form a grid system of a pixel display depicting device.

13. A device according to claim 10, wherein the front and counter electrodes form a grid system of a pixel display depicting device.

14. A device according to claim 1, wherein the optical interference film has an optical thickness of at least about 0.035 μ

m with an extinction coefficient such that at least about 90% of the incident light as transmitted per se at a predetermined wavelength.

15. A device according to claim 2, wherein the further absorbing optical film has a transmittance of at least about 35% at a predetermined wavelength.