Thin film el device

• US 5,444,268 A
• Filed: 04/28/1993
• Issued: 08/22/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho (Komatsu Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho (Komatsu Ltd.)
• Inventors: Miyakoshi, Atsushi, Matsuno, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Limanek, Robert P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, ALEXANDER O
• Application Number:
  US08/050,040
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 257/461, 257/463, 257/460, 257/103, 257/79
• US Class Current: 257/79
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/7718 with alkaline earth metals
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/14 characterised by the chemical or physical composition or the arrangement of the electroluminescent material , or by the simultaneous addition of the electroluminescent material in or onto the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/18 characterised by the nature or concentration of the activator
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/22 characterised by the chemical or physical composition or the arrangement of auxiliary dielectric or reflective layers

Abstract

The present invention relates to a modification of a thin film EL device for performing an EL emission according to an electric field being applied, and in particular to a thin film EL device for providing a stable luminance for a long time and for improving the luminance of a blue color display. Therefore, a light emission layer (4) is composed of a sulfide of an alkaline earth metal as a basic material. Insulation layers (3) and (5) disposed adjacent to the light emission layer (4) are composed of a sulfate or a carbonate of an alkaline earth metal. The light emission layer (4) is composed of SrS as a basic material, Ce as a light emission substance, and a Pb dopant as a coactivator.

Claims

1. A thin film EL device, comprising:

a pair of opposed electrodes; and

a laminate composed of a light emission layer and first and second insulation layers with said light emission layer being positioned between said first and second insulation layers, said laminate being positioned between said electrodes with each one of said first and second insulation layers separating a respective one of said electrodes from said light emission layer;

wherein said light emission layer is composed of SrS as a light emission substance, Ce as a light emission substance, and Pb as a coactivator, wherein the amount of Pb coactivator does not exceed 1 atomic %.

2. A thin film EL device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the level of Pb in the light emission layer is less than about 0.4 atomic %.

3. A thin film EL device in accordance with claim 2, wherein the level of Ce in the light emission layer is about 0.1 atomic %.

4. A thin film EL device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the level of Pb in the light emission layer is about 0.3 atomic %.

5. A thin film EL device, comprising:

a pair of opposed electrodes;

a laminate composed of a light emission layer sandwiched between first and second insulation layers, said laminate being positioned between said electrodes, each of said electrodes being separated from said light emission layer by one of said first and second insulation layers;

wherein said light emission layer comprises a sulfide of an alkaline earth metal; and

wherein each of said first and second insulation layers contains a sulfate of an alkaline earth metal which is the same alkaline earth metal as in the sulfide of the alkaline earth metal in said light emission layer.

15. A thin film EL device in accordance with claim 5, wherein said light emission layer comprises strontium sulfide, and wherein each of said first and second insulation layers comprises strontium sulfate.

16. A thin film EL device in accordance with claim 15, wherein said light emission layer further comprises cerium.

17. A thin film EL device in accordance with claim 16, wherein said light emission layer further comprises lead, with the level of lead in the light emission layer being less than about 1 atomic %.

18. A thin film EL device in accordance with claim 5, further comprising:

third and fourth insulation layers, said third insulation layer being disposed between one of said electrodes and said first insulation layer, said fourth insulation layer being disposed between the other one of said electrodes and said second insulation layer.

19. A thin film EL device in accordance with claim 18, wherein each of said third and fourth insulation layers comprises at least one member of the group consisting of Ta₂ O₅, SiON, and SiN:

H.

6. A thin film EL device, comprising:

a pair of opposed electrodes;

a laminate composed of a light emission layer sandwiched between first and second insulation layers, said laminate being positioned between Said electrodes, each of said electrodes being separated from said light emission layer by one of said first and second insulation layers;

wherein said light emission layer comprises a sulfide of an alkaline earth metal; and

wherein each of said first and second insulation layers consists of a carbonate of an alkaline earth metal which is the same alkaline earth metal as in the sulfide of the alkaline earth metal in said light emission layer.

7. A thin film EL device in accordance with claim 6, further comprising:

third and fourth insulation layers, said third insulation layer being disposed between one of said electrodes and said first insulation layer, said fourth insulation layer being disposed between the other one of said electrodes and said second insulation layer.

8. A thin film EL device in accordance with claim 7, wherein each of said third and fourth insulation layers comprises at least one member of the group consisting of Ta₂ O₅, SION, and SiN:

H.

9. A thin film EL device, comprising:

a pair of opposed electrodes;

a laminate composed of alight emission layer sandwiched between first and second insulation layers, said laminate being positioned between said electrodes, each of said electrodes being separated from said light emission layer by one of said first and second insulation layers;

wherein said light emission layer comprises strontium sulfide and cerium; and

wherein each of said first and second insulation layers comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of a sulfate of an alkaline earth metal and a carbonate of an alkaline earth metal.

10. A thin film EL device in accordance with claim 9, wherein said light emission layer further comprises chlorine.

11. A thin film EL device in accordance with claim 9, wherein said light emission layer further comprises lead, with the level of lead in the light emission layer being less than about 1 atomic %.

12. A thin film EL device in accordance with claim 9, wherein said light emission layer further comprises lead, with the level of lead in the light emission layer being less than about 0.4 atomic %.

13. A thin film EL device in accordance with claim 12, wherein the level of cerium in the light emission layer is about 0.1 atomic %.

14. A thin film EL device in accordance with claim 12, wherein the level of lead in the light emission layer is about 0.3 atomic %.