Process for producing an organic electroluminescence device

• US 5,505,985 A
• Filed: 01/20/1995
• Issued: 04/09/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Idemitsu Kosan Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Idemitsu Kosan Company Limited
• Inventors: Matsuura, Masahide, Nakamura, Hiroaki, Kusumoto, Tadashi
• Primary Examiner(s): BELL, JANYCE A
• Application Number:
  US08/376,112
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 427/66, 427/255, 427/255.6, 427/255.7, 427/294, 427/407.2, 427/419.2, 427/404, 427/250, 204/192.26
• US Class Current: 427/66
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/04 Sealing arrangements , e.g. against humidity
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/10 Apparatus or processes specially adapted to the manufacture of electroluminescent light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8426 Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/844 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/846 comprising getter material or desiccants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/872 Containers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8722 Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/873 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/874 including getter material or desiccant
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/917 Electroluminescent
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24917 including metal layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/3154 Of fluorinated addition polymer from unsaturated monomers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31544 Addition polymer is perhalogenated

Abstract

A process for producing an organic electroluminescent device, comprising (a) preparing a laminated structure including at least a light-emitting layer formed of a luminescent organic solid which is disposed between mutually opposing positive and negative electrodes, the luminescent organic solid being implantable with electrons from the negative electrode and holes from the positive electrode when direct current is charged between the positive electrode and the negative electrode and thereby having an excited state therein to recombine the electrons and the holes injected into the luminescent organic solid for light emission, and (b) depositing a film of an electrically insulating polymer compound as a protection layer on an outer surface of the laminated structure, wherein the electrically insulating polymer is heated to a temperature of not more than 600° C. and the protection layer is deposited at a rate of not more than 50 nm/second, wherein the layers beginning from a layer directly disposed on a lower electrode of said positive and negative electrodes and continuing to the protection layer are disposed without breaking a vacuum environment in a vacuum chamber and where the pressure in the vacuum chamber is not more than 1×10^-2 Pa prior to each of the layers being disposed.

Claims

1. A process for producing an organic electroluminescent device, comprising

(a) preparing a laminated structure including at least a light-emitting layer formed of a luminescent organic solid which is disposed between mutually opposing positive and negative electrodes, the luminescent organic solid being implantable with electrons from the negative electrode and holes from the positive electrode when direct current is charged between the positive electrode and the negative electrode and thereby having an excited state therein to recombine the electrons and the holes injected into the luminescent organic solid for light emission, and

(b) depositing a film of an electrically insulating polymer compound as a protection layer on an outer surface of the laminated structure, the electrically insulating polymer compound being selected from the group consisting of (i) a fluorine-free polymer compound selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polymethyl methacrylate, polyurea and polyimide, (ii) a compound having a molecular weight not less than 400 selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene, polychlorotrifluoroethylene, polydicholorodifluoroethylene and a copolymer of chlorotrifluoroethylene and dichlorodifluoroethylene and (iii) a fluorine-containing copolymer having a main chain including a cyclic structure, wherein a deposition source of the electrically insulating polymer is heated to a temperature of not more than 600°

C. and the protection layer is deposited at a rate of not more than 50 nm/second,

wherein said layers beginning from a layer directly disposed on a lower electrode of said positive and negative electrodes and continuing to said protection layer are disposed without breaking a vacuum environment in a vacuum chamber and where the pressure in the vacuum chamber is maintained at not more than 1×

10^-2 Pa prior to each of said layers being disposed.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein the pressure is not more than 6×

10^-3 Pa.

3. The process according to claim 2, wherein the rate of deposition is not more than 3 nm/second.

4. The process according to claim 1, wherein the rate of deposition is not more than 3 nm/second.

5. The process according to claim 1, wherein the protection layer has a thickness of 1 nm to 10 nm.