Thin film electroluminescence device

• US 5,705,284 A
• Filed: 05/26/1995
• Issued: 01/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Idemitsu Kosan Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Idemitsu Kosan Company Limited
• Inventors: Kusumoto, Tadashi, Hosokawa, Chishio, Higashi, Hisahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): NOLD, CHARLES R
• Application Number:
  US08/451,533
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 428/690, 428/691, 428/917, 213/504, 213/498, 213/503, 213/509, 213/502, 313/506, 313/507, 427/66, 427/69, 427/70
• US Class Current: 428/690
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/06 containing organic luminescent materials
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/14 the material being non-metallic
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/10 Apparatus or processes specially adapted to the manufacture of electroluminescent light sources
• 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: H10K 71/233 by photolithographic etching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/917 Electroluminescent

Abstract

A thin film electroluminescence device and a process for production thereof. This device is characterized in that as a light emitting layer material or charge injection layer material, a polymer film having at least one of a light emitting layer function, a charge transport function and a charge injection function, and having a film thickness of not: more than 0.5 μm is prepared by the vacuum evaporation method and used.

Claims

1. A thin film electroluminescence device comprising an anode, a cathode and a charge injection layer disposed between said anode and said cathode, said charge injection layer being smooth, uniform and pinholeless and consisting essentially of a heat resistant polymer thin film having groups with a charge injection layer function as repeating units, said polymer thin film having a thickness of not more than 0.5 μ

m, and said polymer thin film being prepared by a vacuum evaporation polymerization method.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the polymer thin film is made from a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyimide, polyamide, polyamidoimide, polyurea and polyazomethine.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the polymer thin film has a decomposition temperature of at least 300°

C. and a glass transition temperature of at least 200°

C.

4. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the polymer is a polyimide of the formula:

##STR16## wherein X is an organic group containing an aromatic group;

Y is an organic compound radical having a charge injection function which is capable of injecting positive holes or electrons when said Y is interposed between an anode and a cathode upon application of an electric field and n is an integer indicating a degree of polymerization.

5. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said Y is selected from the group consisting of phthalocyamine compounds, porphyrin compounds, triphenylamine compounds and oxadizole compounds.

6. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said X is selected from the group consisting of ##STR17##

7. A thin film electroluminescence device comprising an anode, a cathode and a charge transport layer disposed between said anode and said cathode, said charge transport layer being smooth, uniform and pinholeless and consisting essentially of a heat resistant polymer thin film having groups with a charge transport layer function as repeating units, said polymer thin film having a thickness of not more than 0.5 μ

m and said polymer thin film being prepared by a vacuum evaporation polymerization method.

8. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the polymer thin film is made from a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyimide, polyamide, polyamidoimide, polyurea and polyazomethine.

9. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the polymer is a polyimide of the formula:

##STR18## wherein X is an organic group containing an aromatic group;

Y is an organic compound radical having a charge transport function which is capable if having transposed therein positive holes or electrons when said Y is interposed between an anode and a cathode upon application of an electric field and n is an integer indicating a degree of polymerization.

10. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein said Y is selected from the group consisting of phthalocyanine compounds, porphyrin compounds, triphenylamine compounds and oxadizole compounds.

11. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the polymer thin film has a decomposition temperature of at least 300°

C. and a glass transition temperature of at least 200°

C.

12. A process for producing an organic thin film electroluminescence device which comprises:

(a) forming a first electrode an a substrate,

(b) forming a charge injection layer on said substrate,

(c) forming a light emitting layer on said substrate, said light emitting layer having a light emitting function necessary for electroluminescence and

(d) forming a second electrode on said substrate, said second electrode being opposite to said first electrode,

said charge injection layer and said light emitting layer being disposed between said first electrode and said second electrode,

wherein the forming of said charge injection layer is carried out by vacuum depositing a heat resistant polymer forming monomer and then polymerizing the monomer.

13. A process for producing an organic thin film electroluminescence device which comprises:

(a) forming a first electrode on a substrate,

(b) forming a charge transport layer on said substrate,

(c) forming a light emitting layer on said substrate, said light emitting layer having a light emitting function necessary for electroluminescence and

(d) forming a second electrode on said substrate, said second electrode which is being opposite to said first electrode,

said charge transport layer and said light emitting layer being disposed between said first electrode and said second electrode,

wherein the forming of said charge transport layer is carried out by vacuum depositing a heat resistant polymer forming monomer and then polymerizing the monomer.