Method of encapsulating organic electroluminescence device and organic electroluminescence device

• US 5,962,962 A
• Filed: 03/05/1997
• Issued: 10/05/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Idemitsu Kosan Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Idemitsu Kosan Company Limited
• Inventors: Fujita, Masato, Fukuoka, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nimeshkumar D.
• Application Number:
  US08/793,932
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 313/509, 313/512, 313/498, 313/504, 445/38, 445/43, 445/44, 445/53
• US Class Current: 313/412
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/04 Sealing arrangements , e.g. against humidity
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/84 Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8426 Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/846 comprising getter material or desiccants

Abstract

A method of encapsulation for an organic EL device, which overcomes the difficulty of conventional methods by fully preventing the growth of dark spots in the organic EL device by providing an inert liquid layer having a dissolved oxygen concentration of 1 ppm or less on the periphery of the organic EL device.

Claims

1. A method of encapsulating an organic electroluminescence device, which comprises providing a layer of an inert liquid having a dissolved oxygen concentration of 1 ppm or less on the periphery of an organic electroluminescence device, the electroluminescence device being formed by laminating an anode and a cathode through at least a light-emitting layer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the inert liquid has a water content of 10 ppm or less.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the inert liquid inert liquid is a liquid fluorinated carbon having a vapor pressure of 10^-2 Torr or less at 25°

C.

4. The method of claim 1, which further comprises providing a housing material which covers the organic electroluminescence device, said electroluminescence device being formed on a substrate, which forms a space between the organic electroluminescence device and the housing material, and filling the inert liquid having a dissolved oxygen concentration of 1 ppm or less in said space.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the inert liquid is an inert liquid containing an adsorbent.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the adsorbent is selected from the group consisting of

(a) an inorganic compound selected from the group consisting of activated alumina, diatomaceous earth, activated carbon, hemihydrated gypsum, phosphorus pentoxide, magnesium perchlorate, potassium hydroxide, calcium sulfate, calcium bromide, calcium oxide, zinc chloride, zinc bromide and anhydrous copper sulfate,

(b) a metal selected from the group consisting of lithium, beryllium, potassium, sodium, magnesium, rubidium, strontium and calcium, or an alloy thereof, and

(c) an acrylic water-absorption polymer or a methacrylic water-absorption polymer.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the adsorbent is an adsorbent which is activation-treated.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the inert liquid contains 1 mg to 10 g of the adsorbent per milliliter of the inert liquid.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the inert liquid is an inert liquid having a water content of 10 ppm or less.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the inert liquid is a liquid fluorinated carbon having a vapor pressure of 10^-2 Torr or less at 25°

C.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the layer of the inert liquid containing the adsorbent is formed by providing a housing material which covers the organic electroluminescence device, said electroluminescence device being formed on a substrate, which forms a space between the organic electroluminescence device and the housing material, and filling the inert liquid in said space.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the dissolved oxygen concentration is 0.01 to 1 ppm.

13. An encapsulated organic electroluminescence device comprising an organic device formed by laminating an anode and a cathode through at least a light-emitting layer, and a layer of an inert liquid which is provided on the periphery of the organic electroluminescence device, the layer of the inert liquid having a dissolved oxygen concentration of 1 ppm or less.

14. The encapsulated organic electroluminescence device of claim 13, wherein the inert liquid has a water content of 10 ppm or less.

15. The encapsulated organic electroluminescence device of claim 13, wherein the inert liquid is a liquid fluorinated carbon having a vapor pressure of 10^-2 Torr or less at 25°

C.

16. The encapsulated organic electroluminescence device of claim 13, wherein the layer of the inert liquid is formed of an inert liquid containing an adsorbent.

17. The encapsulated organic electroluminescence device of claim 16, wherein the adsorbent is selected from the group consisting of

(a) an inorganic compound selected from the group consisting of activated alumina, diatomaceous earth, activated carbon, hemihydrated gypsum, phosphorus pentoxide, magnesium perchlorate, potassium hydroxide, calcium sulfate, calcium bromide, calcium oxide, zinc chloride, zinc bromide and anhydrous copper sulfate,

(b) a metal selected from the group consisting of lithium, beryllium, potassium, sodium, magnesium, rubidium, strontium and calcium, or an alloy thereof, and

(c) an acrylic water-absorption polymer or a methacrylic water-absorption polymer.

18. The encapsulated organic electroluminescence device of claim 16, wherein the adsorbent is an activation-treated adsorbent.

19. The encapsulated organic electroluminescence device of claim 16 wherein the inert liquid contains 1 mg to 10 g of the adsorbent per milliliter of the inert liquid.

20. The encapsulated organic electroluminescence device of claim 13 wherein the organic electroluminescence device is formed on a substrate, and which further comprises a housing material which covers the organic electroluminescence device formed on the substrate, which forms a space between the organic electroluminescence device and the housing material, and the layer of the inert liquid is formed in said space.