Inorganic light emitting diode

• US 6,111,274 A
• Filed: 06/25/1999
• Issued: 08/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TDK Corporation
• Original Assignee: TDK Corporation
• Inventors: Arai, Michio
• Primary Examiner(s): Guay, John
• Application Number:
  US09/339,879
• Time in Patent Office: 431 Days
• Field of Search: 257/94, 257/96, 257/103, 313/498, 313/502, 313/503, 313/509, 428/917, 428/690
• US Class Current: 257/96
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0004 Devices characterised by their operation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/26 Materials of the light emitting region

Abstract

An object of the invention is to provide a light emitting diode which enables relatively easy fabrication of large-area displays and is applicable to thin, long life, low cost, full color displays too. The object is attained by a light emitting diode comprising a positive electrode, a negative electrode, an inorganic light emitting layer between the electrodes exhibiting at least electroluminescence, an inorganic electron transporting layer between the inorganic light emitting layer and the negative electrode comprising as a main component at least one oxide selected from among strontium oxide, magnesium oxide, calcium oxide, lithium oxide, rubidium oxide, potassium oxide, sodium oxide, and cesium oxide, and an inorganic hole transporting layer between the inorganic light emitting layer and the positive electrode, the inorganic hole transporting layer being an inorganic insulative hole transporting layer comprising an oxide of silicon and/or germanium as a main component.

Claims

1. A light emitting diode comprising

a positive electrode, a negative electrode, an inorganic light emitting layer disposed between the electrodes exhibiting at least electroluminescence,

an inorganic insulative electron injecting and transporting layer disposed between said inorganic light emitting layer and said negative electrode and comprising as a main component at least one oxide selected from the group consisting of strontium oxide, magnesium oxide, calcium oxide, lithium oxide, rubidium oxide, potassium oxide, sodium oxide, and cesium oxide, and

an inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer disposed between said inorganic light emitting layer and said positive electrode, said inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer being an inorganic insulative hole injecting and transporting layer comprising an oxide of silicon and/or germanium as a main component.

2. The light emitting diode of claim 1 wherein the main component has an average composition represented by (Si_1-x Ge_x)O_y wherein 0≦

x≦

1 and 1.7≦

y≦

1.99.

3. The light emitting diode of claim 1 wherein said inorganic insulative electron injecting and transporting layer further contains silicon oxide (SiO₂) and/or germanium oxide (GeO₂) as a stabilizer.

4. The light emitting diode of claim 1 wherein said inorganic insulative electron injecting and transporting layer containsto 99 mol % of the main component and

1 to 20 mol % of the stabilizer, based on the entire components.

5. The light emitting diode of claim 1 wherein said inorganic insulative electron injecting and transporting layer has a thickness of 0.1 to 2 nm.

6. The light emitting diode of claim 1 wherein said inorganic insulative hole injecting and transporting layer has a thickness of 0.1 to 3 nm.

7. The light emitting diode of claim 1 wherein said inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer is a high resistance inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer having a resistivity of 1 to 1×

10¹¹ Ω

-cm.

8. The light emitting diode of claim 7 wherein said high resistance inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer contains a metal and/or at least one member selected from the group consisting of an oxide, carbide, nitride, silicide and boride of the metal.

9. The light emitting diode of claim 7 wherein said high resistance inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer contains

an oxide of silicon and/or germanium as a main component, the main component being represented by (Si_1-x Ge_x)O_y wherein 0≦

x≦

1 and 1.7≦

y≦

2.2, and

a metal having a work function of at least 4.5 eV and/or at least one member selected from the group consisting of an oxide, carbide, nitride, silicide and boride of the metal.

10. The light emitting diode of claim 9 wherein said metal is at least one member selected from the group consisting of Au, Cu, Fe, Ni, Ru, Sn, Cr, Ir, Nb, Pt, W, Mo, Ta, Pd, and Co.

11. The light emitting diode of claim 9 wherein the content of the metal and/or the oxide, carbide, nitride, silicide and boride of the metal is 0.2 to 40 mol %.

12. The light emitting diode of claim 9 wherein said high resistance inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer has a thickness of 0.2 to 100 nm.

13. The light emitting diode of claim 1 wherein said inorganic light emitting layer contains at least strontium sulfide and cesium.