Organic electroluminescent device with electron injecting electrode containing ALLi alloy

• US 6,359,384 B1
• Filed: 07/24/1998
• Issued: 03/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TDK Corporation
• Original Assignee: TDK Corporation
• Inventors: Mori, Masami, Nakaya, Kenji, Arai, Michio, Kobori, Isamu, Ohisa, Kazutoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nimeshkumar D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Guharay, Karabi
• Application Number:
  US09/117,144
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 313/504, 313/506, 313/503, 428/690, 428/917, 427/66
• US Class Current: 313/504
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/26 characterised by the composition or arrangement of the conductive material used as an electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/82 Cathodes

Abstract

The invention provides an organic EL device comprising a hole injecting electrode, and at least one organic layer disposed between the electrodes, wherein the electron injecting electrode is comprised of an AlLi alloy containing 0.4-14 at % of lithium deposited by a sputtering process. This improves the film formability and adhesion at the interface between the electron injecting electrode and the organic layer, realizing an organic EL device featuring a high luminance, high efficiency, long lifetime, and high display quality.

Claims

1. An organic electroluminescent device comprising a hole injecting electrode, an electron injecting electrode, and at least one organic layer disposed between the electrodes,

said electron injecting electrode being comprised of an AlLi alloy containing 0.4 to 14 at % of lithium deposited by a sputtering process.

2. The electroluminescent device of claim 1, wherein said electron injecting electrode comprises an AlLi alloy containing 3.2 to 14 at % Li.

3. The electroluminescent device of claim 2, wherein said electron injecting electrode has a Li concentration which varies in the direction of the electron injecting electrode thickness.

4. The electroluminescent device of claim 3, wherein said electron injecting electrode has a higher concentration of Li at the surface of said electron injecting electrode closest to said organic layer, and a lower Li concentration at the opposite surface of said electron injecting electrode.

5. The organic electroluminescent device according to claim 3, wherein the Li concentration in said electron injecting electrode varies in a stepwise manner in the direction of the electron injecting electrode thickness.

6. The electroluminescent device of claim 1, wherein said electron injecting electrode comprises an AlLi alloy containing 6.5 to 14 at % Li.

7. The organic electroluminescent device according to claim 1, wherein said electron injecting electrode further comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of Cu, Mg, Zr, Fe, Si, and O in an amount of up to 5 weight % based on the total weight of said electron injecting electrode.

8. The electroluminescent device of claim 1, wherein said electron injecting electrode has a Li concentration which varies in the direction of the electron injecting electrode thickness.

9. The electroluminescent device of claim 8, wherein said electron injecting electrode has a higher concentration of Li at the surface of said electron injecting electrode closest to said organic layer, and a lower Li concentration at the opposite surface of said electron injecting electrode.

10. The organic electroluminescent device according to claim 8, wherein the Li concentration in said electron injecting electrode varies in a stepwise manner in the direction of the electron injecting electrode thickness.

11. A method for preparing an electroluminescent device comprising a hole injecting electrode, an electron injecting electrode, and at least one organic layer disposed between the electrodes, wherein said electron injecting electrode is deposited by a sputtering process using an AlLi alloy as the target and said electron injecting electrode comprises an AlLi alloy containing 0.4 to 14 at % Li.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the sputtering gas has a pressure during deposition of said electron injecting electrode in the range of 0.2 to 5 Pa.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the sputtering process is a DC sputtering process.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the pressure of a sputtering gas is changed during deposition of said electron injecting electrode, thereby forming an electron injecting electrode in which the Li concentration varies in the direction of the electron injecting electrode thickness.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said varied Li concentration is higher at the surface of said electron injecting electrode closest to said organic layer, and a higher Al concentration at the opposite surface of said electron injecting electrode.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the sputtering process is a pulsed DC sputtering process.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the electron injecting electrode comprises an AlLi alloy containing 3.2 to 14 at % Li.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein the electron injecting electrode comprises an AlLi alloy containing 6.5 to 14 at % Li.