Charge-transport structures

• US 6,555,840 B1
• Filed: 02/15/2000
• Issued: 04/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Weaver, Michael Stuart, Anderson, Sally, Tombling, Craig, Hudson, Andrew James
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sefer, Ahmed N.
• Application Number:
  US09/504,557
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: 257/40, 257/102, 257/103, 313/498-500, 313/506-507, 313/509, 313/511
• US Class Current: 257/40
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 10/46 Field-effect transistors, e.g. organic thin-film transistors [OTFT] H10K10/43 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/20 comprising organic-organic junctions, e.g. donor-acceptor junctions
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/50 Photovoltaic [PV] devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/11 characterised by the electroluminescent [EL] layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/125 specially adapted for multicolour light emission, e.g. for emitting white light
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/135 using ink-jet printing
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/30 Doping active layers, e.g. electron transporting layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/40 Thermal treatment, e.g. annealing in the presence of a solvent vapour
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/111 comprising aromatic, heteroaromatic, or aryl chains, e.g. polyaniline, polyphenylene or polyphenylene vinylene
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/114 Poly-phenylenevinylene; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/115 Polyfluorene; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/141 comprising aliphatic or olefinic chains, e.g. poly N-vinylcarbazol, PVC or PTFE
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/621 Aromatic anhydride or imide compounds, e.g. perylene tetra-carboxylic dianhydride or perylene tetracarboxylic di-imide
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/631 Amine compounds having at least two aryl rest on at least one amine-nitrogen atom, e.g. triphenylamine
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/652 Cyanine dyes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/654 comprising only nitrogen as heteroatom H10K85/652 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/657 Polycyclic condensed heteroaromatic hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/6574 comprising only oxygen in the heteroaromatic polycondensed ring system, e.g. cumarine dyes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A charge-transport structure, e g an opto-electronic structure such an electroluminescent device is manufactured by forming a uniform first charge-transport (eg electron-transport) polymer layer on a substrate. Low molar mass dyes in a solvent are ink-jet printed onto the exposed surface of the first layer to form a multicolor pattern, and the dyes are allowed to diffuse into the layer to form charge-recombination/emitter regions within the layer. Excess dyes are washed away from the surface and then a uniform second charge-transport (eg hole-transport) polymer layer is formed on the resultant smooth surface of the first layer over the tops of the regions. Finally, electrodes are deposited on the top of the second layer in registration with the regions. Photovoltaic structures and organic transistors are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An organic opto-electronic structure comprising an organic charge-transport layer arrangement having:

(a) an electron-transport region at one surface, (b) a hole-transport region at an opposite surface, and (c) at least one active region, wherein the or each active region is defined by a diffused region of the organic charge-transport layer arrangement into which at least one dopant has diffused, said diffused region extending only partly through the thickness of said layer arrangement,

wherein the organic charge-transport layer arrangement comprises a substantially uniform first organic charge-transport layer, a substantially uniform second organic charge-transport layer disposed on the first organic layer, an interface between said first and second organic layers, one of the organic layers defining the hole-transport region and the other organic layer defining the electron-transport region, and a plurality of active regions at the interface, wherein the or each active region is provided at the interface.

2. An opto-electronic structure according to claim 1, wherein the organic charge-transport layer arrangement is a polymer layer arrangement.

3. An opto-electronic structure according to claim 1, wherein said at least one dopant is a dye.

4. An opto-electronic structure according to claim 1, wherein the dopant is bound to the material of the layer into which it is diffused by a covalent bond, an electrostatic bond, a hydrophobic bonding interaction, a van der Waals'"'"' bonding interaction or a hydrogen bonding interaction.

5. An opto-electronic structure according to claim 4, wherein the dopant is bound by a covalent bond or an electrostatic bond.

6. An opto-electronic structure according to claim 1, further including a substrate upon which said layer arrangement is supported.

7. An opto-electronic structure according to claim 6, wherein the substrate is a flexible sheet of polymer or polymer/glass composite.

8. An opto-electronic structure according to claim 1, which is an electro-luminescent structure where the or each active region is a charge-carrier recombination/emitter region.

9. An opto-electronic structure according to claim 1, which is a photovoltaic structure wherein the or each active region to a light absorption/charge-carrier separation region.

10. An organic opto-electronic structure comprising an organic charge-transport layer arrangement having (a) an electron-transport region at one surface, (b) a hole-transport region at an opposite surface, and (c) at least one active region, wherein the or each active region is defined by a diffused region of the organic charge-transport layer arrangement into which at least one dopant has diffused, said diffused region extending only partly through the thickness of one of the said electron-transport region and hole-transport region, so as to form said layer arrangement,

wherein the organic charge-transport layer arrangement comprises a single organic layer having the electron-transport region and hole-transport region extending into the layer from opposite surfaces thereof, and said at least one active region is diffused into the layer from one of said surfaces.

11. An organic opto-electronic structure comprising an organic charge-transport layer arrangement having (a) an electron-transport region at one surface, (b) a hole-transport region at an opposite surface, and (c) at least one active region, wherein the or each active region is defined by a diffused region of the organic charge-transport layer arrangement into which at least one dopant has diffused, said diffused region extending only partly through the thickness of one of the said electron-transport region and hole-transport region, so as to form said layer arrangement,

wherein the structure is an electro-luminescent structure where the or each active region is a charge-carrier recombination/emitter region,

wherein a plurality of localised active regions are provided which can be individually addressed.

12. An organic opto-electronic structure comprising an organic charge-transport layer arrangement having (a) an electron-transport region at one surface, (b) a hole-transport region at an opposite surface, and (c) at least one active region, wherein the or each active region is defined by a diffused region of the organic charge-transport layer arrangement into which at least one dopant has diffused, said diffused region extending only partly through the thickness of one of the said electron-transport region and hole-transport region, so as to form said layer arrangement,

wherein the structure is a photovoltaic structure where the or each active region is a light absorption/charge-carrier separation region,

wherein a single active regions is provided which extends over the majority of the length and width of the organic charge-transport layer arrangement.