Patterning of thin films for the fabrication of organic multi-color displays

• US 6,566,156 B1
• Filed: 06/14/1999
• Issued: 05/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Princeton University
• Original Assignee: The Trustees of Princeton University (Princeton University)
• Inventors: Wu, Chung-Chih, Sturm, James C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Picardat, Kevin M.
• Application Number:
  US09/202,150
• Time in Patent Office: 1,436 Days
• Field of Search: 438/35, 438/37, 438/38, 438/39, 438/40, 438/92, 438/99, 257/40, 257/642, 257/103
• US Class Current: 438/35
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/10 Apparatus or processes specially adapted to the manufacture of electroluminescent light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/12 Light sources with substantially two-dimensional radiating surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/11 characterised by the electroluminescent [EL] layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/805 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8423 Metallic sealing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8426 Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/844 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/17 Passive-matrix OLED displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/35 comprising red-green-blue [RGB] subpixels
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/00 Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass

Abstract

Organic light emitting devices and methods of making them are described. The devices contain a substrate, a first electrical contact layer, a patterned organic layer, and a second electrical contact layer. A covering portion covers the sides of the organic layer, protecting the same. In the methods, a first organic layer is provided over a first electrical contact layer, followed by a patterned second electrical contact layer. The organic layer is etched using the patterned electrical contact layer as a mask. In one embodiment, the etching step exposes an area over the first electrical contact layer, and a second organic layer is provided over the exposed area.

Claims

1. An organic light emitting device comprising:

a substrate;

a patterned first electrical contact layer over said substrate;

a patterned organic layer over said first contact layer, wherein said patterned organic layer covers sides of said first electrical contact layer;

a second electrical contact layer over said organic layer; and

a covering portion covering sides of said organic layer, wherein said covering portion includes a conductive layer extending from said substrate to said second electrical contact layer.

2. A method of forming an organic light emitting device comprising:

providing a first electrical contact layer;

providing a first organic layer over said first electrical contact layer;

providing a patterned second electrical contact layer over said first organic layer; and

etching said first organic layer using said patterned second electrical contact layer as a mask.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of etching exposes an area over said first electrical contact layer.

4. A method of forming an organic light emitting device, comprising:

providing a first electrical contact layer;

providing a first organic layer over said first electrical contact layer;

providing a patterned second electrical contact layer over said first organic layer;

etching said first organic layer using said patterned second electrical contact layer as a mask, wherein said step of etching exposes an area over said first electrical contact layer; and

providing a second organic layer over said exposed area over said first electrical contact layer.

10. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

providing a patterned third electrical contact layer over said second organic layer; and

etching said second organic layer using said patterned third electrical contact layer as a mask.

5. A method of forming an organic light emitting device, comprising:

providing a first electrical contact layer;

providing a first organic layer over said first electrical contact layer;

providing a patterned second electrical contact layer over said first organic layer; and

etching said first organic layer using said patterned second electrical contact layer as a mask;

wherein said first electrical contact layer is patterned before providing said first organic layer.

6. A method of forming an organic light emitting device, comprising:

providing a first electrical contact layer;

providing a first organic layer over said first electrical contact layer;

providing a patterned second electrical contact layer over said first organic layer; and

etching said first organic layer using said patterned second electrical contact layer as a mask;

wherein said first organic layer is provided by spin coating.

7. A method of forming an organic light emitting device, comprising:

providing a first electrical contact layer;

providing a first organic layer over said first electrical contact layer;

providing a patterned second electrical contact layer over said first organic layer; and

etching said first organic layer using said patterned second electrical contact layer as a mask;

wherein said first organic layer is provided by vacuum deposition.

8. A method of forming an organic light emitting device, comprising:

providing a first electrical contact layer;

providing a first organic layer over said first electrical contact layer;

providing a patterned second electrical contact layer over said first organic layer; and

etching said first organic layer using said patterned second electrical contact layer as a mask;

wherein said first electrical contact layer is a patterned layer made using a shadow mask technique.

9. A method of forming an organic light emitting device, comprising:

providing a first electrical contact layer;

providing a first organic layer over said first electrical contact layer;

providing a patterned second electrical contact layer over said first organic layer; and

etching said first organic layer using said patterned second electrical contact layer as a mask;

wherein said first electrical contact layer is a patterned layer made using a lithographic technique.

11. A method of forming an organic light emitting device comprising:

providing a first electrical contact layer;

providing a first organic layer over said first electrical contact layer;

providing a patterned second electrical contact layer over said first organic layer; and

etching said first organic layer using as a mask a layer on top of said patterned second electrical contact layer which has the same pattern as said patterned second electrical contact layer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said step of etching exposes an area over said first electrical contact layer.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing a second organic layer over said exposed area over said first electrical contact layer.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said first electrical contact layer is patterned before providing said first organic layer.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said first organic layer is provided by spin coating.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein said first organic layer is provided by vacuum deposition.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein said first electrical contact layer is a patterned layer made using a shadow mask technique.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein said first electrical contact layer is patterned layer made using a lithographic technique.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

providing a patterned third electrical contact layer over said second organic layer; and

etching said second organic layer using as a mask a layer on top of said patterned third electrical contact layer which has the same pattern as said patterned third electrical contact layer.

20. A method of forming a plurality of organic light emitting devices, comprising the steps of:

(a) fabricating a first organic light emitting device having a first organic layer;

(b) fabricating a protective covering layer that protects the first organic layer;

(c) fabricating a second organic light emitting device having a second organic layer, such that the second organic layer is deposited after the protective covering layer is fabricated.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of fabricating the second organic light emitting device includes an etching process.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of fabricating the second organic light emitting device includes a spin coating process.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of fabricating the second organic light emitting device includes the use of processing liquids.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of fabricating the first organic light emitting device includes etching the first organic layer using an electrical contact layer of the first organic light emitting device as a mask.

25. A method of forming a plurality of organic light emitting devices, comprising the steps of:

(a) fabricating a first organic light emitting device having a first organic layer;

(b) fabricating a first protective covering layer that protects the first organic layer;

(c) fabricating a second organic light emitting device having a second organic layer, such that the second organic layer is deposited after the first protective covering layer is fabricated;

(d) fabricating a second protective covering layer that protects the second organic layer;

(e) fabricating a third organic light emitting device having a third organic layer, such that the third organic layer is deposited after the second protective covering layer is fabricated.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein each of the first, second, and third organic light emitting devices emits a different color of light.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein each of the first, second, and third organic light emitting devices emits a different color of light selected from the group consisting of orange, green and blue.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein each of the first, second, and third organic light emitting devices emits a different color of light selected from the group consisting of red, green and blue.