Organic electroluminescent white light source and method for manufacturing the same

• US 6,628,067 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2001
• Issued: 09/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Yokoyama, Osamu, Kobayashi, Hidekazu, Miyashita, Satoru
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Macchiarolo, Peter
• Application Number:
  US09/790,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20010022496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 313/504, 313/506, 313/503
• US Class Current: 313/504
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/854 comprising scattering means
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/00 Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one organic light-emitting element covered by group H10K50/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/35 comprising red-green-blue [RGB] subpixels
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/135 using ink-jet printing

Abstract

A white backlight is provided by mixing a plurality of luminous lights with balanced white light, while minimizing power consumption and reducing manufacturing cost. Luminous regions are finely arranged in order to uniformly mix a plurality of luminous colors. A white light is obtained by simultaneously lighting luminous colors in the plurality of luminous regions using a single power source. The shape of the luminous regions is determined for depositing the luminous layers.

Claims

1. An organic electroluminescent device having a laminated structure that causes light emission, comprising:

a common anode;

a common cathode; and

a plurality of luminous layers sandwiched between said common anode and said common cathode, said luminous layers emitting different colors, and grouped to define a plurality of luminous regions,

wherein said common anode and said common cathode are arranged to activate all of said luminous regions by applying a voltage to said luminous layers, thereby emitting a light collectively mixed thereof.

2. The organic electroluminescent white light source according to claim 1, wherein a planar configuration of each luminous region corresponding to each of the luminous layers being one of a circle and an ellipsoid.

3. The organic electroluminescent white light source according to claim 1, wherein each luminous region corresponding to each of the luminous layers being regularly arranged with a periodic repeating unit.

4. The organic electroluminescent white light source according to claim 3, wherein each luminous region being regularly arranged with a periodic repeating unit along a first direction, and a linear arrangement of said luminous regions aligning like colors and being formed along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

5. The organic electroluminescent white light source according to claim 1, wherein an area ratio of the luminous region in each luminous layer being adjusted so that a white color is obtained.

6. The organic electroluminescent white light source according to claim 1, wherein each luminous layer in the plurality of luminous layers being addressed so as to minimize an addressing voltage as a sum of consumed electric power of each luminous layer.

7. The organic electroluminescent white light source according to claim 1, wherein the different colors comprise two colors.

8. The organic electroluminescent white light source according to claim 1, wherein the different colors comprise three colors.

9. The organic electroluminescent white light source according to claim 1, further comprising a light diffusion plate placed on a luminous surface of the light source.

10. The organic electroluminescent white light source according to claim 1, further comprising a light diffusing substrate disposed under said common anode.

17. A liquid crystal display device, comprising:

a liquid crystal panel; and

a light source to illuminate the panel, the light source including the organic electroluminescent white light source according to claim 1.

11. An organic electroluminescent device having a laminated structure on a substrate that causes light emission, comprising:

a substrate;

an anode disposed above said substrate;

a cathode disposed above said substrate;

a plurality of luminous layers sandwiched between said anode and said cathode, said luminous layers defining luminous regions; and

a plurality of division walls dividing said luminous layers, wherein said luminous regions being spaced apart with each other by disposing at least one of said luminous layers in each of said luminous regions, and said anode and said cathode are arranged to activate all of said luminous layers by applying a voltage to said luminous layers in each of said luminous regions, thereby emitting a light collectively mixed thereof.

12. The organic electroluminescent white light source according to claim 11, wherein said anode is a common anode disposed under said luminous layers.

13. The organic electroluminescent white light source according to claim 11, wherein said cathode is a common cathode disposed above said luminous layers.

14. The organic electroluminescent white light source according to claim 11, wherein said luminous layers being formed by an ink-jet method.

15. The organic electroluminescent white light source according to claim 11, wherein a planar configuration of said luminous regions being a circle or an ellipsoid.

16. The organic electroluminescent white light source according to claim 12, further comprising an auxiliary electrode provided on a surface of the common anode for enhancing electrical characteristics of the common anode.

18. A liquid crystal display device, comprising:

a liquid crystal panel; and

a light source to illuminate the panel, the light source including the organic electroluminescent white light source according to claim 11.