Displays having mesa pixel configuration

• US 6,650,045 B1
• Filed: 05/23/2000
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Trustees of Princeton University (Princeton University)
• Original Assignee: The Trustees of Princeton University (Princeton University)
• Inventors: Garbuzov, Dmitri Z., Forrest, Stephen R., Burrows, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABDULSELAM, ABBAS I
• Application Number:
  US09/576,790
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 345/82, 345/83, 345/84, 345/60, 345/65, 313/504, 313/506, 313/509, 313/503, 445/23, 445/24, 445/11, 445/9, 445/10, 430/201, 430/200, 430/319, 315/169.3, 315/169.4, 385/147, 385/123, 385/131
• US Class Current: 313/504
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/856 comprising reflective means

Abstract

A multicolor organic light emitting display device employs angle-walled blue, green and red emitting mesas, with optional metal reflectors on the angled walls, in a plurality of pixels. The angle-walled mesas, which resemble truncated pyramids, direct light out of the mesa by reflection from the mesa side walls or by mirror reflection. The device of the present invention reduces waveguiding, thus simultaneously increasing both display brightness and resolution.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating a multicolor display, said method comprising:

depositing a dielectric layer over a transparent substrate;

depositing a green phosphor layer over said dielectric layer;

depositing an etch-stop, dielectric layer over said green phosphor layer;

depositing a red phosphor layer over said etch-stop, dielectric layer;

patterning via angle-dry etch to create a mesa-structure having first, second and third mesas, wherein each mesa has at least two angled side walls;

etching to remove said red phosphor from said first mesa;

etching to remove said green phosphor from said second mesa;

depositing a transparent conductive coating over said two dimensional mesa structure to form contacts on said mesas;

depositing an isolation dielectric over said mesa structure;

etching windows in said isolation dielectric, wherein the placement of said windows corresponds to the position of the transparent conductive

depositing a blue OLED structure over said isolation dielectric such that said blue OLED contacts said transparent conductive coating through said windows;

depositing a reflective conductive coating over said blue OLED to form contacts on said blue OLED.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said blue OLED comprises an emissive layer selected from the group consisting of trivalent metal quinolate complexes, Schiff base divalent metal complexes, metal acetylacetonate complexes, metal bidentate ligand complexes, bisphosphonates, molecular charge transfer complexes, aromatic and heterocyclic polymers and rare earth mixed chelates.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said green phosphor comprises at least one polymethine fluorescent dye selected from the group consisting of cyanines, merocyanines and tri-, tetra, and polynuclear cyanines and merocyanines, oxonols, hemioxanols, styryls, merostyryls and streptocyanines.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the red phosphor comprises at least one fluorescent dye selected from the group consisting of 4-dicyano-methylene-4H-pyrans and 4-dicyanomethylene-4H-thiopyrans.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said depositing a blue OLED structure comprises:

depositing a hole transporting layer;

depositing an emission layer over said hole transporting layer; and

depositing an electron transporting layer over said emission layer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said depositing a blue OLED structure comprises:

depositing a hole transporting layer; and

depositing a multifunctional layer over said hole transporting layer, said multifunctional layer serving as an emission layer and an electron transporting layer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said transparent conductive coating comprises indium-tin-oxide.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said reflective conductive coating comprises a metal having a work function of less than about four electron volts.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein said mesa-structure is two dimensional.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the mesas has a top portion and a bottom portion, the top portion being narrow relative to the bottom potion to guide light in a direction from the top portion to the bottom portion.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the two side walls are configured at a predetermined acute angle to minimize waveguiding.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the two side walls are configured at an acute angle ranging between 35°

and 45°

relative to the transparent substrate.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first, second, and third mesas is separated from the others to prevent color cross-talk.

9. A method of fabricating a multicolor display, said method comprising:

depositing a dielectric layer over a substrate;

etching three flat-bottomed pits into said dielectric layer to form at least three reverse mesas, wherein each of the three reverse mesas has at least two angled side walls;

depositing a metal layer over said three reverse mesas;

depositing an isolation dielectric layer over said metal layer;

etching windows in said isolation dielectric layer;

depositing a blue OLED structure over said isolation dielectric such that said blue OLED contacts said metal layer through said windows;

depositing a transparent conductive coating over said blue OLED to form contacts on said blue OLED, the position of said contacts corresponding to the position of said windows;

depositing a second isolation dielectric layer over said contacts;

depositing a red phosphor layer over said second isolation dielectric layer;

etching to remove said red phosphor from a first two of said three reverse mesas;

depositing a green phosphor layer over said second isolation dielectric layer; and

etching to remove said green phosphor from a second two of said three reverse mesas.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said blue OLED comprises an emissive layer selected from the group consisting of trivalent metal quinolate complexes, Schiff base divalent metal complexes, metal acetylacetonate complexes, metal bidentate ligand complexes, bisphosphonates, molecular charge transfer complexes, aromatic and heterocyclic polymers and rare earth mixed chelates.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said green phosphor comprises at least one polymethine fluorescent dye selected from the group consisting of cyanines, merocyanines and tri-, tetra, and polynuclear cyanines and merocyanines, oxonols, hemioxanols, styryls, merostyryls and streptocyanines.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the red phosphor comprises at least one fluorescent dye selected from the group consisting of 4-dicyano-methylene-4H-pyrans and 4-dicyanomethylene-4H-thiopyrans.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein depositing a blue OLED structure comprises:

depositing an electron transporting layer;

depositing an emission layer over said electron transporting layer; and

depositing a hole transporting layer over said emission layer.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein said depositing a blue OLED structure comprises:

depositing a multifunctional layer, said multifunctional layer serving as an emission layer and an electron transporting layer; and

depositing a hole transporting layer on said multifunctional layer.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein said transparent conductive coating comprises indium-tin-oxide.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein said metal layer comprises a metal having a work function of less than about four electron volts.

30. The method of claim 9, wherein the two side walls are configured at a predetermined acute angle to minimize waveguiding.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the two side walls are configured at an acute angle ranging between 35°

and 45°

relative to the transparent substrate.

17. A method of fabricating a multicolor display, said method comprising:

etching at least three flat-bottomed pits into a substrate to form at least three reverse mesas, wherein each of the three reverse mesas has at least two angled side walls;

depositing a metal layer over said three reverse mesas;

etching windows in said isolation dielectric layer;

depositing a blue OLED structure over said isolation dielectric such that said blue OLED contacts said metal layer through said windows;

depositing a transparent conductive coating over said blue OLED to form contacts on said blue OLED, the position of said contacts corresponding to the position of said windows;

depositing a second isolation dielectric layer over said contacts;

depositing a red phosphor layer over said second isolation dielectric layer;

etching to remove said red phosphor from a first two of said three reverse mesas;

depositing a green phosphor layer over aid second isolation dielectric layer; and

etching to remove said green phosphor from a second two of said three reverse mesas.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said blue OLED comprises an emissive layer selected from the group consisting of trivalent metal quinolate complexes, Schiff base divalent metal complexes, metal acetylacetonate complexes, metal bidentate ligand complexes, bisphosphonates, molecular charge transfer complexes, aromatic and heterocyclic polymers and rare earth mixed chelates.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said green phosphor comprises at least one polymethine fluorescent dye selected from the group consisting of cyanines, merocyanines and tri-, tetra, and polynuclear cyanines and merocyanines, oxonols, hemioxanols, styryls, merostyryls and streptocyanines.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the red phosphor comprises at least one fluorescent dye selected from the group consisting of 4-dicyano-methylene-4H-pyrans and 4-dicyanomethylene-4H-thiopyrans.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein said depositing a blue OLED structure comprises:

depositing an electron transporting layer;

depositing an emission layer on said electron transporting layer; and

depositing a hole transporting layer on said emission layer.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein said depositing a blue OLED structure comprises:

depositing a multifunctional layer, said multifunctional layer serving as an emission layer and an electron transporting layer; and

depositing a hole transporting layer on said multifunctional layer.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein said transparent conductive coating comprises indium-tin-oxide.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein said metal layer comprises a metal having a work function of less than about four electron volts.

32. The method of claim 17, wherein the two side walls are configured at a predetermined acute angle to minimize waveguiding.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the two side walls are configured at an acute angle ranging between 35°

and 45°

relative to the transparent substrate.