Line structure in electroluminescence display device

• US 6,690,110 B1
• Filed: 09/28/2000
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamada, Tsutomu, Okuyama, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Vip
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZIMMERMAN, GLENN D
• Application Number:
  US09/672,930
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• Field of Search: 313/504, 313/506, 313/509, 313/498, 313/500, 313/505, 315/169.3, 345/76, 345/36
• US Class Current: 313/506
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/14 characterised by the chemical or physical composition or the arrangement of the electroluminescent material , or by the simultaneous addition of the electroluminescent material in or onto the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/131 Interconnections, e.g. wiring lines or terminals

Abstract

A wide line portion is extended from a cathode and another wide line portion is formed by second lines extending from cathode terminals. A contact CN1, which is also wide, is formed to connect both wide line portions in a portion where two wide line portions overlap, with an insulating film being interposed therebetween. Further, fifth line connected to the wide line portion is contact with the cathode at second contacts provided in the periphery of the display region. IN these contacts, an intermediate layer composed of a conductive oxide material is interposed, to thereby prevent deterioration of display quality by preventing reduction of a voltage applied to the cathode due to increased line resistance between the terminals and the cathode.

Claims

1. An electroluminescence display device comprising, on an insulating substrate, a display region including a plurality of electroluminescence elements and a group of terminals disposed at an end portion of said substrate for externally connecting the device,

wherein each of said plurality of electroluminescence elements comprises a first electrode and a second electrode, of which the second electrode formed in the upper layer is electrically connected to corresponding a plurality of terminals of said group of terminals in the periphery of said display region,

wherein the first electrode is provided to correspond to each of the plurality of electroluminescence elements and the second electrode is provided common to the plurality of electroluminescence elements.

2. An electroluminescence display device according to claim 1, wherein said second electrode is connected to lines extending from corresponding said plurality of terminals at a plurality of locations in the periphery of said display region.

3. An electroluminescence display device comprising, on an insulating substrate, a display region including a plurality of electroluminescence elements and a group of terminals disposed at an end portion of said substrate for externally connecting the device,

wherein each of said plurality of electroluminescence elements comprises a first electrode and a second electrode, of which the second electrode formed in the upper layer is electrically connected to lines extending from corresponding a plurality of terminals of said group of terminals in a contact portion formed in the periphery of said display region, and

in said contact portion, a contact intermediate layer composed of an conductive oxide is provide between said second electrode and said lines,

wherein the first electrode is provided to correspond to each of the plurality of electroluminescence elements and the second electrode is provided common to the plurality of electroluminescence elements.

4. An electroluminescence display device according to claim 3,

wherein said contact intermediate layer is formed with the same material as the first electrode of a pair composed with said second electrode.

5. An electroluminescence display device according to claim 4,

wherein said lines extending from the plurality of terminals are made of metal.

6. An electroluminescence display device comprising, on an insulating substrate, a display region including a plurality of electroluminescence elements group of terminals disposed at an end portion of said substrate for externally connecting the device,

wherein each of said plurality of electroluminescence elements comprises a first electrode and a second electrode, of which one of the first electrode and the second electrode functions as a cathode so as to cover the entire surface of said display region,

lines extending from corresponding a plurality of terminals of said group of terminals are disposed in outer periphery of said display region, and

said cathode is connected to said lines in a contact portion formed in the outer periphery of said display region, said contact portion including a contact intermediate layer composed of a conductive oxide between said cathode and the lines.

7. An electroluminescence display device according to claim 6,

wherein a plurality of said contact portions are provided at a plurality of locations in the outer periphery of said display region.

8. An electroluminescence display device according to claim 6,

wherein said contact intermediate layer is composed of the same material as the first electrode formed in a lower layer relative to the cathode, the first electrode forming a pair with said second electrode.

9. An electroluminescence display device comprising, on an insulating substrate, a display region including a plurality of electroluminescence elements and a group of terminals disposed at an end portion of said substrate for externally connecting the device,

wherein each of said plurality of electroluminescence elements comprises a first electrode and a second electrode, a first wide line extending from the second electrode, which is positioned as an upper layer, the second electrode is formed to cover the whole of said display region, the first wide line extending toward said group of terminals;

lines extend from corresponding plurality of terminals of said group of terminals, said lines being gathered to form a second wide line;

said second wide line that is at the terminal side and said first wide line at the second electrode side are connected in a wide first contact portion formed between said group of terminals and said display region, and

a line extending from said plurality of terminals toward the vicinity of the outer periphery of said display region is further provided, said line being connected with said second electrode in a plurality of second contact portions provided in the vicinity of the outer periphery of said display region.

10. An electroluminescence display device according to claim 9,

wherein said line extending from said plurality of terminals toward the vicinity of the outer periphery of said display region is integral with said second wide line.

11. An electroluminescence display device according to claim 9,

wherein a contact intermediate layer composed of a conductive oxide is provided between said second electrode and said lines connected to said second electrode, in said first and second contact portions.

12. An electroluminescence display device according to claim 11,

wherein said contact intermediate layer is composed of the same material as the first electrode, which constitutes a pair with said second electrode.

13. An electroluminescence display device according to claim 9,

wherein said plurality of electroluminescence elements emit light when a current is applied to an emissive element layer by said first and second electrodes.