Organic light emitting element and method of producing the same

• US 6,787,991 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2003
• Issued: 09/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Shimada, Akira, Kobayashi, Shinya, Nakayama, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, JOSEPH L
• Application Number:
  US10/397,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20030184215A1
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 313/498, 313/501-512, 313/500
• US Class Current: 313/504
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/11 characterised by the electroluminescent [EL] layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/841 Self-supporting sealing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/85 Arrangements for extracting light from the devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/852 comprising a resonant cavity structure, e.g. Bragg reflector pair
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/856 comprising reflective means
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/872 Containers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/875 Arrangements for extracting light from the devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/876 comprising a resonant cavity structure, e.g. Bragg reflector pair
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/878 comprising reflective means
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/324 comprising aluminium, e.g. Alq3
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/631 Amine compounds having at least two aryl rest on at least one amine-nitrogen atom, e.g. triphenylamine

Abstract

An organic light emitting element including a light emitting organic thin film formed on a substrate, a pair of electrodes sandwiching the organic thin film light emitting layer therebetween. A peripheral side surface of the organic thin film light emitting layer has a shape so that emitted light is reflected by the side surface. The peripheral side surface of the organic thin film light emitting layer is in a range of about 40%-90% of a thickness of the organic thin film light emitting layer in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the substrate.

Claims

1. An organic light emitting element including:

a light emitter organic thin film formed on a substrate;

a pair of electrodes sandwiching said organic thin film therebetween;

wherein a peripheral side surface of said organic thin film has a shape so that emitted light is reflected by said side surface, said peripheral side surface of said organic thin film being in a range of about 40%-90% of a thickness of said organic thin film in a direction perpendicular to a surface of said substrate.

2. An organic light emitting element according to claim 1, wherein an insulation film is formed over said organic light emitting element and a metal reflection film is formed over said insulation film.

3. An organic light emitting element according to claim 1, further comprising means formed over said organic light emitting element for improving the effect of light reflection by said side peripheral surface of said organic thin film.

4. An organic light emitting element according to claim 3, wherein said means comprises a metal reflection film formed over said light emitting element.

5. An organic light emitting element according to claim 4, further comprising an insulation film formed between said light emitting element and said metal reflection film.

6. An organic light emitting element including a layer of a light emitting organic thin film formed on a substrate, and a metal layer electrode formed on said substrate, wherein a plurality of layer parts, each of said layer parts including said light emitting layer and said metal electrode, are separately arranged in a plane parallel to said substrate, respectively, and a distance between two parts neighboring each other in said parts is larger than ¼

of a wavelength of light emitted in said light emitting layer.

7. An organic light emitting element according to claim 6, wherein an insulation film is formed over said organic light emitting element and a metal reflection film is formed over said insulation film.

8. An organic light emitting element according to claim 6, wherein a peripheral side surface of said light emitting organic thin film has a shape so that emitted light is reflected by said side surface, and further comprising means formed over said organic light emitting element for improving the effect of light reflection by said peripheral side surface.

9. An organic light emitting element according to claim 8, wherein said means comprises a metal reflection film formed over said light emitting element.

10. An organic light emitting element according to claim 9, further comprising an insulation film formed between said light emitting element and said metal reflection film.

11. An organic light emitting element including:

a light emitter organic thin film formed on a substrate; and

a pair of electrodes sandwiching said organic thin film therebetween;

wherein a peripheral side surface of said organic thin film has a shape so that emitted light is reflected by said side surface, and wherein an insulation film is formed over said organic light emitting element and a metal reflection film is formed over said insulation film.

12. An organic light emitting element including:

a layer of light emitting organic thin film formed on a substrate, and a metal layer electrode formed on said substrate, wherein a plurality of layer parts, each of said layer parts including said light emitting layer and said metal electrode, are separately arranged in a plane parallel to said substrate, respectively, and further comprising an insulation film formed over said layer parts and a metal reflecting film formed over said insulating film.

13. An organic light emitting element including:

a light emitter organic thin film formed on a substrate, wherein a peripheral side surface of said organic thin film has a shape so that emitted light is reflected by said side surface;

a pair of electrodes sandwiching said organic thin film therebetween; and

means formed over said organic light emitting element for improving the effect of light reflection by said side peripheral surface of said organic thin film.

14. An organic light emitting element according to claim 13, wherein said means comprises a metal reflection film formed over said light emitting element.

15. An organic light emitting element including a layer of a light emitting organic thin film formed on a substrate, and a metal layer electrode formed on said substrate, wherein a plurality of layer parts, each of said layer parts including said light emitting layer and said metal electrode, are separately arranged in a plane parallel to said substrate, respectively, and wherein a peripheral side surface of said light emitting organic thin film has a shape so that emitted light is reflected by said side surface, and further comprising means formed over said organic light emitting element for improving the effect of light reflection by said peripheral side surface.

16. An organic light emitting element according to claim 15, further comprising an insulation film formed between said light emitting element and said metal reflection film.

17. An organic light emitting element according to claim 15, wherein said means comprises a metal reflection film formed over said light emitting element.

18. An organic light emitting element according to claim 17, further comprising an insulation film formed between said light emitting element and said metal reflection film.