Organic electroluminescent element, panel and apparatus using the same

• US 6,791,260 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2002
• Issued: 09/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: JOLED Inc.
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Komatsu, Takahiro, Gyotoku, Akira, Kaneko, Shinichiro, Hamano, Takafumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nimeshkumar D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Santiago, Mariceli
• Application Number:
  US10/051,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20030117070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 313/504, 313/506, 313/509, 313/512, 313/511, 313/500
• US Class Current: 313/504
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/81 Anodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/82 Cathodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/17 Passive-matrix OLED displays

Abstract

An organic electroluminescent (OEL) element includes a scanning electrode and a signal electrode, which crosses the scanning electrode at right angles, on a substrate. The signal electrodes are formed of N-layer electrodes laminated like steps, where respective layers are insulated from each other. The scanning electrodes are formed on the signal electrodes via an organic thin film layer. As a result, a display area is divided into sections corresponding to laminated numbers, and the divided each section is scanned independently. A duty ratio for driving the OEL element becomes large and less power consumption thus can be expected.

Claims

1. An organic electroluminescent (OEL) element comprising:

(a) a signal electrode;

(b) a scanning electrode; and

(c) an organic thin film disposed between said signal electrode and said scanning electrode;

said signal electrode, said organic thin film and said scanning electrode disposed on a substrate,

wherein said signal electrode is formed of N-layer electrodes laminated, the layers being insulated from each other, and being formed one on top of the other without any scanning electrodes being disposed in between,

wherein a layer M electrode is formed on a layer (M−

1) electrode via the insulator, an area of layer M electrode being smaller than an area of layer (M−

1) electrode,

wherein M is an integer not more than integer N and greater than 1.

2. The OEL element of claim 1, wherein a difference between an area of layer M electrode and an area of layer (M−

1) electrode is approximately 1/N of a whole display area.

3. The OEL element of claim 1, wherein N is one of 2 and 3.

4. An organic electroluminescence (OEL) panel comprising a plurality of OEL elements of claim 1 on one substrate.

5. The OEL element of claim 1, wherein said signal electrode comprises patterned lines having a predetermined width and pitch.

6. The OEL element of claim 1, wherein all of said signal electrodes on layer N are formed so as to be made available on a same plane of the substrate.

7. The OEL element of claim 1, wherein said signal electrodes is an anode and said scanning electrode is a cathode.

8. The OEL element of claim 1, wherein said signal electrodes is a cathode and said scanning electrode is an anode.

9. The OEL element of claim 1, wherein said organic thin film and said scanning electrode are formed on layer N electrode and on layer (M−

1) electrode not covered with layer M electrode.

10. The OEL element of claim 9, wherein said scanning electrode is an anode when said signal electrode is a cathode, or said scanning electrode is a cathode when said signal electrode is an anode.

11. The OEL element of claim 9, wherein lead-wires from said signal electrodes are routed in one direction.

12. The OEL element of claim 9, wherein a difference between an area of layer M electrode and an area of layer (M−

1) electrode is approximately 1/N of a whole display area.

13. An organic electroluminescence (OEL) panel comprising a plurality of OEL elements of claim 9 on one substrate.

14. The OEL element of claim 9, wherein said signal electrodes are laminated like steps.

15. The OEL element of claim 14, wherein said organic thin film and said scanning electrode are formed on said signal electrodes.

16. The OEL element of claim 15, wherein lead-wires from said signal electrodes are routed in one direction.

17. The OEL element of claim 15, wherein a difference between an area of layer M electrode and an area of layer (M−

1) electrode is approximately 1/N of a whole display area.

18. An organic electroluminescence (OEL) apparatus comprising:

(A) an OEL element including;

(a) a signal electrode;

(b) a scanning electrode;

(c) an organic thin film disposed between said signal electrode and said scanning electrode;

said signal electrode, said organic thin film and said scanning electrode disposed on a substrate,

wherein said signal electrode (a) is formed of N-layer electrodes laminated, the layers being insulated from each other, and being formed one on top of the other without any scanning electrodes being disposed in between,

wherein a layer M electrode is formed on layer (M−

1) electrode via the insulator, an area of layer M electrode being smaller than an area of layer (M−

1) electrode,

wherein M is an integer not more than integer N and greater than 1.

wherein said scanning electrode (a) and said organic thin film (b) are formed on layer N electrode and on layer (M−

1) electrode not covered with layer M electrode, and

(B) driving means for driving said OEL element.

19. The OEL apparatus of claim 18, wherein said driving means is disposed on the substrate.

20. The OEL apparatus of claim 18, wherein said signal electrodes are laminated like steps, said organic thin film and said scanning electrode are formed on said signal electrodes.

21. The OEL apparatus of claim 18, wherein said OEL element further comprises lead-wires from said signal electrodes routed in one direction.

22. The OEL apparatus of claim 18, wherein said a plurality of OEL elements are formed on one substrate.

23. An organic electroluminescent element comprising:

(a) a signal electrode;

(b) a scanning electrode; and

(c) an organic thin film disposed between said signal electrode and said scanning electrode;

said signal electrode, said organic thin film and said scanning electrode disposed on a substrate,

wherein said signal electrodes are formed of N-layer electrodes laminated, the layers being insulated from each other,

wherein a layer M electrode is formed on a layer (M−

1) electrode via the insulator, an area of layer M electrode being smaller than an area of layer (M−

1) electrode,

wherein M is an integer not more than integer N and greater than 1, and

wherein a difference between an area of layer M electrode and an area of layer CM−

1) electrode is approximately 1/N of a whole display area.

24. An organic electroluminescent element comprising:

(a) a signal electrode;

(b) a scanning electrode; and

(c) an organic thin film disposed between said signal electrode and said scanning electrode;

said signal electrode, said organic thin film and said scanning electrode disposed on a substrate,

wherein said signal electrodes are formed of N-layer electrodes laminated, the layers being insulated from each other,

wherein a layer M electrode is formed on a layer (M−

1) electrode via the insulator, an area of layer M electrode being smaller than an area of layer (M−

1) electrode,

wherein M is an integer not more than integer N and greater than 1,

wherein said organic thin film and said scanning electrode are formed on layer N electrode and on layer (M−

1) electrode not covered with layer M electrode, and

wherein a difference between an area of layer M electrode and an area of layer (M−

1) electrode is approximately 1/N of a whole display area.

25. An organic electroluminescent element comprising:

(a) a signal electrode;

(b) a scanning electrode; and

(c) an organic thin film disposed between said signal electrode and said scanning electrode;

said signal electrode, said organic thin film and said scanning electrode disposed on a substrate,

wherein said signal electrodes are formed of N-layer electrodes laminated, the layers being insulated from each other,

wherein a layer M electrode is formed on a layer (M−

1) electrode via the insulator, an area of layer M electrode being smaller than an area of layer (M−

1) electrode,

wherein M is an integer not more than integer N and greater than 1,

wherein said organic thin film and said scanning electrode are formed on layer N electrode and on layer (M−

1) electrode not covered with layer M electrode,

wherein said signal electrodes are laminated like steps,

wherein said organic thin film and said scanning electrode are formed on said signal electrodes, and

wherein a difference between an area of layer M electrode and an area of layer (M−

1) electrode is approximately 1/N of a whole display area.

26. An organic electroluminescent (OEL) element comprising:

(a) an anode;

(b) an organic thin film; and

(c) a cathode;

said anode, said organic thin film and said cathode disposed on a substrate,

wherein said anode is formed of N-layer electrodes laminated, the electrodes being insulated from each other, and being formed one on top of the other without any cathodes being disposed in between,

wherein a layer M electrode is formed on a layer (M−

1) electrode via the insulator, an area of layer M electrode being smaller than an area of layer (M−

1) electrode,

wherein M is an integer not more than integer N and greater than 1.

27. An organic electroluminescent (OEL) element comprising:

(a) an anode;

(b) an organic thin film; and

(c) a cathode;

said anode, said organic thin film and said cathode disposed on a substrate,

wherein said cathode is formed of N-layer electrodes laminated, the electrodes being insulated from each other, and being formed one on top of the other without any anodes being disposed in between,

wherein a layer M electrode is formed on a layer (M−

1) electrode via the insulator, an area of layer M electrode being smaller than an area of layer (M−

1) electrode,

wherein M is an integer not more than integer N and greater than 1.