Method of manufacturing organic EL element, organic EL element, and organic EL display device

• US 6,833,156 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2001
• Issued: 12/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kiguchi, Hiroshi, Kanbe, Sadao, Shimoda, Tatsuya, Miyashita, Satoru
• Primary Examiner(s): TARAZANO, DONALD LAWRENCE
• Application Number:
  US09/983,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20020041926A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: 427/66, 427/68
• US Class Current: 427/66
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2323/00 Functional layers of liquid crystal optical display excluding electroactive liquid crystal layer characterised by chemical composition
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/10 Apparatus or processes specially adapted to the manufacture of electroluminescent light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8426 Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/844 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/865 comprising light absorbing layers, e.g. light-blocking layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/12 Active-matrix OLED [AMOLED] displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/17 Passive-matrix OLED displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/173 comprising banks or shadow masks
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/35 comprising red-green-blue [RGB] subpixels
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/353 characterised by the geometrical arrangement of the RGB subpixels
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/00 Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/135 using ink-jet printing
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/164 using vacuum deposition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/917 Electroluminescent
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24868 Translucent outer layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31855 Of addition polymer from unsaturated monomers

Abstract

A method of manufacturing an organic EL element according to the present invention comprises the steps of forming pixel electrodes (801), (802), (803) on a transparent substrate (804) and forming on the pixel electrodes by patterning luminescent layers (806), (807), (808) made of an organic compound by means of an ink-jet method. According to this method, it is possible to carry out a high precise patterning easily and in a short time, thereby enabling to carry out optimization for a film design and luminescent characteristic easily as well as making it easy to adjust a luminous efficiency.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing an organic EL device having a plurality of pixels, comprising:

forming first electrodes on or above a substrate, the first electrodes being formed so as to be separated from each other for each respective pixel;

forming partitioning walls on or above the substrate;

forming at least one luminescent layer having a certain color and made of an organic compound on or above said first electrodes by patterning;

forming a second electrode opposing the first electrodes; and

forming a protective film over the second electrode and the partitioning walls,

the formation of said at least one luminescent layer being performed by selectively discharging a luminescent material composition for said at least one luminescent layer from a nozzle toward a region surrounded by the partitioning walls and onto an underlying layer, the luminescent material composition serving as luminescence function and carrier transfer function in the formed at least one luminescent layer.

2. The method of manufacturing an organic EL device according to claim 1, at least one compound constituting the composition being a polymer organic compound.

3. The method of manufacturing an organic EL device according to claim 2, the polymer organic compound being a material having functions of hole injection and hole transfer.

4. The method of manufacturing an organic EL device according to claim 1, said underlying layer being a hole injection and transfer layer.

5. A method of manufacturing an organic EL device having a plurality of pixels, comprising:

forming first electrodes on or above a substrate, the first electrodes being formed so as to be separated from each other for each respective pixel;

forming partitioning walls on or above the substrate;

forming three types of luminescent layers on or above said first electrodes, each of said luminescent layers having a certain color and made of an organic compound;

forming a second electrode opposing the first electrodes; and

forming a protective film over the second electrode and the partitioning walls,

the formation of the at least two types of luminescent layers of the three types of luminescent layers being formed by selectively discharging a luminescent material composition for each one of said at least two types of luminescent layer from a nozzle toward a region surrounded by the partitioning walls and onto an underlying layer, the luminescent material composition serving as luminescence function and carrier transfer function in the formed at least one luminescent layer.

6. The method of manufacturing an organic EL device according to claim 5, said underlying layer being a hole injection and transfer layer.

7. A method of manufacturing an organic EL device having a plurality of pixels, comprising:

forming first electrodes on or above a substrate, the first electrodes being formed so as to be separated from each other for each respective pixel;

forming partitioning walls on or above the substrate;

forming at least one luminescent layer having a certain color and made of an organic compound on or above said first electrodes by patterning;

forming a second electrode opposing the first electrodes; and

forming a protective film over the second electrode and the partitioning walls,

the formation of said at least one luminescent layer being performed by selectively discharging a luminescent material composition for said at least one luminescent layer from a nozzle toward a region surrounded by the partitioning walls, the luminescent material composition serving as luminescence function and carrier transfer function in the formed at least one luminescent layer.

8. The method of manufacturing an organic EL device according to claim 7, at least one compound constituting the composition being a polymer organic compound.

9. The method of manufacturing an organic EL device according to claim 8, the polymer organic compound being a material having functions of hole injection and hole transfer.

10. A method of manufacturing an organic EL device having a plurality of pixels, comprising:

forming first electrodes on or above a substrate, the first electrodes being formed so as to be separated from each other for each respective pixel;

forming partitioning walls on or above the substrate;

forming three types of luminescent layers on or above predetermined first electrodes, each of said luminescent layers having a certain color and made of an organic compound and formed on or above said first electrodes;

forming a second electrode opposing the first electrodes; and

forming a protective film over the second electrode and the partitioning walls,

the formation of at least two types of luminescent layers of the three types of luminescent layers being performed by selectively discharging a luminescent material composition for each of said at least two types of luminescent layers from a nozzle toward a region surrounded by the partitioning walls, the luminescent material composition serving as luminescence function and carrier transfer function in the formed at least one luminescent layer.

11. A method of manufacturing an organic EL device having a plurality of pixels, comprising:

forming a first electrode on or above a substrate, the first electrodes being formed so as to be separated from each other for each respective pixel;

forming partitioning walls on or above the substrate;

forming on or above said first electrode at least one luminescent layer by selectively discharging a luminescent material composition for said at least one luminescent layer from a nozzle toward a region surrounded by the partitioning walls and onto an underlying layer, the luminescent material composition serving as luminescence function and carrier transfer function in the formed at least one luminescent layer;

forming a second electrode opposing the first electrode; and

forming a protective film over the second electrode and the partitioning walls.

12. The method of manufacturing an organic EL device according to claim 11, at least one compound constituting the composition being a polymer organic compound.

13. The method of manufacturing an organic EL device according to claim 12, the polymer organic compound being a material having functions of hole injection and hole transfer.

14. The method of manufacturing an organic EL device according to claim 11, said underlying layer being a hole injection and transfer layer.

15. A method of manufacturing an organic EL device having a plurality of pixels, comprising:

forming first electrodes on or above a substrate, the first electrodes being formed so as to be separated from each other for each respective pixel;

forming partitioning walls on or above the substrate;

forming three types of luminescent layers on or above said first electrodes, at least two luminescent layers of said three types of luminescent layers being formed by selectively discharging a luminescent material composition for each of said three types of luminescent layers from nozzles toward a region surrounded by the partitioning walls and onto underlying layers, the luminescent material composition serving as luminescence function and carrier transfer function in the formed luminescent layers;

forming a second electrode opposing the first electrodes; and

forming a protective film over the second electrode and the partitioning walls.

16. The method of manufacturing an organic EL device according to claim 15, at least one compound constituting the composition being a polymer organic compound.

17. The method of manufacturing an organic EL device according to claim 16, the polymer organic compound being a material having functions of hole injection and hole transfer.

18. The method of manufacturing an organic EL device according to claim 15, at least one of the underlying layers comprising a polymer organic compound having functions of hole injection and hole transfer.

19. A method of manufacturing an organic EL device having a plurality of pixels, comprising:

forming a first electrode on or above a substrate, the first electrodes being formed so as to be separated from each other for each respective pixel;

forming partitioning walls on or above the substrate;

forming on or above said first electrode at least one luminescent layer by selectively discharging a luminescent material composition for said at least one luminescent layer from a nozzle toward a region surrounded by the partitioning walls, the luminescent material composition serving as luminescence function and carrier transfer function in the formed at least one luminescent layer;

forming a second electrode opposing the first electrode; and

forming a protective film over the second electrode and the partitioning walls.

20. A method of manufacturing an organic EL device having a plurality of pixels, comprising:

forming first electrodes on or above a substrate, the first electrodes being formed so as to be separated from each other for each respective pixel;

forming partitioning walls on or above the substrate;

forming three types of luminescent layers on or above said first electrodes, at least two luminescent layers of said three types of luminescent layers being formed by selectively discharging a luminescent material composition for each of said three types of luminescent layers from nozzles toward a region surrounded by the partitioning walls, the luminescent material composition serving as luminescence function and carrier transfer function in the formed luminescent layers;

forming a second electrode opposing the first electrodes; and

forming a protective film over the second electrode and the partitioning walls.