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

• US 6,838,192 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2000
• Issued: 01/04/2005
• 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:
  US09/731,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20010001050A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,488 Days
• Field of Search: 427/66, 428/690, 428/1.1, 313/503, 313/504, 313/506
• US Class Current: 428/690
• 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, comprising:

forming first electrodes on or above a substrate;

forming at least one luminescent layer having a certain color an made of and organic compound on or above first electrodes by an ink-jet method, said at least one luminescent layer including a plurality of pixel luminescent layers that physicaly contact each other; and

forming a second electrode opposing the first electrodes,

the formation of said at least one luminescent layer by means of the ink-jet method being performed by discharging a luminescent material composition from a nozzle toward the substrate 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. An organic EL device manufactured via a nozzle, comprising:

a substrate;

first electrodes provided on or above the substrate;

at least one luminescent layer, each of which includes a plurality of pixel luminescent layers respectively formed on or above predetermined first electrodes and each of which has a certain color and is made of an organic compound, the plurality of pixel luminescent layers physically contacting each other and formed above the first electrodes by patterning by means of an ink-jet system;

the formation of the at least one luminescent layer being performed by discharging a luminescent material composition from the nozzle toward the substrate 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; and

a second electrode formed on or above the luminescent layers.

3. A method of manufacturing an organic EL device, comprising:

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

forming a plurality of luminescent layers on or above the first electrodes by an ink-jet method by selectively discharging a luminescent material composition for the luminescent layer from a nozzle, the neighboring luminescent layers physically contacting each other between the neighboring first electrodes; and

forming a second electrode opposing the first electrodes.

4. The method of manufacturing an organic EL device as claimed in claim 3, the organic compound being a polymer organic compound.

5. The method of manufacturing an organic EL device as claimed in claim 4, the polymer organic compound being a polyparaphenylene vinylene or its derivative or a copolymer which contains at least either one of these compounds.

6. The method of manufacturing an organic EL device as claimed in claim 3, said plurality of luminescent layer includes three types of luminescent layers having different colors, and wherein at least two types of luminescent layers in the three types of luminescent layers being formed by patterning by means of the ink-jet method.

7. The method of manufacturing an organic EL device as claimed in claim 3, said plurality of luminescent layers being formed on or above a hole injection and transfer layer.

8. The method of manufacturing an organic EL element as claimed in claim 3, further comprising forming a protective film on or above the second electrode.

9. The method of manufacturing an organic EL device as claimed in claim 3, said first electrodes being transparent first electrodes.