Color tunable organic electroluminescent light source

• US 6,841,949 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2003
• Issued: 01/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Current Lighting Solutions, LLC (f/k/a GE Lighting Solutions, LLC) (American Industrial Partners)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Duggal, Anil Raj
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, THUY V
• Application Number:
  US10/666,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20040061107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 315/169.3, 257/40, 257 88- 89, 257 91- 92, 257/98, 257/100, 313/486, 313500-503, 313/506, 438/29, 438/34, 438/99
• US Class Current: 315/169.3
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2221/68359 used as a support during manufacture of interconnect decals or build up layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/92144 the second connecting process involving a build-up interconnect
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12044 OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/805 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/854 comprising scattering means
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/18 Tiled displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/221 Static displays, e.g. displaying permanent logos
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/35 comprising red-green-blue [RGB] subpixels
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/38 comprising colour filters or colour changing media [CCM]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/805 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/84 Parallel electrical configurations of multiple OLEDs
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/877 comprising scattering means
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/841 Applying alternating current [AC] during manufacturing or treatment

Abstract

A light emitting device is provided. The light emitting device contains an array of organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) emitting a plurality of colors, and a layer of scattering media above the light emitting surface of the OLED array. The emission color of the OLEDs may be tuned by applying different power to different sets of OLEDs. The scattering media mixes the colors from each set of OLEDs, such that the device light output has a white color having a desired color temperature.

Claims

1. A method of making a light emitting device, comprising:

forming an array of OLEDsincluding a first and a second set;

electrically connecting the first set of OLEDs which emit light of a first color to a power source;

electrically connecting the second set of OLEDs which emit light of a different second color to the same power source; and

forming a layer of scattering medium over the array of OLEDs;

the method further comprising mounting the array of individual OLEDs on a common substrate;

wherein the step of forming the array of OLEDs comprising forming each OLED and forming the array of OLEDs, and

wherein the step of forming each OLED comprises;

forming a transparent electrode over a first substrate;

forming a polymer or molecular organic light emitting layer over the transparent electrode;

forming a metal electrode over the organic light emitting layer;

forming a sealing member above the metal electrode;

removing a portion of the organic light emitting layer above the transparent electrode to expose a first portion of a top surface of the transparent electrode;

forming a first metal device contact over the sealing member, which contacts the first portion of the top surface of the transparent electrode;

forming a second metal device contact over the sealing member, which contacts a top surface of the metal electrode; and

wherein the step of forming the array comprises;

forming an adhesive layer over the mounting substrate;

attaching each OLED over the adhesive layer;

forming electrical contacts through the mounting substrate and the adhesive layer which contact the first and second device contacts; and

forming the layer of scattering medium over the first substrate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first set of OLEDs which emit light of a first color comprises a set of red emitting OLEDs;

the second set of OLEDs which emit light of a second color comprises a set of green emitting OLEDs; and

further comprising electrically connecting a third set of OLEDs which emit blue light to the same power source.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first set of OLEDs which emit light of a first color comprises a set of red, green and blue light emitting OLEDs whose output appears as white light of a first color;

the second set of OLEDs which emit light of a first color comprises a set of red, green and blue light emitting OLEDs whose output appears as white light of a different second color.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first set of OLEDs which emit light of a first color comprises a set of blue light emitting OLEDs and a first phosphor whose combined output appears as white light having a first color temperature; and

the second set of OLEDs which emit light of a second color comprises a set of blue light emitting OLEDs and a second phosphor whose combined output appears as white light having second color temperature different from the first color temperature.