Display apparatus using organic electroluminescent element and manufacturing method thereof

• US 6,969,291 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: JOLED Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sekiya, Mitsunobu, Urabe, Tetsuo, Sasaoka, Tatsuya, Yamagishi, Machio
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, JOSEPH L
• Application Number:
  US10/608,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20040090175A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 445 23- 25, 313501-506
• US Class Current: 445/23
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/3026 Top emission
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/125 specially adapted for multicolour light emission, e.g. for emitting white light
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/818 Reflective anodes, e.g. ITO combined with thick metallic layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/122 Pixel-defining structures or layers, e.g. banks
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/80518 Reflective anodes, e.g. ITO combined with thick metallic layers

Abstract

A display apparatus includes a substrate, a plurality of pixels formed on the substrate, and a barrier plate for separating adjoining pixels from each other. Each pixel includes a lower layer portion having wiring formed on the substrate, an upper layer portion having an organic electro-luminescent element, and a middle layer portion for insulating the lower layer portion and the upper layer portion from each other electrically. The organic electro-luminescent element is connected with the windings through a contact hole formed in the middle layer portion. The barrier plate is disposed in the upper layer portion so as to overlap with a region including a contact hole not suitable for forming the organic electro-luminescent element.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a display apparatus including a substrate, a plurality of pixels formed on said substrate, and a barrier plate for separating adjoining pixels of said pixels from each other, each of said pixels having a lower layer portion including a wiring formed on said substrate, an upper portion including an organic electro-luminescent element, and a middle layer portion for insulating said lower layer portion and said upper layer portion from each other electrically, said method comprising the steps of:

forming said lower layer portion including the wiring on said substrate;

forming said middle layer portion so as to cover said lower layer portion;

forming a contact hole connected with the wiring in said middle layer;

forming said organic electro-luminescent element on said middle layer portion to connect said organic electro-luminescent element with the wiring in said lower layer portion through the contact hole formed in said middle layer portion; and

disposing said barrier plate so as to overlap with a region including the contact hole, wherein;

said step of forming said organic electro-luminescent element is to form said organic electro-luminescent element composed of a reflective anode connected to said wiring, a transparent cathode disposed at a front face of said organic electro-luminescent element, and an organic layer held between the anode and the cathode, and

the organic layer emits light by recombination of a hole supplied from the anode and an electron supplied from the cathode, and further

the emitted light is taken out of the cathode disposed at the front face.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

said organic layer is formed by piling laminated films selectively by means of a mask disposed over said substrate in a way of putting said barrier plate between the mask and said substrate.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

said step of forming said lower layer portion comprises the steps of;

forming a scanning wiring, a part of said wiring, for supplying first electric information for selecting said pixels;

forming a data wiring, another part of said wiring, for supplying brightness information for driving said pixels;

forming a first active element controlled by second electric information supplied from the scanning wiring and having a function of writing the brightness information supplied from the data wiring into one of said pixels; and

forming a second active element having a function of controlling emission of light of said organic electro-luminescent element by supplying a current to said organic electro-luminescent element in accordance with the written brightness information.

4. A method for manufacturing a display apparatus comprising:

forming a lower layer portion on a substrate, said lower layer portion including connecting wiring;

forming a middle layer portion on a lower layer portion, said middle layer portion having a contact region and a light emitting region;

forming a contact hole within said middle layer portion, said contact hole being disposed at said contact region;

forming a reflective layer on said middle layer portion, said reflective layer being formed at said contact region and at said light emitting region, said reflective layer being electrically connected with said connecting wiring through said contact hole;

forming a barrier plate over said contact region, said reflective layer being exposed within said light emitting region;

forming an organic layer over said reflective layer, said organic layer being formed over said light emitting region; and

forming a transparent layer over said organic layer,

wherein said reflective layer, said organic layer and said transparent layer form an organic electro-luminescent element.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein before the step of forming said barrier plate, the method further comprising:

forming an insulating layer over said reflective layer; and

forming a window within said insulating layer over said light emitting region to expose said reflective layer, said insulating layer remaining over said contact region.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein before the step of forming said organic layer, the method further comprising:

forming a mask over said barrier plate for forming said organic layer, said mask having an aperture over said light emitting region.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein:

a pixel of is associated with said organic electro-luminescent element.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein the step of forming said lower layer portion comprises the steps of:

forming pixels on said substrate, said barrier plate separating one of pixels from another of said pixels;

forming a scanning wiring on said substrate, said scanning wiring supplying first electric information for selecting said one of said pixels;

forming data wiring in said lower layer portion, said data wiring supplying brightness information for driving said one of said pixels;

forming a first active element, said first active element being controllable by second electric information supplied from said scanning wire to write brightness information supplied from said data wiring into said one of said pixels; and

forming a second active element, said second active element being adapted to control emission of light from said organic electro-luminescent element by supplying a current to said organic electro-luminescent element in accordance with said written brightness information.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein:

an electric potential of said transparent layer is common value for each of said pixels.

10. The method according to claim 4, wherein:

said transparent layer is formed over said barrier plate.

11. The method according to claim 4, wherein:

said organic layer emits light by recombination of holes supplied from said reflective layer and electrons supplied from said transparent layer, said emitted light passing through said transparent layer.

12. The method according to claim 4, wherein:

said organic layer is a laminate of a hole injecting layer, a hole transporting layer, and a luminescent layer.

13. The method according to claim 4, wherein:

said organic layer is formed by an evaporation method.

14. The method according to claim 4, wherein:

said reflective layer is a light reflective anode and said transparent layer is a transparent cathode.

15. The method according to claim 4, wherein:

said contact hole exposes said connecting wiring.

16. The method according to claim 4, wherein:

said reflective layer is in contact with said connecting wiring.

17. The method according to claim 4, wherein:

said barrier plate is not in physical or electrical contact with either said organic electro-luminescent element or said anode.

18. The method according to claim 4, wherein:

said reflective layer is formed of a metal.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein:

said metal is from the group comprising Aluminum and Chromium.