Display device with reduced deterioration of emission layer

• US 7,151,340 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2002
• Issued: 12/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hamada, Yuji, Matsusue, Noriyuki, Tsujioka, Tsuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nimeshkumar D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HODGES, MATTHEW P
• Application Number:
  US10/252,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20030071563A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,547 Days
• Field of Search: 313/494, 313/505, 313/500, 313/512, 313/583, 313/250, 313/258, 313/260, 313/261, 313/331, 313/42, 313/506
• US Class Current: 313/505
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/824 combined with auxiliary electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/87 Arrangements for heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/12 Active-matrix OLED [AMOLED] displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/1315 comprising structures specially adapted for lowering the resistance
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/80522 combined with auxiliary electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8794 Arrangements for heating and cooling

Abstract

A display capable of preventing an emission layer from deterioration resulting from temperature rise of an electrode also when the same is increased in size and easily connectable with an external current source also when the same is connected with the external current source on a single portion is provided. This display comprises a first electrode formed on a substrate, an emission layer formed on the first electrode, a second electrode formed on the emission layer, a peripheral electrode, arranged to enclose the outer periphery of the second electrode and connected with at least three edges of the outer periphery of the second electrode, having a smaller sheet resistance value than the second electrode, and a current source connection terminal connected to the outer periphery of the peripheral electrode. Thus, current readily flows from the second electrode toward the peripheral electrode, while the current can be dispersedly fed along three or four directions.

Claims

1. A display comprising:

a first electrode formed on a substrate;

an emission layer formed on said first electrode;

a second electrode formed on said emission layer, said second electrode extending along a side surface of the first electrode and/or emission layer, having an outer periphery defined by side surfaces;

a peripheral electrode, arranged to enclose the outer periphery of said second electrode and connected with at least three side surfaces of the outer periphery of said second electrode, having a smaller sheet resistance value than said second electrode; and

a current source connection terminal connected to the outer periphery of said peripheral electrode.

2. The display according to claim 1, wherein said peripheral electrode is annularly formed.

3. The display according to claim 1, wherein

said peripheral electrode is formed to be in contact with the side surfaces of the outer periphery of said second electrode.

4. The display according to claim 1, wherein

said peripheral electrode having a smaller sheet resistance value than said second electrode contains at least one of Mg, Ti and Al.

5. The display according to claim 1, wherein

only one said current source connection terminal is provided.

16. The display according to claim 1, wherein said emission layer includes an organic layer.

6. A display comprising:

a first electrode formed on a substrate;

an emission layer formed on said first electrode;

a second electrode formed on said emission layer and having an outer periphery defined by side surfaces;

a peripheral electrode, arranged to enclose the outer periphery of said second electrode and connected with at least three side surfaces of the outer periphery of said second electrode, having a smaller sheet resistance value than said second electrode; and

a current source connection terminal connected to the outer periphery of said peripheral electrode, wherein

said peripheral electrode is connected with three side surfaces of said second electrode other than an edge of said second electrode corresponding to an edge of said peripheral electrode connected with said current source connection terminal, and

an opening is formed between said edge of said peripheral electrode connected with said current source connection terminal and said corresponding side surfaces of said second electrode.

7. A display comprising:

a first electrode formed on a substrate;

an emission layer formed on said first electrode;

a second electrode formed on said emission layer and having an outer periphery defined by side surfaces;

a peripheral electrode, arranged to enclose the outer periphery of said second electrode and connected with at least three side surfaces of the outer periphery of said second electrode, having a smaller sheet resistance value than said second electrode; and

a current source connection terminal connected to the outer periphery of said peripheral electrode, wherein

the contact area between said second electrode and said peripheral electrode is increased as receding from said current source connection terminal.

8. A display comprising:

a first electrode formed on a substrate;

an emission layer formed on said first electrode;

a second electrode formed on said emission layer;

a peripheral electrode, arranged to enclose the outer periphery of said second electrode and connected with at least three edges of the outer periphery of said second electrode, having a smaller sheet resistance value than said second electrode; and

a current source connection terminal connected to the outer periphery of said peripheral electrode, wherein;

the contact area between said second electrode and said peripheral electrode is increased as receding from said current source connection terminal,

an opening is formed in an edge of said second electrode closest to said current source connection terminal,

two edges of said second electrode secondly closest to said current source connection terminal are in contact with corresponding edges of said peripheral electrode through a plurality of outlet terminals provided on said two edges of said second electrode, and

an edge of said second electrode farthest from said current source connection terminal is totally in contact with a corresponding edge of said peripheral electrode.

9. The display according to claim 8, wherein

said plurality of outlet terminals are formed by projecting portions of irregular shapes provided on said two edges of said second electrode secondly closest to said current source connection terminal.

10. A display comprising:

a first electrode formed on a substrate;

an emission layer formed on said first electrode;

a second electrode formed on said emission layer;

a peripheral electrode, arranged to enclose the outer periphery of said second electrode and connected with at least three edges of the outer periphery of said second electrode, having a smaller sheet resistance value than said second electrode; and

a current source connection terminal connected to the outer periphery of said peripheral electrode, wherein;

said peripheral electrode is formed to be connected with four edges of the outer periphery of said second electrode,

an edge of said second electrode corresponding to an edge of said peripheral electrode connected with said current source connection terminal includes a plurality of outlet terminals,

said plurality of outlet terminals are connected to said edge of said peripheral electrode connected with said current source connection terminal, and

said peripheral electrode is formed to be in contact substantially with the overall surfaces of remaining three edges of said second electrode.

11. The display according to claim 10, wherein

said plurality of outlet terminals are formed by projecting portions of an irregular shape provided on said edge of said second electrode corresponding to said edge of said peripheral electrode connected with said current source connection terminal.

12. A display comprising:

a first electrode formed on a substrate;

an emission layer formed on said first electrode;

a second electrode formed on said emission layer;

a peripheral electrode, arranged to enclose the outer periphery of said second electrode and connected with at least three edges of the outer periphery of said second electrode, having a smaller sheet resistance value than said second electrode; and

a current source connection terminal connected to the outer periphery of said peripheral electrode, wherein;

said peripheral electrode is formed to be connected with four edges of the outer periphery of said second electrode,

said second electrode includes a plurality of outlet terminals formed along four edges of the outer periphery of said second electrode, and

said peripheral electrode is connected with said four edges of said second electrode through said plurality of outlet terminals.

13. The display according to claim 12, wherein

said plurality of outlet terminals are formed by projecting portions of irregular shapes provided on said four edges of said peripheral electrode.

14. A display comprising:

a first electrode formed on a substrate;

an emission layer formed on said first electrode;

a second electrode formed on said emission layer;

a peripheral electrode, arranged to enclose the outer periphery of said second electrode and connected with at least three edges of the outer periphery of said second electrode, having a smaller sheet resistance value than said second electrode;

a current source connection terminal connected to the outer periphery of said peripheral electrode; and

cooling means provided in the vicinity of said current source connection terminal.

15. The display according to claim 14, wherein

said cooling means includes at least one of a fan, a cooling fin and a Peltier device.