Electroluminescence device

• US 7,199,521 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2004
• Issued: 04/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ibe, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Ashok
• Application Number:
  US10/763,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20050184659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: 313/498, 313/503, 313/505, 313/506, 313/512
• US Class Current: 313/506
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/3026 Top emission
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/32 Stacked devices having two or more layers, each emitting at different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/84 Parallel electrical configurations of multiple OLEDs

Abstract

An organic EL element has excellent features as compared with other electroluminescent elements, but on the other hand, has a problem that the life of the element is not sufficiently long. In addition, since the organic EL element is expected to be applied to a mobile display and the like, it is also important to improve power efficiency. Hence, an object of the invention is to provide an element structure to realize an improvement in power efficiency and an improvement in the life of the element at the same. In the construction of an organic EL element of the invention, the first electroluminescent film 303 is sandwiched by the first anode 302 and a cathode 304, and the second electroluminescent film 305 and the second anode 306 are laminated over the cathode 304. At this time, the first anode 302 is put into contact with the second anode 306 to form a parallel circuit to decrease an electric current passing through the respective electroluminescent films.

Claims

1. An active matrix electroluminescence display device having plural pixels, each of the pixels comprising;

a first electrode formed over a substrate;

a first electroluminescent film in contact with the first electrode;

a second electrode in contact with the first electroluminescent film;

a second electroluminescent film in contact with the second electrode; and

a third electrode in contact with the second electroluminescent film,

wherein electrodes comprising the first electrode and the third electrode function as one of an anode or a cathode and the second electrode functions as the other of the anode or the cathode, and

wherein an electric current flow direction through the first electroluminescent film is different from that through the second electroluminescent film.

2. The active matrix display device according to claim 1, wherein each of the pixels further comprises a thin film transistor connected to the first electrode.

9. The active matrix electroluminescence display device according to any one of claims 1 to 8,

wherein light is taken out from the substrate side by preventing only a farthest electrode from the substrate from transmitting light.

10. The active matrix electroluminescence display device according to any one of claims 1 to 8,

wherein light is taken out from the opposite side of the substrate by preventing only a closest electrode to the substrate from transmitting light.

11. The active matrix electroluminescence display device according to any one of claims 1 and 3,

wherein light is taken out from both of the substrate side and the opposite side of the substrate by making the first electrode, the second electrode and the third electrode transmissive.

12. The active matrix electroluminescence display device according to any one of claims 1 to 8,

wherein at least two electroluminescent elements each of which emits different light are used for the electroluminescence device.

15. An electric appliance comprises the active matrix electroluminescence display device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 as a display part.

16. The electric appliance according to claim 15,

wherein the electric appliance is a video camera, a digital camera, a goggle type display, a navigation system, an audio reproduction device, a notebook personal computer, a game machine, a portable information terminal, or an image reproduction device provided with a recording medium.

3. An active matrix electroluminescence display device having plural pixels, each of the pixels comprising;

a first electrode formed over a substrate;

a first electroluminescent film in contact with the first electrode;

a second electrode in contact with the first electroluminescent film;

a second electroluminescent film in contact with the second electrode; and

a third electrode in contact with the second electroluminescent film,

wherein electrodes comprising the fist electrode and the third electrode are electrically connected and function as one of an anode or a cathode and the second electrode functions as the other of the anode or the cathode, and

wherein an electric current flow direction through the first electroluminescent film is different from that through the second electroluminescent film.

4. The active matrix display device according to claim 3, wherein each of the pixels further comprises a thin film transistor connected to the first electrode.

5. An active matrix electroluminescence display device having plural pixels, each of the pixels comprising;

a first anode formed over a substrate;

a first electroluminescent film in contact with the first anode;

a cathode in contact with the first electroluminescent film;

a second electroluminescent film in contact with the cathode; and

a second anode in contact with the second electroluminescent film,

wherein an electric current flow direction through the first electroluminescent film is different from that through the second electroluminescent film.

6. The active matrix electroluminescence display device according to claim 5,

wherein light is taken out from both of the substrate side and the opposite side of the substrate by making the first anode, the cathode and the second anode transmissive.

7. The active matrix display device according to claim 5, wherein each of the pixels further comprises a thin film transistor connected to the first anode.

13. The active matrix electroluminescence display device according to any one of claims 5 and 8,

wherein the anode is made of a material having work function 4.5 to 5.5 eV and the cathode is made of a material having work function 2.5 to 3.5 eV.

14. The active matrix electroluminescence display device according to any one of claims 5 and 8,

wherein the anode comprises at least one of Ti, TiN, TiSi_xN_y, Ni, W, WSi_X, WN_X, WSi_XN_Y, NbN, Mo, Cr, Pt, Se, Pd, Ir, and Au, and the cathode comprises at least one element belonging to the 1st group and the 2nd group of the periodic table.

8. An active matrix electroluminescence display device having plural pixels, each of the pixels comprising;

a first cathode formed over a substrate;

a first electroluminescent film in contact with the first cathode;

an anode in contact with the first electroluminescent film;

a second electroluminescent film in contact with the anode; and

a second cathode in contact with the second electroluminescent film,

wherein an electric current flow direction though the first electroluminescent film is different from that through the second electroluminescent film.

17. The active matrix electroluminescence display device according to claim 8,

wherein light is taken out from both of the substrate side and the opposite side of the substrate by making the first cathode, the anode and the second cathode transmissive.

18. The active matrix display device according to claim 8, wherein each of the pixels further comprises a thin film transistor connected to the first cathode.

19. The active matrix electroluminescence display device having plural pixels, each of the pixels comprising;

a first anode formed over a substrate;

a first electroluminescent film in contact with the first anode;

a cathode in contact with the first electroluminescent film;

a second electroluminescent film in contact with the cathode; and

a second anode in contact with the second electroluminescent film,

wherein holes are injected into the first electroluminescent film from the first anode and are injected into the second electroluminescent film from the second anode, and

wherein electrons are injected into both the first electroluminescent film and the second electroluminescent film from the cathode.

20. The active matrix electroluminescence display device according to claim 19,

wherein light is taken out from both of the substrate side and the opposite side of the substrate by making the first anode, the cathode and the second anode transmissive.

21. The active matrix electroluminescence display device according to claim 19,

wherein at least two electroluminescent elements each of which emits different light are used for the electroluminescence device.

22. The active matrix display device according to claim 19, wherein each of the pixels further comprises a thin film transistor connected to the first anode.

23. The active matrix electroluminescence display device having plural pixels, each of the pixels comprising;

a first cathode formed over a substrate;

a first electroluminescent film in contact with the first cathode;

an anode in contact with the first electroluminescent film;

a second electroluminescent film in contact with the anode; and

a second cathode in contact with the second electroluminescent film,

wherein electrons are injected into the first electroluminescent film from the first cathode and are injected into the second electroluminescent film from the second cathode, and

wherein holes are injected into both the first electroluminescent film and the second electroluminescent film from the anode.

24. The active matrix electroluminescence display device according to claim 23,

wherein light is taken out from both of the substrate side and the opposite side of the substrate by making the first cathode, the anode and the second cathode transmissive.

25. The active matrix electroluminescence display device according to claim 23,

wherein at least two electroluminescent elements each of which emits different light are used for the electroluminescence device.

26. The active matrix display device according to claim 23, wherein each of the pixels further comprises a thin film transistor connected to the first cathode.

27. The active matrix electroluminescence display device having plural pixels, each of the pixels comprising;

a first electrode formed over a substrate;

a first electroluminescent film in contact with the first electrode;

a second electrode in contact with the first electroluminescent film;

a second electroluminescent film in contact with the second electrode; and

a third electrode in contact with the second electroluminescent film,

wherein electrodes comprising the first electrode and the third electrode function as an anode and the second electrode functions as a cathode,

wherein the first electroluminescent film comprising a hole transport layer formed over the first electrode and an election transport layer formed over the hole transport layer, and

wherein the second electroluminescent film comprising an electron transport layer formed over the second electrode and a hole transport layer formed over the electron transport layer.

28. The active matrix electroluminescence display device according to claim 27,

wherein light is taken out from both of the substrate side and the opposite side of the substrate by making the first electrode, the second electrode and the third electrode transmissive.

29. The active matrix electroluminescence display device according to claim 27,

wherein at least two electroluminescent elements each of which emits different light are used for the electroluminescence device.

30. The active matrix display device according to claim 27, wherein each of the pixels further comprises a thin film transistor connected to the first electrode.

31. The active matrix electroluminescence display device having plural pixels, each of the pixels comprising;

a first electrode formed over a substrate;

a first electroluminescent film in contact with the first electrode;

a second electrode in contact with the first electroluminescent film;

a second electroluminescent film in contact with the second electrode; and

a third electrode in contact with the second electroluminescent film,

wherein electrodes comprising the first electrode and the third electrode are electrically connected and function as an anode and the second electrode functions as a cathode,

wherein the first electroluminescent film comprising a hole transport layer formed over the first electrode and an electron transport layer formed over the hole transport layer, and

wherein the second electroluminescent film comprising an electron transport layer formed over the second electrode and a hole transport layer formed over the election transport layer.

32. The active matrix electroluminescence display device according to claim 31,

wherein light is taken out from both of the substrate side and the opposite side of the substrate by making the first electrode, the second electrode and the third electrode transmissive.

33. The active matrix electroluminescence display device according to claim 31,

wherein at least two electroluminescent elements each of which emits different light are used for the electroluminescence device.

34. The active matrix display device according to claim 31, wherein each of the pixels further comprises a thin film transistor connected to the first electrode.

35. The active matrix electroluminescence display device having plural pixels, each of the pixels comprising;

a first anode formed over a substrate;

a first electroluminescent film in contact with the first anode;

a cathode in contact with the first electroluminescent film;

a second electroluminescent film in contact with the cathode; and

a second anode in contact with the second electroluminescent film,

wherein the first electroluminescent film comprising a hole transport layer formed over the first anode and an electron transport layer formed over the hole transport layer, and

wherein the second electroluminescent film comprising an electron transport layer formed over the cathode and a hole transport layer formed over the electron transport layer.

36. The active matrix electroluminescence display device according to claim 35,

wherein light is taken out from both of the substrate side and the opposite side of the substrate by making the first anode, the cathode and the second anode transmissive.

37. The active matrix electroluminescence display device according to claim 35,

wherein at least two electroluminescent elements each of which emits different light are used for the electroluminescence device.

38. The active matrix display device according to claim 35, wherein each of the pixels further comprises a thin film transistor connected to the first anode.