Light emitting apparatus and method of manufacturing the same

• US 7,301,276 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2001
• Issued: 11/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Fukunaga, Takeshi, Yamazaki, Shunpei
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams; Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): MACCHIAROLO, PETER J
• Application Number:
  US09/815,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20010024083A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,440 Days
• Field of Search: 313/483, 313/497, 313498-506, 313/495, 313/496, 428/690, 257/10, 257/100, 257/91, 257/99, 257/98
• US Class Current: 313/506
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/30 using electroluminescent panels
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/06 Electrode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/26 characterised by the composition or arrangement of the conductive material used as an electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/814 combined with auxiliary electrodes, e.g. ITO layer combined with metal lines
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/17 Passive-matrix OLED displays

Abstract

A light emitting apparatus with high homogeneity in image quality is provided, which includes anodes 102 on an insulator 101, cathodes 107 orthogonal to the anodes 102, and EL layers 106 interposed between the anodes 102 and the cathodes 107, and auxiliary wirings 103 are electrically connected to the anodes 102. The auxiliary wirings 103 are made of a material lower in resistance than that of the anodes 102, thereby being capable of reducing the wiring resistance of the anodes 102.

Claims

1. A light emitting apparatus having at least one light emitting element over an insulator, the light emitting element comprising;

an anode having a first end portion and a second end portion formed over said insulator, the anode extending in a first direction wherein each of the first end portion and the second end portion of the anode extends along said first direction;

a first wiring and a second wiring, wherein the first wiring is formed over and in contact with the first end portion of the anode, the second wiring is formed over and in contact with the second end portion of the anode, the first wiring and the second wiring extend in the first direction, and the first wiring and the second wiring are not part of the anode;

an insulating film covering both edge portions of the anode along the first direction, the first wiring, and the second wiring, wherein the insulating film has a planarized surface over the both edge portions of the anode, the first wiring and the second wiring;

an electroluminescent layer formed over the insulating film and the anode, wherein the electroluminescent layer is in direct contact with a part of the anode; and

a cathode formed over the electroluminescent layer.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first wiring and the second wiring are formed of metal films.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said metal films comprise platinum, palladium, nickel, gold, aluminum, copper, silver, tantalum, tungsten, molybdenum or titanium.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said anode is formed of electrically conductive oxide films.

5. An electric device using an apparatus according to claim 1.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first wiring and the second wiring are different in material from said anode.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first wiring and the second wiring are made of a material lower in resistance than that of said anode.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the insulator does not contact with the electroluminescent layer.

9. A light emitting apparatus having at least one light emitting element over an insulator, the light emitting element comprising:

an anode having a first end portion and a second end portion formed over said insulator, the anode extending in a first direction, wherein each of the first end portion and the second end portion of the anode extends along said first direction, wherein said anode is electrically connected to a first driver circuit which is mounted by a COG system;

a first wiring and a second wiring, wherein the first wiring is formed over and in contact with the first end portion of the anode, the second wiring is formed over and in contact with the second end portion of the anode, the first wiring and the second wiring extend in the first direction, and the first wiring and the second wiring are not part of the anode;

an insulating film covering both edge portions of the anode along the first direction, the first wiring and the second wiring, wherein the insulating film has a planarized surface over the both edge portions of the anode, the first wiring and the second wiring;

an electroluminescent layer formed over the insulating film and the anode, wherein the electroluminescent layer is in direct contact with a part of the anode; and

a cathode formed over the electroluminescent layer, wherein said cathode is electrically connected to a second driver circuit which is mounted by the COG system.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first wiring and the second wiring are formed of metal films.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said metal films comprise platinum, palladium, nickel, gold, aluminum, copper, silver, tantalum, tungsten, molybdenum or titanium.

12. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said anode is formed of electrically conductive oxide films.

13. An apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a plurality of banks arranged so as to be orthogonal to said anode.

14. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the insulator does not contact with the electroluminescent layer.

15. A light emitting apparatus having at least one light emitting element over an insulator, the light emitting element comprising:

an anode having a first end portion and a second end portion formed over said insulator, the anode extending in a first direction;

a first wiring and a second wiring, wherein the first wiring is formed over and in contact with the first end portion of the anode, the second wiring is formed over and in contact with the second end portion of the anode, the first wiring and the second wiring extend in the first direction, and the first wiring and the second wiring are not part of the anode;

an insulating film covering both edge portions of the anode along the first direction, the first wiring and the second wiring, wherein the insulating film has a planarized surface over the both edge portions of the anode, the first wiring and the second wiring;

an electroluminescent layer formed over the insulating film and the anode, wherein the electroluminescent layer is in direct contact with a part of the anode; and

a cathode formed over the electroluminescent layer.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the first wiring and the second wiring are formed of metal films.

17. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said anode is formed of electrically conductive oxide films.

18. An electric device using an apparatus according to claim 15.

19. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the first wiring and the second wiring are different in material from said anode.

20. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the first wiring and the second wiring are made of a material lower in resistance than that of said anode.

21. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the insulator does not contact with the electroluminescent layer.