Organic EL emission devices connected in series

• US 7,843,134 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2005
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Idemitsu Kosan Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Idemitsu Kosan Company Limited
• Inventors: Kuma, Hitoshi, Hosokawa, Chishio
• Primary Examiner(s): Roy; Sikha
• Assistant Examiner(s): DIAZ, JOSE
• Application Number:
  US11/268,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20070159085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,848 Days
• Field of Search: 313302-312, 313/631, 313/326, 313/630, 313/634, 313498-512
• US Class Current: 313/509
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/06 containing organic luminescent materials
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2211/1011 Condensed systems
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2211/1014 bridged by heteroatoms, e.g. N, P, Si or B
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2211/1088 containing oxygen as the only heteroatom
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/14 characterised by the chemical or physical composition or the arrangement of the electroluminescent material , or by the simultaneous addition of the electroluminescent material in or onto the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/125 specially adapted for multicolour light emission, e.g. for emitting white light
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/852 comprising a resonant cavity structure, e.g. Bragg reflector pair
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/35 comprising red-green-blue [RGB] subpixels
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/86 Series electrical configurations of multiple OLEDs

Abstract

An organic electroluminescent apparatus including: a first emitting device having a first organic emitting layer between a first under electrode and a first upper electrode, and a second emitting device wherein a second organic emitting layer between a second under electrode and a second upper electrode. The second under electrode is electrically connected to the first upper electrode or is made of the same material as the first upper electrode. The two devices are placed on a common surface, yet the two devices exhibit different emission colors.

Claims

1. An organic electroluminescent apparatus comprising:

a first emitting device wherein a first organic emitting layer is between a first under electrode and a first upper electrode, the first emitting device comprising insulating layers having different heights on both sides of the first under electrode to insulate the first under electrode from the first upper electrode; and

a second emitting device wherein a second organic emitting layer is between a second under electrode and a second upper electrode, the second emitting device comprising insulating layers having different heights on both sides of the second under electrode to insulate the second under electrode from the second upper electrode, and the second upper electrode being electrically connected to the first under electrode or being made of the same material as the material of the first under electrode;

at least one of the emitting devices comprising a light diffusive member through which light is emitted from the apparatus, the light diffusive member being able to relieve radiation into an isotropic radiation pattern without the loss of optical intensity;

the first and second emitting devices being substantially coplanar; and

the first and second emitting devices exhibiting different emission colors;

wherein at least one of the emitting devices has two reflection surfaces,

at least one of the reflection surfaces is semi-reflective and semi-transparent,

the organic emitting layer is between the two optical reflection interfaces, and

the distance between the two optical reflection interfaces is set to narrow the natural emission bandwidth of light emitted from the emission center in the organic emitting layer.

2. The organic electroluminescent apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the insulating layers of the first emitting device is higher than the first upper electrode, and one of the insulating layers of the second emitting device is higher than the second upper electrode.

3. An organic electroluminescent apparatus comprising:

a first emitting device wherein a first organic emitting layer is between a first under electrode and a first upper electrode, the first emitting device comprising insulating layers having different heights on both sides of the first under electrode to insulate the first under electrode from the first upper electrode;

a second emitting device wherein a second organic emitting layer is between a second under electrode and a second upper electrode, the second emitting device comprising insulating layers having different heights on both sides of the second under electrode to insulate the second under electrode from the second upper electrode, and the second upper electrode being electrically connected to the first under electrode or being made of the same material as the material of the first under electrode; and

a third emitting device wherein a third organic emitting layer is between a third under electrode and a third upper electrode, the third emitting device comprising insulating layers having different heights on both sides of the third under electrode to insulate the third under electrode from the third upper electrode, and the third upper electrode being electrically connected to the second under electrode or being made of the same material as the material of the first under electrode;

at least one of the emitting devices comprising a light diffusive member through which light is emitted from the apparatus, the light diffusive member being able to relieve radiation into an isotropic radiation pattern without the loss of optical intensity;

the first, second and third emitting devices being substantially coplanar; and

the first, second and third emitting devices exhibiting two or more different emission colors;

wherein at least one of the emitting devices has two reflection surfaces,

at least one of the reflection surfaces is semi-reflective and semi-transparent,

the organic emitting layer is between the two optical reflection interfaces, and

the distance between the two optical reflection interfaces is set to narrow the natural emission bandwidth of light emitted from the emission center in the organic emitting layer.

4. The organic electroluminescent apparatus according to claim 3, wherein one of the insulating layers of the first emitting device is higher than the first upper electrode, one of the insulating layers of the second emitting device is higher than the second upper electrode, and one of the insulating layers of the third emitting device is higher than the third upper electrode.

5. An organic electroluminescent apparatus comprising emitting devices the number of which is N,N being an integer of two or more,

wherein the first emitting device comprises a first organic emitting layer between a first under electrode and a first upper electrode, and insulating layers having different heights on both sides of the first under electrode to insulate the first under electrode from the first upper electrode,

the (k+1)^th emitting device, k being an integer of 1 or more and N−

1 or less, comprises a (k+1)^th organic emitting layer between a (k+1)^th under electrode and a (k+1)^th upper electrode, and insulating layers having different heights on both sides of (k+1)^th under electrode to insulate the (k+1)^th under electrode from the (k+1)^th upper electrode, the (k+1)^th upper electrode being electrically connected to the k^th under electrode or being made of the same material as the material of the k^th under electrode, and

the N^th emitting device comprises a N^th organic emitting layer between a N^th under electrode and a N^th upper electrode, and insulating layers having different heights on both sides of N^th under electrode to insulate the N^th under electrode from the N^th upper electrode, the N^th upper electrode being electrically connected to the (N−

1)^th under electrode or being made of the same material as the material of the (N−

1)^th under electrode,

at least one of the emitting devices comprising a light diffusive member through which light is emitted from the apparatus, the light diffusive member being able to relieve radiation into an isotropic radiation pattern without the loss of optical intensity;

the N emitting devices are substantially coplanar, and

the N emitting devices exhibit two or more different emission colors;

wherein at least one of the emitting devices has two reflection surfaces,

at least one of the reflection surfaces is semi-reflective and semi-transparent,

the organic emitting layer is between the two optical reflection interfaces, and

the distance between the two optical reflection interfaces is set to narrow the natural emission bandwidth of light emitted from the emission center in the organic emitting layer.

6. The organic electroluminescent apparatus according to claim 5, wherein one of the insulating layers of the first emitting device is higher than the first upper electrode, one of the insulating layers of the (k+1)^th emitting device is higher than the (k+1)^th upper electrode, and one of the insulating layers of the N^th emitting device is higher than the N^th upper electrode.