Light-emitting element and display device using same

• US 8,193,697 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2011
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Displays Limited (Japan Display Incorporated), Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Adachi, Masaya, Tsuji, Kazutaka, Murakami, Hajime, Nishimura, Etsuko
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Joseph L
• Application Number:
  US13/206,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20110285269A1
• Time in Patent Office: 300 Days
• Field of Search: 313500-512, 313110-112, 257/40, 257/72
• US Class Current: 313/503
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/04 Sealing arrangements , e.g. against humidity
• 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: H05B 33/22 characterised by the chemical or physical composition or the arrangement of auxiliary dielectric or reflective layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/3026 Top emission
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/321 Inverted OLED, i.e. having cathode between substrate and anode
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/805 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/81 Anodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/82 Cathodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/828 Transparent cathodes, e.g. comprising thin metal layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/84 Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/841 Self-supporting sealing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8426 Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8428 Vertical spacers, e.g. arranged between the sealing arrangement and the OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/85 Arrangements for extracting light from the devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/856 comprising reflective means
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/858 comprising refractive means, e.g. lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/86 Arrangements for improving contrast, e.g. preventing reflection of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/1213 the pixel elements being TFTs
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/1216 the pixel elements being capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/122 : Pixel-defining structures or layers, e.g. banks
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/123 : Connection of the pixel electrodes to the thin film transistors [TFT]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/124 : Insulating layers formed between TFT elements and OLED elements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/35 : comprising red-green-blue [RGB] subpixels
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/38 : comprising colour filters or colour changing media [CCM]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8051 : Anodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/80524 : Transparent cathodes, e.g. comprising thin metal layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8722 : Peripheral sealing arrangements, e.g. adhesives, sealants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8723 : Vertical spacers, e.g. arranged between the sealing arrangement and the OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/878 : comprising reflective means
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8791 : Arrangements for improving contrast, e.g. preventing reflection of ambient light

Abstract

A light-emitting device includes a substrate and a light-emitting element formed on the substrate. The light-emitting element includes a stacked layer structure portion including a reflective electrode, a light-emitting layer on the reflective electrode and a transparent electrode on the light-emitting layer which are stacked over the substrate with the reflective electrode as a bottom layer, the light-emitting layer having a flat surface provided at least on a portion of the light-emitting layer. A bank is disposed in a peripheral area surrounding the flat surface or on a peripheral portion of the flat surface and has a tilt surface tilted with respect to the flat surface. A conductive film is at least provided on the tilt surface and is electrically connected with the transparent electrode, and forms a reflective surface on the tilt surface, and an optical waveguide layer is provided in an area surrounded by the tilt surface.

Claims

1. A light-emitting device having a substrate and a light-emitting element formed on the substrate;

the light-emitting element comprising;

a stacked layer structure portion including a reflective electrode, a light-emitting layer on the reflective electrode and a transparent electrode on the light-emitting layer which are stacked over the substrate with the reflective electrode as a bottom layer;

the light-emitting layer having a flat surface provided at least on a portion of the light-emitting layer;

a bank at least disposed in a peripheral area surrounding the flat surface or on a peripheral portion of the flat surface of the light-emitting layer and having a tilt surface tilted with respect to the flat surface; and

a conductive film at least provided on the tilt surface and electrically connected with the transparent electrode, the conductive film forming a reflective surface on the tilt surface;

wherein an optical waveguide layer is provided in an area surrounded by the tilt surface.

2. The light-emitting device as defined in claim 1, wherein the optical waveguide layer is optically isolated by the bank.

3. The light-emitting device as defined in claim 1, wherein a height of the optical waveguide layer is lower than a height of the bank.