Light emitting element, light emitting device, and electronic device

• US 8,274,214 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2009
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ikeda, Kaoru, Seo, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Santiago, Mariceli
• Application Number:
  US12/546,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20100052527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 313500-512, 428/690
• US Class Current: 313/504
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/26 Materials of the light emitting region
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2101/10 Triplet emission
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/00 Organic light-emitting devices integrated devices or assemblies of multiple devices H10K59/00, H10K65/00; organic semiconductor lasers H01S5/36
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/11 characterised by the electroluminescent [EL] layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/12 comprising dopants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/125 specially adapted for multicolour light emission, e.g. for emitting white light
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/13 comprising stacked EL layers within one EL unit
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/14 Carrier transporting layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/17 Carrier injection layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/19 Tandem OLEDs
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

An object is to improve luminous efficiency of a light emitting element using triplet exciton energy effectively. Another object is to reduce power consumption of a light emitting element, a light emitting device, and an electronic device. Triplet exciton energy generated in a light emitting layer which exhibits short wavelength fluorescence can be effectively utilized by use of a structure in which the light emitting layers which exhibit short wavelength fluorescence are sandwiched between light emitting layers each including a phosphorescent compound. Further, the emission balance can be improved between the light emitting layer including a phosphorescent compound and the light emitting layer which exhibits fluorescence by the devising of the structure of the light emitting layer which exhibits fluorescence.

Claims

1. A light emitting element comprising:

a first layer;

a second layer;

a third layer; and

a fourth layer which are sequentially provided on an anode side between an anode and a cathode,

wherein the first layer includes a first phosphorescent compound and a first organic compound that has a hole transporting property,

wherein the second layer includes a first fluorescent organic compound and a second organic compound that has a hole transporting property,

wherein the third layer includes a second fluorescent organic compound and a first organic compound that has an electron transporting property, and

wherein the fourth layer includes a second phosphorescent compound and a second organic compound having an electron transporting property,

wherein triplet excitation energy of the second organic compound having a hole transporting property is higher than or equal to triplet excitation energy of the first organic compound having a hole transporting property, and

wherein triplet excitation energy of the first organic compound having an electron transporting property is higher than or equal to triplet excitation energy of the second organic compound having an electron transporting property.

2. The light emitting element according to claim 1,

wherein the first organic compound having a hole transporting property and the second organic compound having a hole transporting property are the same organic compound.

3. The light emitting element according to claim 1,

wherein the first organic compound having an electron transporting property and the second organic compound having an electron transporting property are the same organic compound.

4. The light emitting element according to claim 1,

wherein a spacing layer formed using one or both of the first organic compound having a hole transporting property and the second organic compound having a hole transporting property is provided between the first layer and the second layer.

5. The light emitting element according to claim 1,

wherein a spacing layer formed using one or both of the first organic compound having an electron transporting property and the second organic compound having an electron transporting property is provided between the third layer and the fourth layer.

6. The light emitting element according to claim 1,

wherein a total thickness of the second layer and the third layer is greater than or equal to 5 nm and less than or equal to 20 nm.

7. The light emitting element according to claim 1,

wherein a concentration of the first fluorescent compound in the second layer is greater than or equal to 0.1 wt % and less than or equal to 10 wt %.

8. The light emitting element according to claim 1,

wherein a concentration of the second fluorescent compound in the third layer is greater than or equal to 0.1 wt % and less than or equal to 10 wt %.

9. The light emitting element according to claim 1,

wherein the first fluorescent compound and the second fluorescent compound are a same organic compound.

10. The light emitting element according to claim 9,

wherein an emission color of the first fluorescent compound and the second fluorescent compound is blue, and

wherein an emission color of the first phosphorescent compound is green and emission color of the second phosphorescent compound is red.

11. The light emitting element according to claim 1,

wherein the first phosphorescent compound and the second phosphorescent compound are a same organic compound.

12. The light emitting element according to claim 11,

wherein an emission color of the first phosphorescent compound and the second phosphorescent compound and an emission color of the first fluorescent compound and the second fluorescent compound are complementary to each other.

13. A lighting device comprising the light emitting element according to claim 1.

14. A light emitting element comprising:

a first layer on an anode, wherein the first layer includes a first phosphorescent compound and a first organic compound having a hole transporting property;

a second layer on the first layer, wherein the second layer includes a first fluorescent organic compound and a second organic compound having an hole transporting property;

a third layer on the second layer, wherein the third layer includes a second fluorescent organic compound and a first organic compound having an electron transporting property; and

a fourth layer on the third layer, wherein the fourth layer includes a second phosphorescent compound and a second organic compound having an electron transporting property,

wherein triplet excitation energy of the second organic compound having a hole transporting property is higher than or equal to triplet excitation energy of the first organic compound having a hole transporting property, and

wherein triplet excitation energy of the first organic compound having an electron transporting property is higher then or equal to triplet excitation energy of the second organic compound having an electron transporting property.

15. The light emitting element according to claim 14,

wherein the first organic compound having a hole transporting property and the second organic compound having a hole transporting property are the same organic compound.

16. The light emitting element according to claim 14,

wherein the first organic compound having an electron transporting property and the second organic compound having an electron transporting property are the same organic compound.

17. The light emitting element according to claim 14,

wherein a spacing layer formed using one or both of the first organic compound having a hole transporting property and the second organic compound having a hole transporting property is provided between the first layer and the second layer.

18. The light emitting element according to claim 14,

wherein a spacing layer formed using one or both of the first organic compound having an electron transporting property and the second organic compound having an electron transporting property is provided between the third layer and the fourth layer.

19. The light emitting element according to claim 14,

wherein a total thickness of the second layer and the third layer is greater than or equal to 5 nm and less than or equal to 20 nm.

20. The light emitting element according to claim 14,

wherein a concentration of the first fluorescent compound in the second layer is greater than or equal to 0.1 wt % and less than or equal to 10 wt %.

21. The light emitting element according to claim 14,

wherein a concentration of the second fluorescent compound in the third layer is greater than or equal to 0.1 wt % and less than or equal to 10 wt %.

22. The light emitting element according to claim 14,

wherein the first fluorescent compound and the second fluorescent compound are a same organic compound.

23. The light emitting element according to claim 22,

wherein an emission color of the first fluorescent compound and the second fluorescent compound is blue, and

wherein an emission color of the first phosphorescent compound is green and emission color of the second phosphorescent compound is red.

24. The light emitting element according to claim 14,

wherein the first phosphorescent compound and the second phosphorescent compound are a same organic compound.

25. The light emitting element according to claim 14,

wherein an emission color of the first phosphorescent compound and the second phosphorescent compound and an emission color of the first fluorescent compound and the second fluorescent compound are complementary to each other.

26. A lighting device comprising the light emitting element according to claim 14.

27. A light emitting element comprising:

a first electrode;

a first light emitting unit over the first electrode;

a charge generation layer provided over the first light emitting unit;

a second light emitting unit over the charge generation layer; and

a second electrode over the second light emitting element,

wherein each of the first and second light emitting units comprising;

a first layer;

a second layer over the first layer;

a third layer over the second layer; and

a fourth layer over the third layer,

wherein the first layer includes a first phosphorescent compound and a first organic compound having a hole transporting property,

wherein the second layer includes a first fluorescent compound and a second organic compound having a hole transporting property,

wherein the third layer includes a second fluorescent compound and a first organic compound having an electron transporting property,

wherein the fourth layer includes a second phosphorescent compound and a second organic compound having an electron transporting property,

wherein triplet excitation energy of the second organic compound having a hole transporting property is higher than or equal to triplet excitation energy of the first organic compound having a hole transporting property, and

wherein triplet excitation energy of the first organic compound having an electron transporting property is higher than or equal to triplet excitation energy of the second organic compound having an electron transporting property.

28. The light emitting element according to claim 27,

wherein the first organic compound having a hole transporting property and the second organic compound having a hole transporting property are the same organic compound.

29. The light emitting element according to claim 27,

wherein the first organic compound having an electron transporting property and the second organic compound having an electron transporting property are the same organic compound.

30. The light emitting element according to claim 27,

wherein a spacing layer formed using one or both of the first organic compound having a hole transporting property and the second organic compound having a hole transporting property is provided between the first layer and the second layer.

31. The light emitting element according to claim 27,

wherein a spacing layer formed using one or both of the first organic compound having an electron transporting property and the second organic compound having an electron transporting property is provided between the third layer and the fourth layer.

32. The light emitting element according to claim 27,

wherein a total thickness of the second layer and the third layer is greater than or equal to 5 nm and less than or equal to 20 nm.

33. The light emitting element according to claim 27,

wherein a concentration of the first fluorescent compound in the second layer is greater than or equal to 0.1 wt % and less than or equal to 10 wt %.

34. The light emitting element according to claim 27,

wherein a concentration of the second fluorescent compound in the third layer is greater than or equal to 0.1 wt % and less than or equal to 10 wt %.

35. The light emitting element according to any one of claim 27,

wherein the first fluorescent compound and the second fluorescent compound are a same organic compound.

36. The light emitting element according to claim 27,

wherein an emission color of the first fluorescent compound and the second fluorescent compound is blue, and

wherein an emission color of the first phosphorescent compound is green and emission color of the second phosphorescent compound is red.

37. The light emitting element according to any one of claim 27,

wherein the first phosphorescent compound and the second phosphorescent compound are a same organic compound.

38. The light emitting element according to claim 37,

wherein an emission color of the first phosphorescent compound and the second phosphorescent compound and an emission color of the first fluorescent compound and the second fluorescent compound are complementary to each other.

39. A lighting device comprising the light emitting element according to claim 27.