Light-emitting element including first layer, second layer, third layer and fourth layer

• US 8,530,060 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2009
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ushikubo, Takahiro, Seo, Satoshi, Ohsawa, Nobuharu, Yamazaki, Shunpei
• Primary Examiner(s): Chriss, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bohaty, Andrew K
• Application Number:
  US12/463,576
• Publication Number:
  US 20090284139A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,583 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 428/690
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/125 specially adapted for multicolour light emission, e.g. for emitting white light
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/12 Active-matrix OLED [AMOLED] displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/351 comprising more than three subpixels, e.g. red-green-blue-white [RGBW]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/38 comprising colour filters or colour changing media [CCM]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/324 comprising aluminium, e.g. Alq3
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/615 Polycyclic condensed aromatic hydrocarbons, e.g. anthracene
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/633 comprising polycyclic condensed aromatic hydrocarbons as substituents on the nitrogen atom
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/636 comprising heteroaromatic hydrocarbons as substituents on the nitrogen atom
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/653 comprising only oxygen as heteroatom
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/6572 comprising only nitrogen in the heteroaromatic polycondensed ring system, e.g. phenanthroline or carbazole

Abstract

A layer including an organic compound at least includes a layer serving as a light-emitting layer in which a first layer, a second layer, a third layer, and a fourth layer are stacked in that order over an anode. The first layer includes a first light-emitting substance, the second layer includes a second light-emitting substance, the third layer includes a third light-emitting substance, and the fourth layer includes a fourth light-emitting substance. Emission peak wavelengths of the first light-emitting substance and the fourth light-emitting substance are shorter than an emission peak wavelength of the third light-emitting substance, and the emission peak wavelength of the third light-emitting substance is shorter than an emission peak wavelength of the second light-emitting substance. Each of the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer has a hole-transporting property, and the fourth layer has an electron-transporting property.

Claims

1. A light-emitting element comprising:

an anode;

a cathode;

a hole-transporting layer and an electron-transporting layer between the anode and the cathode; and

a layer including an organic compound between the hole-transporting layer and the electron-transporting layer,

wherein the layer including an organic compound at least includes a layer serving as a light-emitting layer in which a first layer, a second layer, a third layer, and a fourth layer are stacked in that order over the anode,

wherein the first layer includes a first light-emitting substance,

wherein the second layer includes a second organic compound and a second light-emitting substance,

wherein the third layer includes a third organic compound and a third light-emitting substance,

wherein the fourth layer includes a fourth organic compound and a fourth light-emitting substance,

wherein emission peak wavelengths of the first light-emitting substance and the fourth light-emitting substance are shorter than an emission peak wavelength of the third light-emitting substance,

wherein the emission peak wavelength of the third light-emitting substance is shorter than an emission peak wavelength of the second light-emitting substance,

wherein the fourth organic compound includes 9−

[4−

(10-phenyl-9-anthryl)phenyl]−

9H-carbazole (CzPA), and

wherein the first layer does not include the 9−

[4−

(10-phenyl-9-anthryl)phenyl]−

9H-carbazole (CzPA).

2. The light-emitting element according to claim 1,

wherein blue light is emitted from the first layer,

red light is emitted from the second layer,

green light is emitted from the third layer, and

blue light is emitted from the fourth layer.

3. The light-emitting element according to claim 1,

wherein a peak wavelength of light emitted from the first layer is in a range of 400 nm to 480 nm,

a peak wavelength of light emitted from the second layer is in a range of 580 nm to 700 nm,

a peak wavelength of light emitted from the third layer is in a range of 490 nm to 560 nm, and

a peak wavelength of light emitted from the fourth layer is in a range of 400 nm to 480 nm.

4. The light-emitting element according to claim 1,

wherein an emission spectrum of the light-emitting element includes at least one peak in each wavelength range of 400 nm to 480 nm, 490 nm to 560 nm, and 580 nm to 700 nm.

5. The light-emitting element according to claim 1,

wherein light emitted from the light-emitting element is white light.

6. A lighting apparatus comprising:

the light-emitting element according to claim 1.

7. A light-emitting device comprising:

the light-emitting element according to claim 1, and

a means for controlling light emission from the light-emitting element.

8. The light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the first light-emitting substance is a same as the fourth light-emitting substance.

9. The light-emitting element according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting element is incorporated in one selected from the group consisting of a television device, a computer, a cellular phone and a camera.

10. A light-emitting element comprising:

an anode;

a cathode;

a hole-transporting layer and an electron-transporting layer between the anode and the cathode; and

a layer including an organic compound between the hole-transporting layer and the electron-transporting layer,

wherein the layer including an organic compound at least includes a layer serving as a light-emitting layer in which a first layer, a second layer, a third layer, and a fourth layer are stacked in that order over the anode,

wherein the first layer includes a first light-emitting substance,

wherein the second layer includes a second organic compound and a second light-emitting substance,

wherein the third layer includes a third organic compound and a third light-emitting substance,

wherein the fourth layer includes a fourth organic compound and a fourth light-emitting substance,

wherein a rate of the first light-emitting substance in the first layer is equal to or greater than 0.1 wt % and less than 50 wt %,

wherein a rate of the second light-emitting substance in the second layer is equal to or greater than 0.1 wt % and less than 50 wt %,

wherein a rate of the third light-emitting substance in the third layer is equal to or greater than 0.1 wt % and less than 50 wt %,

wherein a rate of the fourth light-emitting substance in the fourth layer is equal to or greater than 0.1 wt % and less than 50 wt %,

wherein emission peak wavelengths of the first light-emitting substance and the fourth light-emitting substance are shorter than an emission peak wavelength of the third light-emitting substance,

wherein the emission peak wavelength of the third light-emitting substance is shorter than an emission peak wavelength of the second light-emitting substance,

wherein the fourth organic compound includes 9−

[4−

(10-phenyl-9-anthryl)phenyl]−

9H-carbazole (CzPA), and

wherein the first layer does not include the 9−

[4−

(10-phenyl-9-anthryl)phenyl]−

9H-carbazole (CzPA).

11. The light-emitting element according to claim 10,

wherein each of the second organic compound and the third organic compound is one of tricyclic to hexacyclic condensed aromatic compounds.

12. The light-emitting element according to claim 10,

wherein each of the second organic compound and the third organic compound is an anthracene derivative.

13. The light-emitting element according to claim 10,

wherein blue light is emitted from the first layer,

red light is emitted from the second layer,

green light is emitted from the third layer, and

blue light is emitted from the fourth layer.

14. The light-emitting element according to claim 10,

wherein a peak wavelength of light emitted from the first layer is in a range of 400 nm to 480 nm,

a peak wavelength of light emitted from the second layer is in a range of 580 nm to 700 nm,

a peak wavelength of light emitted from the third layer is in a range of 490 nm to 560 nm, and

a peak wavelength of light emitted from the fourth layer is in a range of 400 nm to 480 nm.

15. The light-emitting element according to claim 10,

wherein an emission spectrum of the light-emitting element includes at least one peak in each wavelength range of 400 nm to 480 nm, 490 nm to 560 nm, and 580 nm to 700 nm.

16. The light-emitting element according to claim 10,

wherein light emitted from the light-emitting element is white light.

17. A lighting apparatus comprising:

the light-emitting element according to claim 10.

18. A light-emitting device comprising:

the light-emitting element according to claim 10, and

a means for controlling light emission from the light-emitting element.

19. The light-emitting element according to claim 10, wherein the first light-emitting substance is a same as the fourth light-emitting substance.

20. The light-emitting element according to claim 10, wherein the light-emitting element is incorporated in one selected from the group consisting of a television device, a computer, a cellular phone and a camera.