Light-emitting element, light-emitting device, and vapor deposition apparatus

• US 8,622,780 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2012
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ikeda, Hisao, Sakata, Junichiro, Seo, Satoshi, Iwaki, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nimeshkumar
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hollweg, Thomas A
• Application Number:
  US13/402,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20120149140A1
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 445 23- 25, 313/504, 313/506
• US Class Current: 445/23
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/044 using masks to redistribute rather than totally prevent coating, e.g. producing thickness gradient
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/24 Vacuum evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/505 for rotation of the substrates
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/548 Controlling the composition
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/10 Apparatus or processes specially adapted to the manufacture of electroluminescent light sources
• 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 2102/3031 Two-side emission, e.g. transparent OLEDs [TOLED]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/155 comprising dopants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/165 comprising dopants
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/17 Carrier injection layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/164 using vacuum deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/633 comprising polycyclic condensed aromatic hydrocarbons as substituents on the nitrogen atom

Abstract

To provide a light-emitting element and a light-emitting device which can be designed and manufactured with redundancy. A light-emitting element of the invention includes a pair of electrode, and a layer containing a light-emissive substance between the pair of electrodes. The layer containing a light-emissive substance includes a layer containing a composite material, and the layer containing a composite material includes an organic compound and an inorganic compound. The concentration ratio of the organic compound to the inorganic compound changes periodically. The layer containing a composite maternal can be changed in electrical characteristics without changing the composition ratio of the organic compound to the inorganic compound in the layer or changing the kind of compounds used for the layer.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a layer comprising an organic compound, comprising:

forming a layer that comprises a compound over a surface, so that a maximum value and a minimum value of a concentration of the compound are alternatively repeated in a direction perpendicular to the surface, so that at least two maximum values of the concentration of the compound and at least two minimum values of the concentration of the compound exist,

wherein the minimum value is more than 0 wt %,

wherein the compound is an organic compound, and

wherein the layer that comprises the compound is one of a layer that comprises a light-emissive substance, a charge generating layer that comprises a composite material, a layer that comprises an organic compound having an electron transporting property, and a layer that comprises an organic compound having a hole transporting property.

2. The method for manufacturing the layer comprising an organic compound according to claim 1, wherein the layer is formed by an evaporation method.

3. The method for manufacturing the layer comprising an organic compound according to claim 1, wherein the maximum value and the minimum value change periodically.

4. The method for manufacturing the layer comprising an organic compound according to claim 1, wherein a concentration of the compound is not less than 10 wt % and not more than 95 wt %.

5. The method for manufacturing the layer comprising an organic compound according to claim 1,

wherein the layer is formed by an evaporation method in which the surface is rotated around a first axis and rotated around a second axis,

wherein the first axis intersects with the surface, and

wherein the second axis does not intersect with the surface.

6. The method for manufacturing a device, comprising the method for manufacturing the layer comprising an organic compound according to claim 1, wherein the device is a light-emitting device comprising at least one of a power source circuit, a housing, an operating key, a flexible printed circuit, and a printed wiring board.

7. A light-emitting device comprising the layer manufactured by the method according to claim 1.

8. A method for manufacturing a layer comprising an organic compound, comprising:

forming a layer that comprises both a first compound and a second compound over a surface, so that a maximum value and a minimum value of a concentration ratio of the first compound and the second compound are alternatively repeated in a direction perpendicular to the surface, so that at least two maximum values of the concentration ratio of the first compound and the second compound and at least two minimum values of the concentration ratio of the first compound and the second compound exist,

wherein the minimum value is more than 0 wt %,

wherein the first compound is an organic compound, and

wherein the layer that comprises the first compound is one of a layer that comprises a light-emissive substance, a charge generating layer that comprises a composite material, a layer that comprises an organic compound having an electron transporting property, and a layer that comprises an organic compound having a hole transporting property.

9. The method for manufacturing the layer comprising an organic compound according to claim 8, wherein the layer is formed by an evaporation method.

10. The method for manufacturing the layer comprising an organic compound according to claim 8, wherein the maximum value and the minimum value change periodically.

11. The method for manufacturing the layer comprising an organic compound according to claim 8, wherein a concentration of the first compound is not less than 10 wt % and not more than 95 wt %.

12. The method for manufacturing the layer comprising an organic compound according to claim 8,

wherein the layer is formed by an evaporation method in which the surface is rotated around a first axis and rotated around a second axis,

wherein the first axis intersects with the surface, and

wherein the second axis does not intersect with the surface.

13. The method for manufacturing the layer comprising an organic compound according to claim 8, wherein the second compound is an organic compound.

14. The method for manufacturing a device, comprising the method for manufacturing the layer comprising an organic compound according to claim 8, wherein the device is a light-emitting device comprising at least one of a power source circuit, a housing, an operating key, a flexible printed circuit, and a printed wiring board.

15. A light-emitting device comprising the layer manufactured by the method according to claim 8.

16. A method for manufacturing a layer comprising an organic compound, comprising:

forming a layer that comprises a compound over a surface, so that a first region having a first average atomic weight of the compound and a second region having a second average atomic weight of the compound lower than the first average atomic weight are alternatively repeated in a direction perpendicular to the surface, so that at least two of the first regions and at least two of the second regions exist, wherein the layer comprises the first region and the second region,

wherein the second average atomic weight is more than 0 wt %,

wherein the compound is an organic compound, and

wherein the layer that comprises the compound is one of a layer that comprises a light-emissive substance, a charge generating layer that comprises a composite material, a layer that comprises an organic compound having an electron transporting property, and a layer that comprises an organic compound having a hole transporting property.

17. The method for manufacturing the layer comprising an organic compound according to claim 16, wherein the layer is formed by an evaporation method.

18. The method for manufacturing the layer comprising an organic compound according to claim 16, wherein a maximum value and a minimum value of a concentration of the compound change periodically.

19. The method for manufacturing the layer comprising an organic compound according to claim 16, wherein a concentration of the compound is not less than 10 wt % and not more than 95 wt %.

20. The method for manufacturing the layer comprising an organic compound according to claim 16,

wherein the layer is formed by an evaporation method in which the surface is rotated around a first axis and rotated around a second axis,

wherein the first axis intersects with the surface, and

wherein the second axis does not intersect with the surface.

21. The method for manufacturing a device, comprising the method for manufacturing the layer comprising an organic compound according to claim 16, wherein the device is a light-emitting device comprising at least one of a power source circuit, a housing, an operating key, a flexible printed circuit, and a printed wiring board.

22. A light-emitting device comprising the layer manufactured by the method according to claim 16.

23. A method for manufacturing a layer comprising an organic compound, comprising:

forming a layer that comprises a compound over a surface, so that a first region having a first concentration of the compound, a second region having a second concentration of the compound, a third region having a third concentration of the compound, a fourth region having a fourth concentration of the compound are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the surface in this order, wherein the layer comprises the first region, the second region, the third region, and the fourth region,

wherein the second concentration is larger than the first concentration,

wherein the third concentration is smaller than the second concentration,

wherein the fourth concentration is larger than the third concentration,

wherein each of the first concentration and the third concentration is more than 0 wt %,

wherein the compound is an organic compound, and

wherein the layer that comprises the compound is one of a layer that comprises a light-emissive substance, a charge generating layer that comprises a composite material, a layer that comprises an organic compound having an electron transporting property, and a layer that comprises an organic compound having a hole transporting property.

24. The method for manufacturing the layer comprising an organic compound according to claim 23, wherein the layer is formed by an evaporation method.

25. The method for manufacturing the layer comprising an organic compound according to claim 23, wherein a maximum value and a minimum value of a concentration of the compound change periodically.

26. The method for manufacturing the layer comprising an organic compound according to claim 23, wherein a concentration of the compound is not less than 10 wt % and not more than 95 wt %.

27. The method for manufacturing the layer comprising an organic compound according to claim 23,

wherein the layer is formed by an evaporation method in which the surface is rotated around a first axis and rotated around a second axis,

wherein the first axis intersects with the surface, and

wherein the second axis does not intersect with the surface.

28. The method for manufacturing a device, comprising the method for manufacturing the layer comprising an organic compound according to claim 23, wherein the device is a light-emitting device comprising at least one of a power source circuit, a housing, an operating key, a flexible printed circuit, and a printed wiring board.

29. The method for manufacturing the layer comprising an organic compound according to claim 23,

wherein the layer further comprises a fifth region having a fifth concentration of the compound, and a sixth region having a sixth concentration of the compound,

wherein the fourth region, the fifth region, and the sixth region are arranged in the direction in this order,

wherein the fifth concentration is smaller than the fourth concentration, and

wherein the sixth concentration is larger than the fifth concentration.

30. A light-emitting device comprising the layer manufactured by the method according to claim 23.