Organic electroluminescence display panel and organic electroluminescence display device

• US 8,829,510 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2012
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JDI Design and Development GK
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Komatsu, Takahiro, Ohuchi, Satoru, Yamada, Ryuuta, Fujita, Hirofumi, Fujimura, Shinya, Nishiyama, Seiji, Nendai, Kenichi, Sugano, Kou, Yada, Shuhei
• Primary Examiner(s): Menz, Douglas
• Application Number:
  US13/995,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20130285042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 257/40, 438/82
• US Class Current: 257/40
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/17 Carrier injection layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/805 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/1315 comprising structures specially adapted for lowering the resistance
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/1795 comprising structures specially adapted for lowering the resistance
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/00 Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass

Abstract

The present invention provides an organic EL display panel and an organic EL display apparatus that can be driven at a low voltage and that exhibit excellent light-emitting efficiency. Sequentially fixated on a substrate are: a first electrode; auxiliary wiring; a hole injection layer; a functional layer; and a second electrode. The hole injection layer and the second electrode are both formed to be continuous above the first electrode and above the auxiliary wiring. The second electrode and the auxiliary wiring are electrically connected by the hole injection layer. The hole injection layer contains tungsten oxide and at least 2 nm thick so as to have, in an electronic state thereof, an occupied energy level in a range between 1.8 eV and 3.6 eV lower than a lowest energy level of a valence band in terms of a binding energy.

Claims

1. An organic EL display panel comprising:

a substrate;

at least one first electrode on or in the substrate;

auxiliary wiring on or in the substrate at a distance from the first electrode;

a functional layer, including at least a light-emitting layer, above the first electrode;

a hole injection layer for injecting holes to the functional layer, the hole injection layer being between the first electrode and the functional layer; and

a second electrode above the functional layer, wherein

the hole injection layer and the second electrode are both disposed to be continuous above the first electrode and above the auxiliary wiring,

the second electrode and the auxiliary wiring are electrically connected by the hole injection layer, and

the hole injection layer contains tungsten oxide and has, in an electronic state thereof, an occupied energy level in a range between 1.8 electron volts and 3.6 electron volts lower than a lowest energy level of a valence band of the hole injection layer in terms of a binding energy.

2. The organic EL display panel according to claim 1, wherein

the second electrode is a transparent electrode.

3. The organic EL display panel according to claim 2, wherein

the transparent electrode is one of ITO and IZO.

4. The organic EL display panel according to claim 1, wherein

the second electrode contains one of Al and Ag as a primary component.

5. The organic EL display panel according to claim 1, further comprising:

a metal layer that is continuous above the first electrode and above the auxiliary wiring, wherein

above the first electrode, the metal layer is between the second electrode and the light-emitting layer, and

above the auxiliary wiring, the metal layer is between the second electrode and the hole injection layer.

6. The organic EL display panel according to claim 5, wherein

the metal layer is an electron injection layer that, above the first electrode, injects electrons from the second electrode to the light-emitting layer.

7. The organic EL display panel according to claim 6, wherein

the metal layer includes barium.

8. The organic EL display panel according to claim 1, wherein

the auxiliary wiring is one of ITO and IZO.

9. The organic EL display panel according to claim 1, wherein

the hole injection layer above the auxiliary wiring has properties identical to the hole injection layer above the first electrode.

10. The organic EL display panel according to claim 1, wherein

at least above the auxiliary wiring, the hole injection layer is at least 4 nanometers thick.

11. The organic EL display panel according to claim 1, further comprising:

a bank on the hole injection layer defining at least one aperture exposing the first electrode and including a region exposing the auxiliary wiring, wherein

the light-emitting layer is disposed above the first electrode in the aperture defined by the bank.

12. The organic EL display panel according to claim 11, wherein

the at least one first electrode comprises a plurality of first electrodes, one per pixel, and

the at least one aperture in the bank comprises a plurality of apertures in one-to-one correspondence with the first electrodes.

13. The organic EL display panel according to claim 11, wherein

the at least one first electrode comprises a plurality of first electrodes, one per pixel, arranged in lines, and

the at least one aperture in the bank comprises a plurality of apertures, one for each of the lines of the first electrodes.

14. The organic EL display panel according to claim 1, wherein

at an interface between the hole injection layer and the first electrode, a gap between the occupied energy level of the hole injection layer and an energy level of a highest occupied molecular orbital of the first electrode is at most 0.3 electron volts in terms of the binding energy.

15. The organic EL display panel according to claim 1, wherein

the hole injection layer is at least 2 nanometers thick.

16. The organic EL display panel according to claim 1, wherein

a UPS spectrum of the hole injection layer exhibits an upward protrusion in the range between 1.8 electron volts and 3.6 electron volts lower than the lowest energy level of the valence band in terms of the binding energy.

17. The organic EL display panel according to claim 1, wherein

an XPS spectrum of the hole injection layer exhibits an upward protrusion in the range between 1.8 electron volts and 3.6 electron volts lower than the lowest energy level of the valence band in terms of the binding energy.

18. The organic EL display panel according to claim 1, wherein

a differential spectrum obtained by differentiating a UPS spectrum of the hole injection layer exhibits a shape expressed by a non-exponential function throughout a range between 2.0 electron volts and 3.2 electron volts lower than the lowest energy level of the valence band in terms of the binding energy.

19. The organic EL display panel according to claim 1, wherein

the occupied energy level of the hole injection layer is in a range between 2.0 electron volts and 3.2 electron volts lower than the lowest energy level of the valence band in terms of the binding energy.

20. The organic EL display panel according to claim 1, wherein

at an interface between the hole injection layer and the functional layer, the occupied energy level of the hole injection layer causes a highest occupied molecular orbital of the functional layer, to be approximately equal to the occupied energy level in terms of the binding energy.

21. The organic EL display panel according to claim 20, wherein

at the interface between the hole injection layer and the functional layer, a gap between the occupied energy level and the highest occupied molecular orbital of the functional layer is at most 0.3 electron volts in terms of the binding energy.

22. The organic EL display panel according to claim 1, wherein

at an interface between the first electrode and the hole injection layer, the occupied energy level of the hole injection layer causes the binding energy of the occupied energy level to be approximately equal to a Fermi level of the first electrode.

23. The organic EL display panel according to claim 22, wherein

at the interface between the first electrode and the hole injection layer, a gap between the occupied energy level of the hole injection layer and the Fermi level of the first electrode is at most 0.3 electron volts in terms of the binding energy.

24. The organic EL display panel according to claim 1, wherein

at an interface between the auxiliary wiring and the hole injection layer, the occupied energy level of the hole injection layer causes the binding energy of the occupied energy level to be approximately equal to a Fermi level of the auxiliary wiring.

25. The organic EL display panel according to claim 24, wherein

at the interface between the auxiliary wiring and the hole injection layer, a gap between the occupied energy level of the hole injection layer and the Fermi level of the auxiliary wiring is at most 0.3 electron volts in terms of the binding energy.

26. The organic EL display panel according to claim 1, wherein

at an interface between the hole injection layer and the second electrode, the occupied energy level of the hole injection layer causes the binding energy of the occupied energy level to be approximately equal to a Fermi level of the second electrode.

27. The organic EL display panel according to claim 26, wherein

at the interface between the hole injection layer and the second electrode, a gap between the occupied energy level of the hole injection layer and the Fermi level of the second electrode is at most 0.3 electron volts in terms of the binding energy.

28. The organic EL display panel according to claim 1, wherein

at an interface between the hole injection layer and the electron injection layer, the occupied energy level of the hole injection layer causes the binding energy of the occupied energy level to be approximately equal to a Fermi level of the electron injection layer.

29. The organic EL display panel according to claim 28, wherein

at the interface between the hole injection layer and the electron injection layer, a gap between the occupied energy level of the hole injection layer and the Fermi level of the electron injection layer is at most 0.3 electron volts in terms of the binding energy.

30. An organic EL display apparatus comprising:

the organic EL display panel of claim 1.

31. An organic EL display panel comprising:

a substrate;

at least one first electrode on or in the substrate;

wiring on or in the substrate at a distance from the first electrode;

an organic layer above the first electrode, the organic layer containing organic material;

a tungsten oxide layer between the organic layer and the first electrode, the tungsten oxide layer containing tungsten oxide; and

a second electrode above the organic layer, wherein

the tungsten oxide layer and the second electrode are both disposed to be continuous above the first electrode and above the wiring,

the second electrode and the wiring are electrically connected by the tungsten oxide layer, and

the tungsten oxide layer has, in an electronic state thereof, an occupied energy level in a range between 1.8 electron volts and 3.6 electron volts lower than a lowest energy level of a valence band of the tungsten oxide layer in terms of the binding energy.

32. A manufacturing method for an organic EL display panel, the manufacturing method comprising:

a first step of forming a first electrode on or in a substrate;

a second step of forming auxiliary wiring on or in the substrate at a distance from the first electrode;

a third step of forming a hole injection layer to be continuous above the first electrode and above the auxiliary wiring;

a fourth step of forming, above the first electrode, a functional layer including at least a light-emitting layer; and

a fifth step of forming a second electrode to be continuous above the functional layer and above the hole injection layer formed above the auxiliary wiring, wherein

the second electrode and the auxiliary wiring are electrically connected by the hole injection layer, and

the hole injection layer contains tungsten oxide and has, in an electronic state thereof, an occupied energy level in a range between 1.8 electron volts and 3.6 electron volts lower than a lowest energy level of a valence band of the hole injection layer in terms of a binding energy.

33. The manufacturing method according to claim 32, further comprising:

between the third step and the fourth step, a step of forming a bank on the hole injection layer defining at least one aperture exposing the first electrode and including a region exposing the auxiliary wiring, wherein

in the fourth step, the functional layer is formed within the aperture defined by the bank.

34. The manufacturing method according to claim 32, wherein

in the third step, the hole injection layer formed above the auxiliary wiring has identical properties to the hole injection layer formed above the first electrode.

35. A manufacturing method for an organic EL display panel, the manufacturing method comprising:

a first step of forming a first electrode on or in a substrate;

a second step of forming wiring on or in the substrate at a distance from the first electrode;

a third step of foaming a tungsten oxide layer, containing tungsten oxide, to be continuous above the first electrode and above the wiring;

a fourth step of forming an organic layer, containing organic material, above the first electrode;

a fifth step of forming a second electrode to be continuous above the functional layer and above the tungsten oxide layer formed above the wiring, wherein

the second electrode and the wiring are electrically connected by the tungsten oxide layer, and

the tungsten oxide layer has, in an electronic state thereof, an occupied energy level in a range between 1.8 electron volts and 3.6 electron volts lower than a lowest energy level of a valence band of the tungsten oxide layer in terms of a binding energy.