Light emitting sheet and manufacturing method thereof

• US 8,860,304 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2010
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lintec Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lintec Corporation
• Inventors: Matsubayashi, Yumiko, Naganawa, Satoshi, Ono, Yoshitomo
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nimeshkumar
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAABE, CHRISTOPHER M
• Application Number:
  US13/390,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20120146485A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,559 Days
• Field of Search: 313498-512, 315/169.3, 345/36, 345/45, 345/76
• US Class Current: 313/509
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/10 Apparatus or processes specially adapted to the manufacture of electroluminescent light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/341 Short-circuit prevention
• 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 50/813 characterised by their shape
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/822 characterised by their shape
• 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 71/50 Forming devices by joining two substrates together, e.g. lamination techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/621 Providing a shape to conductive layers, e.g. patterning or selective deposition

Abstract

A light-emitting sheet which does not cause failures such as a short circuit without causing dielectric breakdown at the end of element at applying a voltage and which is able to realize stable driving, and an efficient method for producing the light-emitting sheet, are provided. Specifically, a light-emitting sheet having a first electrode, a second electrode, and a light-emitting layer disposed between the first and the second electrodes, wherein a short circuit preventing member composed of an insulator is arranged on the periphery of the light-emitting layer in such a way that a part of the member is projected from the light-emitting layer, and an efficient method for producing the light-emitting sheet, are provided.

Claims

1. A light-emitting sheet comprising:

a first electrode;

a second electrode;

a light-emitting layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode; and

a short circuit preventing member composed of an insulator arranged continuously on at least a first peripheral portion of the light-emitting layer such that a part of the short circuit preventing member projects from the light-emitting layer,

wherein, on a second peripheral portion of the light-emitting layer in which the short circuit preventing member is not arranged or not arranged in such a way that the part of the short circuit preventing member projects from the light-emitting layer, at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode has a cut-out portion that forms a non-conductive section electrically disconnected from a circuit for applying a voltage to the light-emitting sheet.

2. The light-emitting sheet according to claim 1, wherein the cut-out portion of the at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode is cut with a laser.

3. The light-emitting sheet according to claim 1, wherein the short circuit preventing member projects from the light-emitting layer such that a minimum value of a creepage distance between the first electrode and the second electrode is 2 mm or more.

4. The light-emitting sheet according to claim 1, wherein, a minimum value of a creepage distance between a conductive section of the first electrode and a conductive section of the second electrode, which are electrically connected to each other, is 2 mm or more, based on cutting of the at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode.

5. The light-emitting sheet according to claim 1, wherein the short circuit preventing member is a pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet having an insulating property.

6. The light-emitting sheet according to claim 1, further comprising a dielectric layer between the first electrode or the second electrode and the light-emitting layer.

9. The light-emitting sheet according to claim 3, wherein, the minimum value of the creepage distance between a conductive section of the first electrode and a conductive section of the second electrode, which are electrically connected to each other, is 2 mm or more, based on cutting of the at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode to form the cut-out portion.

10. The light-emitting sheet according to claim 3, wherein the short circuit preventing member is a pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet having an insulating property.

11. The light-emitting sheet according to claim 4, wherein the short circuit preventing member is a pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet having an insulating property.

12. The light-emitting sheet according to claim 9, wherein the short circuit preventing member is a pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet having an insulating property.

13. The light-emitting sheet according to claim 1, wherein, from a plan view of the light-emitting sheet, the short circuit preventing member and the non-conductive section surround the light-emitting layer.

14. The light-emitting sheet according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are directly in contact with opposite sides of the light-emitting layer.

15. The light-emitting sheet according to claim 14, wherein the cut-out portion of the at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode extends to the light-emitting layer.

16. The light-emitting sheet according to claim 1, wherein the short circuit preventing member is sandwiched between the first electrode and the light-emitting layer and/or the second electrode and the light-emitting layer.

17. The light-emitting sheet according to claim 1, wherein only said at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode has the cut-out portion.

18. The light-emitting sheet according to claim 1, wherein the short circuit preventing member composed of the insulator is arranged directly on the at least first peripheral portion of the light-emitting layer.

7. A method for producing a light-emitting sheet having a first electrode, a second electrode and a light-emitting layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, the method comprising:

producing, using a roll-to-roll process, the light-emitting sheet;

arranging a short circuit preventing member composed of an insulator continuously on peripheral portions of both sides of the light-emitting layer in a flow direction of the light-emitting layer such that a part of the short circuit preventing member projects from the light-emitting layer; and

cutting at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode adjacent to the peripheral portions of both sides of the light-emitting layer along a width direction of the light-emitting layer to form a non-conductive section electrically disconnected from a circuit for applying a voltage to the light-emitting sheet.

19. The method of claim 7, wherein the short circuit preventing member composed of the insulator is arranged directly on the peripheral portions of both sides of the light-emitting layer.

8. A method for producing a light-emitting sheet having a first electrode, a second electrode and a light-emitting layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, the method comprising:

producing the light-emitting sheet using a roll-to-roll process;

arranging a short circuit preventing member composed of an insulator continuously on a first peripheral portion of a first side of the light-emitting layer along a flow direction of the light-emitting layer such that a part of the short circuit preventing member projects from the light-emitting layer;

cutting the second electrode, which is disposed on or under a second peripheral portion of a second side of the light-emitting layer, to form a first non-conductive section electrically disconnected from a circuit for applying a voltage to the light-emitting sheet; and

cutting at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode adjacent to the first peripheral portion of the first side of the light-emitting layer and adjacent to the second peripheral portion of the second side of the light-emitting layer along a width direction of the light-emitting layer to form a second non-conductive section electrically disconnected from the circuit for applying a voltage to the light-emitting sheet.

20. The method of claim 8, wherein the short circuit preventing member composed of the insulator is arranged directly on the first peripheral portion of the first side of the light-emitting layer.