Organic el element

• US 8,872,164 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2011
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JDI Design and Development GK
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohuchi, Satoru, Tsukamoto, Yoshiaki, Komatsu, Takahiro, Sakanoue, Kei
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Jr., Jerome
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fan, Bo
• Application Number:
  US13/298,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20120061656A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: 257/40, 313/498, 544/225
• US Class Current: 257/40
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2101/30 Highest occupied molecular orbital [HOMO], lowest unoccupied molecular orbital [LUMO] or Fermi energy values
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2101/40 Interrelation of parameters between multiple constituent active layers or sublayers, e.g. HOMO values in adjacent layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/11 characterised by the electroluminescent [EL] layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/17 Carrier injection layers

Abstract

An organic light-emitting element includes an anode, a functional layer, and a hole injection layer between the anode and the functional layer. The functional layer contains an organic material. The hole injection layer injects holes to the functional layer. The hole injection layer comprises tungsten oxide and includes an occupied energy level that is approximately 1.8 electron volts to approximately 3.6 electron volts lower than a lowest energy level of a valence band of the hole injection layer in terms of binding energy.

Claims

1. An organic light-emitting element, comprising:

an anode;

a functional layer containing an organic material; and

a hole injection layer for injecting holes to the functional layer, the hole injection layer being between the anode and the functional layer,

wherein the hole injection layer comprises tungsten oxide,

the hole injection layer is formed under conditions where a total gas pressure is higher than 2.7 pascals and at most equal to 7.0 pascals, a ratio of oxygen partial pressure to the total gas pressure is at least equal to 50% and at most equal to 70%, and an input power density of a sputtering target is at least equal to 1 W/cm² and at most equal to 2.8 W/cm², and

an ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy spectrum of the hole injection layer, using a He I line as a light source and a normal line direction of a surface of the substrate as an electron emission angle, exhibits an upward protrusion that is 1.8 electron volts to 3.6 electron volts lower than a lowest energy level of a valence band of the hole injection layer in terms of binding energy, the upward protrusion corresponding to an occupied energy level of the hole injection layer.

2. The organic light-emitting element of claim 1, wherein

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

3. The organic light-emitting element of claim 1, wherein

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

4. The organic light-emitting element of claim 1, wherein

an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectrum of the hole injection layer exhibits an upward protrusion that is approximately 1.8 electron volts to approximately 3.6 electron volts lower than the lowest energy level of the valence band in terms of the binding energy.

5. The organic light-emitting element of claim 1, wherein

a differential spectrum obtained by differentiating an ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy spectrum of the hole injection layer has a shape that is expressed by a non-exponential function throughout a range between approximately 2.0 electron volts and approximately 3.2 electron volts lower than the lowest energy level of the valence band in terms of the binding energy.

6. The organic light-emitting element of claim 1, wherein

the functional layer comprises an amine-containing material.

7. The organic light-emitting element of claim 1, wherein

the functional layer includes at least one of a hole transfer layer that transfers the holes, a light-emitting layer that emits light by recombination of electrons and the holes injected to the functional layer, and a buffer layer that one of adjusts optical characteristics of the organic light-emitting element and blocks electrons.

8. The organic light-emitting element of claim 1, wherein

the upward protrusion is approximately 2.0 electron volts to 3.2 electron volts lower than the lowest energy level of the valence band in terms of the binding energy.

9. A display device comprising the organic light-emitting element of claim 1.

10. A manufacturing method for an organic light-emitting element, comprising:

preparing an anode;

forming a tungsten oxide layer above the anode by introducing a gas comprising an argon gas and an oxygen gas to a chamber of a sputtering device, a total pressure of the gas in the chamber being greater than 2.7 pascals and at most equal to 7.0 pascals, a partial pressure ratio of the oxygen gas with respect to the total pressure of the gas in the chamber being at least 50% and at most 70%, and an input power density per unit surface area of a sputtering target being at least 1 W/cm² and at most 2.8 W/cm²;

forming a functional layer containing an organic material above the tungsten oxide layer; and

forming a cathode above the functional layer,

wherein an ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy spectrum of the tungsten oxide layer, using a He I line as a light source and a normal line direction of a surface of the substrate as an electron emission angle, exhibits an upward protrusion that is 1.8 electron volts to 3.6 electron volts lower than a lowest energy level of a valence band of the tungsten oxide layer in terms of binding energy, the upward protrusion corresponding to an occupied energy level of the hole injection layer.

11. The manufacturing method of claim 10, further comprising:

having a differential spectrum, obtained by differentiating an ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy spectrum of the tungsten oxide layer, have a shape that is expressed by a non-exponential function throughout a range between approximately 2.0 electron volts and approximately 3.2 electron volts lower than the lowest energy level of the valence band of the tungsten oxide layer in terms of the binding energy.

12. The manufacturing method of claim 10, further comprising:

having the occupied energy level at an interface between the tungsten oxide layer and the functional layer be approximately equal to an energy level of a highest occupied molecular orbital of the functional layer in terms of the binding energy.

13. The manufacturing method of claim 10, further comprising:

having a gap between the occupied energy level at an interface between the tungsten oxide layer and the functional layer and an energy level of a highest occupied molecular orbital of the functional layer be at most approximately 0.3 electron volts in terms of the binding energy.

14. The manufacturing method of claim 10, further comprising:

having an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectrum of the tungsten oxide layer exhibit an upward protrusion that is approximately 1.8 electron volts to approximately 3.6 electron volts lower than the lowest energy level of the valence band in terms of the binding energy.

15. The manufacturing method of claim 10, further comprising:

having a differential spectrum, obtained by differentiating an ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy spectrum of the tungsten oxide layer, have a shape that is expressed by a non-exponential function throughout a range between approximately 2.0 electron volts and approximately 3.2 electron volts lower than the lowest energy level of the valence band in terms of the binding energy.

16. The manufacturing method of claim 10, further comprising:

having the upward protrusion be approximately 2.0 electron volts to 3.2 electron volts lower than the lowest energy level of the valence band in terms of the binding energy.

17. An organic light-emitting element, comprising:

an anode;

a functional layer containing an organic material; and

a hole injection layer for injecting holes to the functional layer, the hole injection layer being between the anode and the functional layer,

wherein the hole injection layer comprises tungsten oxide, and

an ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy spectrum of the hole injection layer, using a He I line as a light source and a normal line direction of a surface of the substrate as an electron emission angle, exhibits an upward protrusion that is 1.8 electron volts to 3.6 electron volts lower than a lowest energy level of a valence band of the hole injection layer in terms of binding energy, the upward protrusion corresponding to an occupied energy level of the hole injection layer.