Light emitting element, method for manufacturing same, and light emitting device

• US 8,927,975 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2012
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JDI Design and Development GK
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takeuchi, Takayuki, Nishiyama, Seiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Toledo, Fernando L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Newton, Valerie N
• Application Number:
  US13/719,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20130134474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• US Class Current: 257/40
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/42 Transparent materials
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/3031 Two-side emission, e.g. transparent OLEDs [TOLED]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/17 Carrier injection layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/122 Pixel-defining structures or layers, e.g. banks
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/173 comprising banks or shadow masks

Abstract

Organic light-emitting elements each have the following structure: a transparent anode, a functional layer including a charge injection layer and an organic light-emitting layer, and a transparent cathode are layered on a substrate in the stated order; a bank defines a formation area of the organic light-emitting layer; the charge injection layer is a metal oxide layer formed by oxidizing an upper surface portion of the anode composed of the metal layer, and a portion of the charge injection layer that is positioned under the area is depressed so as to form a recess; and the upper peripheral edge of the recess is covered with a covering portion of the bank.

Claims

1. A double-sided light-emitter that emits light from both sides thereof, comprising:

a first electrode;

a layered body disposed on the first electrode, the layered body including a charge injection layer and a functional layer, the functional layer including a light-emitting layer;

a second electrode disposed on the layered body; and

a bank that defines a position of the light-emitting layer, wherein

the first electrode and the second electrode are transparent electrodes,

the charge injection layer is formed by oxidation of an upper portion of a metal,

the first electrode includes a metal layer that is a lower portion of the metal,

an inner portion of the charge injection layer is depressed to define a recess,

an upper peripheral edge of the recess is covered with a portion of the bank,

a portion of the light-emitting layer is interposed between the second electrode and the upper peripheral edge of the recess,

the portion of the light-emitting layer is interposed between the second electrode and the portion of the bank, and undergoes charge injection from the second electrode, and

the portion of the bank is interposed between the upper peripheral edge of the recess and the part of the light-emitting layer.

2. The light emitter of claim 1, wherein

the charge injection layer is a hole injection layer made from one of a metal oxide, a metal nitride, and a metal oxynitride.

3. The light-emitter of claim 2, wherein

the functional layer includes a hole transport layer that transports holes from the hole injection layer to the light-emitting layer, and

the hole transport layer is interposed between the hole injection layer and the light-emitting layer.

4. The light-emitter of claim 1, wherein

the first electrode is a laminate including a semi-transparent or transparent metal thin film,

the metal thin film contains any material selected from the group consisting of Ag, Mg, Al, Pt, Pd, Au, Ni, Ir and Cr, and has a thickness falling within a range of 3 nm to 30 nm.

5. The light-emitter of claim 1, wherein

the second electrode is made from ITO or IZO.

6. The light-emitter of claim 5, wherein

the second electrode is a laminate including a semi-transparent or transparent metal thin film.

7. The light-emitter of claim 6, wherein

the metal thin film contains any material selected from the group consisting of Ag, Mg, Al, Pt, Pd, Au, Ni, Ir and Cr, and has a thickness falling within a range of 3 nm to 30 nm.

8. The light-emitter of claim 1, wherein

the bank is formed by a solution, and

the solution is erosive to the charge injection layer formed by oxidation of the upper portion of the metal.

9. The light-emitter of claim 1, wherein

the portion of the bank that is on the outer portion of the charge injection layer is adjacent to the recess, and

an inner side wall of the bank slopes upwardly with respect to a bottom surface of the recess.

10. The light-emitter of claim 1, wherein

the portion of the bank that is on the outer portion of the charge injection layer is displaced from a bottom surface of the recess.

11. The light-emitter of claim 1, wherein

the light-emitting layer is an organic EL layer.

12. The light-emitter of claim 1, wherein

the outer portion of the charge injection layer protrudes along a base of the bank.

13. The light-emitter of claim 1, wherein

the portion of the bank that is on the outer portion of the charge injection layer is defined by an angle formed between two surfaces, one of the two surfaces being a top surface of the outer portion of the charge injection layer and the other of the two surfaces being a side wall of the bank.

14. The light-emitter of claim 1, wherein

the second electrode is a cathode,

the layered body includes an electron transport layer interposed between the light-emitting layer and the second electrode,

electrons injected from the second electrode are transported to the functional layer including the light-emitting layer via the electron transport layer.

15. A light-emitting device including a plurality of the light-emitter of claim 1.