Organic electroluminescence element

• US 9,029,843 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2013
• Issued: 05/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: JOLED Inc.
• Original Assignee: JOLED Inc.
• Inventors: Harada, Kenji, Nishiyama, Seiji, Komatsu, Takahiro, Takeuchi, Takayuki, Ohuchi, Satoru, Tsukamoto, Yoshiaki, Fujimura, Shinya, Sakanoue, Kei
• Primary Examiner(s): Such, Matthew W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kilpatrick, Warren H
• Application Number:
  US13/746,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20130134403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 257/40, 438/47
• US Class Current: 257/40
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/331 Nanoparticles used in non-emissive layers, e.g. in packaging layer
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/17 Carrier injection layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/813 characterised by their shape
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/818 Reflective anodes, e.g. ITO combined with thick metallic layers

Abstract

An organic light-emitting element comprising: an anode; a cathode; banks; a functional layer between the anode and the cathode; and a hole injection layer between the anode and the functional layer. The functional layer includes one or more sublayers including a light-emitting sublayer defined by the banks and that contains an organic material. The hole injection layer comprises tungsten oxide, 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 a binding energy, has a surface facing the functional layer, and has a recessed structure such that a portion of the surface overlapping with the light-emitting sublayer is located closer to the anode than other portions. The recessed structure has a recessed portion whose inner surface is in contact with the functional layer.

Claims

1. An organic light-emitting element, comprising:

an anode;

a cathode;

banks;

a functional layer between the anode and the cathode, the functional layer including one or more sublayers, the one or more sublayers including a light-emitting sublayer, the light-emitting sublayer defined by the banks and containing an organic material; and

a hole injection layer between the anode and the functional layer, wherein

the hole injection layer comprises tungsten oxide,

the hole injection layer 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 a binding energy,

the hole injection layer has a surface facing the functional layer and has a recessed structure such that a portion of the surface overlapping with the light-emitting sublayer is located closer to the anode than other portions of the surface overlapping with the banks,

the portion of the surface overlapping with the light-emitting sublayer and the other portions of the surface overlapping with the banks are located closer to the anode than a peripheral bottom surface of each of the banks,

the recessed structure comprises an inner surface that is in contact with the functional layer, the inner surface including an inner bottom surface and an inner side surface that is continuous with the inner bottom surface, and

a film thickness of the light-emitting sublayer is uniform over the recessed structure.

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 ultraviolet 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

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.

6. 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.

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

the functional layer comprises an amine-containing material.

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

the functional layer further includes at least one of a hole transfer sublayer that transfers holes and a buffer sublayer that at least one of adjusts optical characteristics of the organic light-emitting element and blocks electrons.

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

the occupied energy level 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.

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

the banks are liquid-repellent and the hole injection layer is liquid-philic.

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

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

the surface of the hole injection layer which faces the functional layer and which includes the portion and the other portions is located closer to the anode in level than each bottom surface of the banks.

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

a film thickness of the hole injection layer in a region defined by the recessed structure is smaller than a film thickness in other regions, and the film thickness in the other regions is uniform.

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

the recessed structure extends under the peripheral bottom surface of at least one of the banks.

19. The An organic light-emitting element of claim 1, comprising:

an anode;

a cathode;

banks;

a functional layer between the anode and the cathode, the functional layer including one or more sublayers, the one or more sublayers including a light-emitting sublayer, the light-emitting sublayer defined by the banks and containing an organic material; and

a hole injection layer between the anode and the functional layer, wherein

the hole injection layer comprises tungsten oxide,

the hole injection layer 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 a binding energy,

the hole injection layer has a surface facing the functional layer and has a recessed structure such that a portion of the surface overlapping with the light-emitting sublayer is located closer to the anode than other portions of the surface overlapping with the banks,

the portion of the surface overlapping with the light-emitting sublayer and the other portions of the surface overlapping with the banks are located closer to the anode than a peripheral bottom surface of each of the banks,

the recessed structure comprises an inner surface that is in contact with the functional layer, the inner surface including an inner bottom surface and an inner side surface that is continuous with the inner bottom surface, and

the hole injection layer is composed of tungsten oxide WO_x in which x is a real number greater than 2 and less than 3.

12. 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 approximately 2.7 pascals and at most equal to approximately 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 approximately 50% and at most approximately 70%, and an input power density per unit surface area of a sputtering target being at least approximately 1 W/cm² and at most approximately 2.8 W/cm²;

forming banks above the tungsten oxide layer by forming a resist film including resist material above the tungsten oxide layer and etching the resist film with a developing solution;

forming a hole injection layer, subsequent to forming the banks, by;

cleaning, with a cleaning fluid, a surface of the tungsten oxide layer and thereby removing residuals of the resist film adhering to the surface of the tungsten oxide layer; and

dissolving a part of the tungsten oxide layer with the cleaning fluid, the hole injection layer formed such that a portion of an upper surface of the hole injection layer facing the functional layer is located closer to the anode than other portions of the upper surface overlapping with the banks, the portion forming a recessed structure comprising an inner surface that is in contact with the functional layer, the inner surface including an inner bottom surface and an inner side surface that is continuous with the inner bottom surface;

forming a functional layer by depositing ink into a region of the hole injection layer defined by the banks, applying the ink with respect to the inner bottom surface and the inner side surface such that the ink is in contact with the inner bottom surface and the inner side surface, and drying the ink; and

forming a cathode above the functional layer,

wherein the portion of the surface facing the functional layer and the other portions of the surface overlapping with the banks are located closer to the anode than a peripheral bottom surface of each of the banks.

14. The manufacturing method of claim 12, wherein

the tungsten oxide layer is formed such that an ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy spectrum of the tungsten oxide layer exhibits an upward protrusion 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 tungsten oxide layer in terms of a binding energy.

15. The manufacturing method of claim 12, wherein

the tungsten oxide layer is formed such that a differential spectrum, obtained by differentiating an ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy spectrum of the tungsten oxide layer, exhibits 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 a lowest energy level of a valence band of the tungsten oxide layer in terms of a binding energy.

13. 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 approximately 2.7 pascals and at most equal to approximately 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 approximately 50% and at most approximately 70%, and an input power density per unit surface area of a sputtering target being at least approximately 1 W/cm² and at most approximately 2.8 W/cm²;

forming a hole injection layer, while forming banks above the tungsten oxide layer by forming a resist film including resist material above the tungsten oxide layer and etching the resist film with a developing solution, by;

cleaning, with the developing solution, a surface of the tungsten oxide layer and thereby removing residuals of the resist film adhering to the surface of the tungsten oxide layer; and

dissolving a part of the tungsten oxide layer with the developing solution, the hole injection layer formed such that a portion of an upper surface of the hole injection layer facing the functional layer is located closer to the anode than other portions of the upper surface overlapping with the banks, the portion forming a recessed structure comprising an inner surface that is in contact with the functional layer, the inner surface including an inner bottom surface and an inner side surface that is continuous with the inner bottom surface;

forming a functional layer by depositing ink into a region of the hole injection layer defined by the banks, applying the ink with respect to the inner bottom surface and the inner side surface such that the ink is in contact with the inner bottom surface and the inner side surface, and drying the ink; and

forming a cathode above the functional layer,

wherein the portion of the surface facing the functional layer and the other portions of the surface overlapping with the banks are located closer to the anode than a peripheral bottom surface of each of the banks.