Lifetime OLED display

• US 9,170,665 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Display Corporation
• Original Assignee: Universal Display Corporation
• Inventors: Hack, Michael, Brown, Julia J., Weaver, Michael Stuart, Premutico, Mauro
• Primary Examiner(s): PARDO, THUY N
• Application Number:
  US13/615,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20140078126A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 345/211, 345/82, 345/32, 345/76, 345/77, 345/83, 345/63, 345/80, 345/206, 257/98
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0452 Details of colour pixel setup, e.g. pixel composed of a red, a blue and two green components
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3208 organic, e.g. using organic light-emitting diodes [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/19 Tandem OLEDs
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/35 comprising red-green-blue [RGB] subpixels

Abstract

Light emitting devices including sub-pixels having different numbers of emissive layers are provided. At least one sub-pixel of a first color may include a single emissive layer, and at least one sub-pixel of a second color may include multiple emissive layers disposed in a vertical stack. Light emitting devices in which different voltages are applied to each sub-pixel or group of sub-pixels are also provided. In some configurations, the voltage to be applied to a sub-pixel may be selected based upon the number of emissive layers in the sub-pixel.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a light-emitting region comprising a pixel, said pixel comprising;

a first sub-pixel comprising a first emissive layer having a first peak emission wavelength; and

a second sub-pixel comprising;

a second emissive layer having a second peak emission wavelength in a first range and different from the first peak emission wavelength; and

a third emissive layer having a third peak emission wavelength in the same first range as the second peak emission wavelength and different from the first peak emission wavelength, the third emissive layer being disposed over the second emissive layer;

wherein the number of emissive layers in the first sub-pixel is different than the number of emissive layers in the second sub-pixel; and

wherein the first range is selected from the group consisting of;

580-700 nm;

500-580 nm- and 400-500 nm.

2. The device as recited in claim 1, said pixel further comprising:

a third sub-pixel comprising a fourth emissive layer having a fourth peak emission wavelength different from each of the first, second, and third peak emission wavelengths.

3. The device as recited in claim 2, wherein each of the first, second, and third sub-pixels comprises m, n, and p emissive layers, respectively, and wherein m is not equal to n and n is not equal to p.

4. The device as recited in claim 2, wherein the third sub-pixel is disposed adjacent to at least one sub-pixel selected from the group consisting of the first sub-pixel and the second sub-pixel.

5. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the second sub-pixel has at least one common layer with the first sub-pixel.

6. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the second sub-pixel is disposed over a region of the substrate that does not overlap any region of the substrate over which the first sub-pixel is disposed.

7. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the first sub-pixel and the second sub-pixel is individually-addressable.

8. The device as recited in claim 1, said second sub-pixel further comprising:

a fourth emissive layer having a fourth peak emission wavelength different from the first peak emission wavelength, the fourth emissive layer being disposed over the third emissive layer.

9. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the third peak emission wavelength is substantially equal to the second peak emission wavelength.

10. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the third peak emission wavelength is within 5% of the first peak emission wavelength.

11. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the second emissive layer comprises a first emissive material, and the third emissive layer comprises the first emissive material.

12. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the first peak emission wavelength is in the range 580-700 nm.

13. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the first peak emission wavelength is in the range 500-580 nm.

14. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the second peak emission wavelength is in the range 400-500 nm.

15. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the second sub-pixel is disposed adjacent to the first sub-pixel.

16. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the first sub-pixel and the second sub-pixel have at least one common layer.

17. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one emissive device selected from the group consisting of:

the first emissive device, the second emissive device, and the third emissive device comprises an organic emissive material.

18. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one emissive layer selected from the group consisting of the first emissive layer, the second emissive layer, and the third emissive layer comprises an organic material.

19. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the device comprises a device of a type selected from the group consisting of:

a full-color display, a mobile device, a consumer product having a flexible display, a consumer product having a transparent display, a portable device, a tablet device, a smart phone, an illumination device, a wireless handheld device, a color-tunable lighting device, and a television.

20. A method of fabricating a region of a light-emitting device, the method comprising:

depositing a first emissive material over a first region of a substrate, the first emissive material having a first peak emission wavelength;

depositing a second emissive material over a second region of the substrate different from the first region of the substrate, the second emissive material having a second peak emission wavelength in a first range and different from the first peak emission wavelength; and

depositing a third emissive material over the second emissive material, the third emissive material having a third peak emission wavelength in the same first range as the second peak emission wavelength and different from the first peak emission wavelength;

wherein the first range is selected from the group consisting of;

580-700 nm;

500-580 nm- and 400-500 nm.