Lifetime OLED display

• US 9,257,665 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• 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:
  US13/837,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20140077177A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 345/211, 345/84, 345/212, 345/206, 345/63, 345/76, 345/77, 345/80, 345/83, 257/98
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2320/0242 Compensation of deficiencies in the appearance of colours
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/043 Preventing or counteracting the effects of ageing
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2003 Display of colours specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3208 organic, e.g. using organic light-emitting diodes [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/13 comprising stacked EL layers within one EL unit
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/131 with spacer layers between the electroluminescent layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/80 Constructional details
• 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 first plurality of sub-pixel stripes, each stripe comprising a first emissive layer having a first peak emission wavelength; and

a second plurality of sub-pixel stripes, each stripe 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 stripe is different than the number of emissive layers in the second sub-pixel stripe; and

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

580-700 nm, 500-580 nm, and 400-500 nm.

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

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

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

4. A device as recited in claim 2, wherein at least one stripe in the third plurality of sub-pixel stripes is disposed adjacent to at least one sub-pixel stripe selected from the group consisting of:

a stripe in the first plurality of sub-pixel stripes; and

a stripe in the second plurality of sub-pixel stripes.

5. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein the first plurality of sub-pixel stripes and the second plurality of sub-pixel stripes is separately addressable.

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

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

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

9. A 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.

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

a consumer product having a color tunable lighting panel, a consumer product having color temperature tunable lighting panel, a portable device, an illumination device, a color-tunable lighting device, and a color temperature tunable lighting device.

11. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one second sub-pixel stripe of the plurality of second sub-pixel stripes has at least one common layer with at least one first sub-pixel stripe of the plurality of first sub-pixel stripes.

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

13. A device as recited in claim 1, each 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.

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

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

16. A 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.