Photolithographic patterning of organic electronic devices

• US 10,580,987 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2015
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orthogonal, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Orthogonal, Inc.
• Inventors: DeFranco, John Andrew, O'Toole, Terrence Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Bohaty, Andrew K
• Application Number:
  US15/501,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20170222147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: 428690, 428691, 428917, 4284114, 428336, 427 58, 427 66, 313500-512, 257 40, 257 88-104, 257E51001-E51052, 25230116-30135
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/0046 with perfluoro compounds, e.g. for dry lithography G03F7/0048 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/3021 from a wafer supported on a rotating chuck
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/322 Aqueous alkaline compositions
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/325 Non-aqueous compositions
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/40 Treatment after imagewise removal, e.g. baking
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/426 containing organic halogen compounds; containing organic sulfonic acids or salts thereof; containing sulfoxides
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/11 characterised by the electroluminescent [EL] layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/15 Hole transporting layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/156 comprising a multilayered structure
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/16 Electron transporting layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/166 comprising a multilayered structure
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/18 Carrier blocking layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/805 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/00 Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/221 by lift-off techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/233 by photolithographic etching

Abstract

A method of patterning an organic device includes depositing a first organic functional layer over a device substrate to form a first intermediate structure, the first organic functional layer having a first function such as hole transport or electron transport. The first intermediate structure is coated with a fluoropolymer and treated in a processing agent comprising a fluorinated solvent in which the fluoropolymer is soluble to form a processed intermediate structure. A second organic functional layer is deposited over at least a portion of the first organic functional layer, the second organic functional layer also having the first function.

Claims

1. An OLED device comprising:

a hole-injecting layer;

an electron-injecting layer;

a first organic functional layer having a first function;

a second organic functional layer also having the first function and provided over at least a portion of the first organic functional layer; and

a fluorinated polymer disposed between the first and second organic functional layers, the fluorinated polymer forming a continuous or discontinuous film having a thickness of less than 2 nm,

wherein the first and second organic functional layers are disposed between the hole-injecting layer and the electron-injecting layer.

2. The OLED device of claim 1 wherein the fluorinated polymer is one or two monolayers thick.

3. The OLED device of claim 1 wherein the first function is a hole transport function.

4. The OLED device of claim 1 wherein the first and second organic functional layers are small-molecule materials.

5. The OLED device of claim 1 wherein the first and second organic functional layers have different chemical compositions.

6. The OLED device of claim 1 wherein the first and second organic functional layers comprise at least one common material.

7. The OLED device of claim 1 wherein the first and second organic functional layers have the same chemical composition.

8. The OLED device of claim 7 wherein the first and second organic functional layers have different thicknesses.

9. The OLED device of claim 1 wherein the first function is an electron transport function.

10. The OLED device of claim 1 wherein the first function is a hole-blocking function.