Vertical interconnect for organic electronic devices

• US 20060134822A1
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Liu, Jie, Duggal, Anil, Foust, Donald, Anton Heller, Christian, Faircloth, Tami
• Granted Patent: US 7,259,391 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/99
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/311 Flexible OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/805 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/00 Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one organic light-emitting element covered by group H10K50/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/82 Interconnections, e.g. terminals H10K59/131, H10K59/179 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/84 Parallel electrical configurations of multiple OLEDs
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/86 Series electrical configurations of multiple OLEDs
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/50 Forming devices by joining two substrates together, e.g. lamination techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/60 Forming conductive regions or layers, e.g. electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells

Abstract

A device includes a plurality of organic electronic devices disposed on a substrate, wherein each of the organic electronic devices comprises a first electrode and a second electrode. Furthermore, the device includes an organic layer disposed between the first and second electrodes of each of the plurality of organic electronic devices. Additionally, the device includes an interconnect element, wherein the interconnect element is configured to electrically couple the respective first and second electrodes of each of the plurality of organic electronic devices.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a plurality of organic electronic devices disposed on a substrate, wherein each of the organic electronic devices comprises a first electrode and a second electrode;

an organic layer disposed between the first and second electrodes of each of the plurality of organic electronic devices; and

an interconnect element, wherein the interconnect element is configured to electrically couple the respective first and second electrodes of each of the plurality of organic electronic devices.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a first organic electronic device and a second organic electronic device, and wherein the first and second organic electronic devices comprise a respective first electrode and second electrode.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein each of the respective first electrodes is an anode and each of the respective second electrodes is a cathode.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein each of the first electrodes comprises a first conducting material that is transparent to light emitted, absorbed, modulated, or combinations thereof by the device.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein each of the second electrodes comprises a second conducting material that is transparent to light emitted, absorbed, modulated, or combinations thereof by the device.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the each of the plurality of organic electronic devices comprises one of an organic light emitting device, an organic photovoltaic cell, an organic photo-detector, an organic electrochromic device, an organic sensor, or combinations thereof.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the interconnect element is configured to couple at least one of the first or second electrodes to a bus bar.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the interconnect element comprises an isotropic conductive material, an anisotropic conductive material, or a combination thereof.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the interconnect element comprises an interconnect layer, and wherein the interconnect layer comprises a non-conductive matrix having conductive fillers disposed therethrough.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the non-conductive matrix comprises an adhesive material, a thermoplastic material, a thermoset material or combinations thereof.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the conductive fillers comprise a metal, a non-conductive core having a conductive coating, or combinations thereof.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the conductive fillers are sized such that they protrude from a surface of the non-conductive matrix.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the conductive fillers are sized such that they protrude from a surface of the non-conductive matrix after one of a cure treatment, a pressure treatment or both.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a flexible substrate.

15. A device comprising:

a plurality of organic electronic devices disposed on a substrate, wherein each of the organic electronic devices comprises a first electrode and a second electrode;

an organic layer disposed between the first and second electrodes of each of the plurality of organic electronic devices; and

an interconnect element, wherein the interconnect element is configured to electrically couple a first electrode of a first organic electronic device and a first electrode of a second organic electronic device disposed adjacent to the first organic electronic device.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein each of the first electrodes is an anode and each of the second electrodes is a cathode.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the first electrode of the first organic electronic device is an anode and the first electrode of the second organic electronic device is a cathode.

18. A device comprising:

a plurality of organic electronic devices disposed on a substrate, wherein each of the organic electronic devices comprises a first electrode and a second electrode;

an organic layer disposed between the first and second electrodes of each of the plurality of organic electronic devices;

a first interconnect element disposed on the organic layer, wherein the first interconnect element is configured to provide series electrical coupling between first and second electrodes of first and second organic electronic devices disposed adjacent to each other; and

a second interconnect element disposed on the organic layer, wherein the second interconnect element is configured to provide parallel electrical coupling between the first and second electrodes of the first and second organic electronic devices disposed adjacent to each other.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein each of the organic electronic devices comprises one of an organic light emitting diode, an organic photovoltaic cell, an organic photo-detector, an electrochromic device, an organic sensor, or combinations thereof.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the first interconnect element comprises a first type of material and the second interconnect element comprises a second type of material, wherein the second type of material is different from the first type of material.

21. The device of claim 18, wherein one of the first interconnect element, the second interconnect element or both comprises an isotropic conductive material, an anisotropic conductive material, or a combination thereof.

22. The device of claim 18, wherein each of the first and second interconnect elements comprises a respective interconnect layer, and wherein each of the interconnect layers comprises a non-conductive matrix having respective conductive fillers disposed therethrough.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein at least one of the respective non-conductive matrices comprises an adhesive material, a thermoplastic material, a thermoset material or combinations thereof.

24. The device of claim 18, wherein at least one of the respective conductive fillers comprises a metal, a non-conductive core having a conductive coating, or combinations thereof.

25. An interconnect structure comprising:

a first conductive layer;

an organic layer disposed on the first conductive layer;

one or more interconnecting elements disposed through the organic layer, wherein each of the one or more interconnecting elements comprises a non-conductive material having one or more conductive elements therethrough; and

a second conductive layer electrically coupled to the first conductive layer through at least one of the one or more conductive elements of the one or more interconnecting elements.

26. A method of fabricating an organic electronic device, the method comprising:

providing a first conductive layer;

disposing an organic material layer onto the first conductive layer;

providing a second conductive layer;

disposing an interconnect element on one of the first conductive layer or the organic material layer; and

electrically coupling the first and second conductive layers via the interconnect element.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein electrically coupling the first and second conductive layers comprises applying pressure to one or both of the first and second conductive layers, heating the first and second conductive layers, exposing the first and second conductive layers to ultraviolet radiation, or combinations thereof.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein electrically coupling comprises electrically coupling such that the interconnect element extends through the organic material layer.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the interconnect element comprises an interconnect layer, and wherein the interconnect layer comprises a non-conductive matrix having conductive fillers disposed therethrough.