Organic thin film EL panel and method of manufacturing the same

• US 6,429,585 B1
• Filed: 02/08/2000
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kitazume, Eiichi, Mizutani, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alavi, Ali
• Application Number:
  US09/499,351
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: 313/500, 313/505, 313/504, 313/506, 313/503
• US Class Current: 313/505
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/82 Cathodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/1795 comprising structures specially adapted for lowering the resistance
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8052 Cathodes

Abstract

An organic thin film EL panel includes a plurality of transparent electrodes, an organic film, and a plurality of metal electrodes. The transparent electrodes are formed into stripes on a transparent substrate. The organic film includes a light-emitting layer and is formed on the transparent substrate and the transparent electrodes. The plurality of metal electrodes are formed into stripes on the organic film in a direction perpendicular to the transparent electrodes. The metal electrodes are comprised of a plurality of electrode portions arranged at a predetermined interval, and a plurality of interconnections that connect adjacent ones of the electrode portions to each other. The electrode portions have pixel regions where the metal electrodes and the transparent electrodes overlie each other, and connection regions other than the pixel regions. The interconnections connect the connection regions of adjacent ones of the electrode portions to each other. A method of manufacturing an organic thin film EL panel is also disclosed.

Claims

1. An organic thin film EL panel comprising:

a plurality of transparent electrodes formed into stripes on a transparent substrate;

an organic deposition film including a light-emitting layer and formed on said transparent substrate and said transparent electrodes; and

a plurality of metal electrodes formed into stripes on said organic deposition film in a direction perpendicular to said transparent electrodes, said metal electrodes being comprised of a plurality of electrode portions arranged at a predetermined interval, and a plurality of interconnections that connect adjacent ones of said electrodes portions to each other, said electrode portions having pixel regions where said metal electrodes and said transparent electrodes overlie each other, and connection regions other than said pixel regions where said metal electrodes and said transparent electrodes do not overlie one another, and said interconnections connecting said connection regions of adjacent ones of said electrode portions to each other.

2. A panel according to claim 1, wherein said electrode portions have a thickness of 10 nm to 500 nm.

3. A panel according to claim 1, wherein said electrode portions are made of a material having a small work function, and said interconnections are made of a material having a low resistivity.

4. A panel according to claim 1, wherein each of said electrode portions forms a rectangular shape having two sides of b×

c (c is a length of one side along which said metal electrodes are arranged),

each of said pixel regions forms a rectangular region of a×

c (b>

a) at a center of each of said electrode portion in a direction along which said metal electrodes are arranged, and

each of said connection regions forms a rectangular region of (b−

a)/2×

c on each of two sides of each of said electrode portions in a direction along which said metal electrodes are arranged.

5. A panel according to claim 1, wherein

each of said interconnections forms a rectangular shape, and

f>

e>

h is satisfied where e is a length of each of said interconnections in a direction along which said metal electrodes are arranged, h is an insulating distance among said electrode portions, and f is an insulating distance among said transparent electrodes.

6. A panel according to claim 1, wherein said organic deposition film is comprised of

a hole transport layer formed on said transparent substrate to cover said transparent electrodes,

said light-emitting layer formed on said hole transport layer to correspond to said transparent electrodes, and

an electron transport layer formed on said hole transport layer to cover said light-emitting layer.

7. A panel according to claim 6, wherein said light-emitting layer is comprised of a red-emitting layer, a green-emitting layer, and a blue-emitting layer corresponding to said transparent electrodes and having a predetermined repetition pattern.

8. A method of manufacturing an organic thin film EL panel, comprising the steps of

forming a plurality of transparent electrodes into stripes on a transparent substrate;

forming an organic deposition film including a light-emitting layer on said transparent substrate and said transparent electrodes; and

forming a plurality of metal electrodes into stripes on said organic deposition film in a direction perpendicular to said transparent electrodes, said metal electrodes being comprised of a plurality of electrode portions arranged at a predetermined interval, and a plurality of interconnections that connect adjacent ones of said electrode portions to each other,

the step of forming said metal electrodes comprising the steps of

depositing an electrode material by using a first mask having a plurality of openings corresponding to pixel regions where said metal electrodes and said transparent electrodes overlie each other, thereby forming said electrode portions, and

depositing an interconnection material by using a second mask which masks said pixel regions and which has a plurality of openings corresponding to interconnection regions among said electrode portions, thereby forming said interconnections.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the step of forming said electrode portions comprises the step of depositing said electrode material to a thickness of 10 nm to 500 nm.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein

the step of forming said electrode portions comprises the step of depositing a material having a small work function, and

the step of forming said interconnections comprises the step of depositing a material having a low resistivity.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein

the step of forming said electrode portions comprises the step of forming said electrode portions to include pixel regions where said metal electrodes and said transparent electrodes intersect each other, and connection regions other than said pixel regions, and

the step of forming said interconnections comprises the step of forming said interconnections so as to connect said connection regions of adjacent ones of said electrode portions to each other.