Light emitting device

• US 9,118,025 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2014
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Shunpei, Arai, Yasuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US14/167,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20140145174A1
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 257/40, 257/E51.001
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 10/464 Lateral top-gate IGFETs comprising only a single gate
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 10/466 Lateral bottom-gate IGFETs comprising only a single gate
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/311 Flexible OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/11 characterised by the electroluminescent [EL] layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/80 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/844 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/8445 multilayered coatings having a repetitive structure, e.g. having multiple organic-inorganic bilayers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/85 Arrangements for extracting light from the devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/856 comprising reflective means
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/12 Active-matrix OLED [AMOLED] displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/125 including organic TFTs [OTFT]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/17 Passive-matrix OLED displays
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/179 Interconnections, e.g. wiring lines or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/113 Heteroaromatic compounds comprising sulfur or selene, e.g. polythiophene

Abstract

A light emitting device having a plastic substrate is capable of preventing the substrate from deterioration with the transmission of oxygen or moisture content can be obtained. The light emitting device has light emitting elements formed between a lamination layer and an inorganic compound layer that transmits visual light, where the lamination layer is constructed of one unit or two or more units, and each unit is a laminated structure of a metal layer and an organic compound layer. Alternatively, the light emitting device has light emitting elements formed between a lamination layer and an inorganic compound layer that transmits visual light, where the lamination layer is constructed of one unit or two or more units, and each unit is a laminated structure of a metal layer and an organic compound layer, wherein the inorganic compound layer is formed so as to cover the end face of the lamination layer. In the present invention, the lamination layer is formed on the primary surface of the plastic substrate, so that a flexible substrate structure can be obtained while preventing the substrate from deterioration with the transmission of oxygen or moisture content.

Claims

1. A light emitting device comprising:

a light emitting region having a plurality of light emitting elements, each including a first electrode, an organic compound layer formed over the first electrode, and a second electrode formed over the organic compound layer; and

an inorganic insulating layer formed over the second electrode,

wherein an end portion of the first electrode is covered with a partition wall layer, and

wherein a portion of the first electrode is thinner than the end portion of the first electrode.

2. A light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the inorganic insulating layer is a silicon nitride film.

3. A light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the metal layer is formed of aluminum or aluminum alloy.

4. A light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode has an angle θ

of a reflection surface of a reflector.

5. A light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode has an angle θ

of a reflection surface of a reflector, and

wherein the angle θ

is in the range of about 30°

to 75°

.

6. A light emitting device comprising:

a light emitting region having a plurality of light emitting elements, each including a first electrode, an organic compound layer formed over the first electrode, and a second electrode formed over the organic compound layer;

an inorganic insulating layer formed over the second electrode; and

a metal layer formed over an end portion of the first electrode,

wherein the end portion of the first electrode is covered with a partition wall layer, and

wherein a portion of the first electrode is thinner than the end portion of the first electrode.

7. A light emitting device according to claim 6, wherein the inorganic insulating layer is a silicon nitride film.

8. A light emitting device according to claim 6, wherein the metal layer is formed of aluminum or aluminum alloy.

9. A light emitting device according to claim 6, wherein the first electrode has an angle θ

of a reflection surface of a reflector.

10. A light emitting device according to claim 6, wherein the first electrode has an angle θ

of a reflection surface of a reflector, and

wherein the angle θ

is in the range of about 30°

to 75°

.

11. A light emitting device according to claim 6, wherein the metal layer has an angle θ

of a reflection surface of a reflector.

12. A light emitting device according to claim 6, wherein the metal layer has an angle θ

of a reflection surface of a reflector, and

wherein the angle θ

is in the range of about 30°

to 75°

.

13. A light emitting device comprising:

a first plastic substrate;

a second plastic substrate;

a light emitting region having a plurality of light emitting elements, each including a first electrode, an organic compound layer formed over the first electrode, and a second electrode formed over the organic compound layer; and

an inorganic insulating layer formed over the second electrode,

wherein the light emitting region is formed between the first and second plastic substrates,

wherein the end portion of the first electrode is covered with a partition wall layer, and

wherein a portion of the first electrode is thinner than the end portion of the first electrode.

14. A light emitting device according to claim 13, wherein the inorganic insulating layer is a silicon nitride film.

15. A light emitting device according to claim 13, wherein the first electrode has an angle θ

of a reflection surface of a reflector.

16. A light emitting device according to claim 13, wherein the first electrode has an angle θ

of a reflection surface of a reflector, and

wherein the angle θ

is in the range of about 30°

to 75°

.

17. A light emitting device according to claim 13, wherein the first and second plastic substrates are bending.