JP2012079419A - Organic electroluminescent panel and manufacturing method for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an organic EL panel reducing luminance unevenness due to voltage drop, having high strength and preventing deterioration of an organic EL layer by efficiently diffusing the exothermic heat from the organic EL layer; and a method of manufacturing the organic EL panel at a low cost.SOLUTION: An organic EL panel is provided with a transparent electrode layer formed on a transparent substrate, partition walls formed in a pattern shape on the transparent electrode layer, an organic EL layer formed within a light-emitting region between the partition walls and having at least a light-emitting layer, an organic EL substrate having a back electrode layer formed on the partition walls and the organic EL layer, and a sealed substrate arranged on the back electrode layer of the organic EL substrate and having flexibility and having at least a metal layer. In the organic EL panel, the back electrode layer situated on the partition walls of the organic EL substrate and the metal layer of the sealed substrate are brought into contact with each other, and the pressure in a sealed space sealed by a sealing portion between the organic EL substrate and the sealed substrate is lower than atmospheric pressure.

Description

  The present invention relates to an organic electroluminescence panel and a method for manufacturing the same.

  An organic electroluminescence panel (hereinafter, electroluminescence may be abbreviated as EL) panel includes an organic EL element as a light-emitting element, and is a self-luminous type that can be used for various applications such as a display device, a lighting device, and a light source. It is a panel.

  The organic EL panel includes an organic EL element having a transparent electrode layer, an organic EL layer formed on the transparent electrode layer and including a light emitting layer, and a back electrode layer formed on the organic EL layer.

Here, in the organic EL panel having the above-described structure, a voltage drop occurs due to the resistance of the electrode layer, and as a result, there is a problem of so-called luminance unevenness in which the uniformity of the luminance of the organic EL layer is lowered. Further, since the resistance increases as the area of the electrode layer increases, the above-described luminance unevenness becomes a problem particularly when the panel is enlarged.
For such a problem, an organic EL panel in which an auxiliary electrode having a resistance lower than that of the electrode layer is formed and electrically connected to the electrode layer has been proposed (for example, Patent Documents 1 to 2). ).

Moreover, since the organic EL element has a low resistance to moisture, a sealing structure for operating the organic EL panel stably for a long period of time is necessary. Examples of the sealing structure of the organic EL panel include a hollow sealing structure, a solid sealing structure, and a film sealing structure.
Here, the hollow sealing structure is a sealing structure in which sealing is performed by providing a sealing portion on the outer peripheral portion of the transparent substrate on which the organic EL element described above is formed and the sealing substrate. The organic EL panel having such a hollow sealing structure has a problem that strength and the like are not sufficient because it is hollow.
In addition, in order to prevent the deterioration of the organic EL element due to moisture, it has been attempted to form a protective layer such as SiN on the organic EL element by a CVD method or the like. However, in this case, there are problems that the manufacturing process of the organic EL panel becomes complicated, and the manufacturing cost increases because the equipment is large because the CVD method is used.

  Moreover, as a sealing substrate used for the organic EL panel having the hollow sealing structure, glass, a resin film having gas barrier properties, or the like is used. Here, when glass is used as the sealing substrate, there is a problem in that cracking tends to occur because flexibility is not sufficient. In addition, when the above-described resin film is used as the sealing substrate, the gas barrier property may not be sufficient, and there is a problem that the organic EL element deteriorates due to moisture entering the organic EL panel. It was.

Further, since the organic EL element does not have a luminous efficiency of 100%, part of the energy generated by recombination becomes heat. And by sealing, the heat | fever which generate | occur | produces as a loss in the case of light emission naturally tends to stay in an organic EL element. However, organic EL elements are generally vulnerable to heat. For this reason, if the heat stays in the organic EL element for a long time or in a large amount, there is a possibility that light emission unevenness, shortening of the life due to heat, and destruction of the organic EL element itself may occur in the worst case. This problem is particularly noticeable in the case of organic EL elements for illumination.
For such a problem, studies have been made to impart heat dissipation to the sealing member or the sealing structure (for example, Patent Document 3).

  Accordingly, there is a demand for an organic EL panel that prevents the occurrence of luminance unevenness due to the voltage drop described above, has high strength, and can efficiently dissipate heat generated in the organic EL element. In addition, there is a demand for a method of manufacturing an organic EL panel that does not require the large-scale equipment described above and that can manufacture an organic EL panel at low cost.

JP 2001-345185 A JP 2003-92192 A JP 2006-331695 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, reduces the luminance unevenness due to the voltage drop described above, has high strength, and efficiently dissipates heat generated from the organic EL layer to prevent deterioration of the organic EL layer. It is a main object of the present invention to provide an organic EL panel capable of forming the above-described organic EL panel and a method for manufacturing the above-described organic EL panel that can be formed at low cost without using large-scale equipment.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a transparent substrate, a transparent electrode layer formed on the transparent substrate, an insulating partition formed in a pattern on the transparent electrode layer, and light emission between the partitions. An organic EL layer formed in the region and having at least a light emitting layer, an organic EL substrate having a back electrode layer formed on the partition and the organic EL layer, and the back electrode layer of the organic EL substrate A sealing substrate having flexibility and having at least a metal layer; and a sealing portion formed on the outer periphery of the sealing substrate and disposed between the organic EL substrate and the sealing substrate. The back electrode layer located on the partition wall of the organic EL substrate and the metal layer of the sealing substrate are in contact with each other, and the sealing portion is interposed between the organic EL substrate and the sealing substrate. Sealed The pressure of the sealing space is provided an organic EL panel, wherein the lower than atmospheric pressure.

According to the present invention, since the organic EL panel is sealed using a flexible sealing substrate, the back electrode on the partition of the organic EL substrate is caused by the pressure difference between the sealing space and the atmospheric pressure. It becomes possible to seal firmly in the state which contacted the layer and the metal layer of the sealing substrate. Therefore, the strength of the organic EL panel can be improved. In addition, since the back electrode layer on the partition wall and the metal layer are in contact with each other, the metal layer can be used as an auxiliary electrode, and a larger current can flow than when only the back electrode layer is used. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the luminance unevenness due to the voltage drop described above.
Moreover, since the sealing substrate has a metal layer having high thermal conductivity, it is possible to impart heat dissipation to the sealing substrate. Therefore, the heat generated in the organic EL layer can be efficiently dissipated to the outside of the organic EL panel.

  In this invention, it is preferable that the said sealing substrate has an insulating layer formed in the surface on the opposite side to the said organic EL board | substrate side of the said metal layer. This is because the metal layer can also be used as an auxiliary electrode, and the handling of the organic EL panel is facilitated by having the insulating layer.

  In this invention, it is preferable that the said sealing substrate has a thermal radiation functional layer on the surface on the opposite side to the said organic EL board | substrate side. As a result, the heat generated in the organic EL layer can be dissipated more efficiently outside the organic EL panel, and deterioration of the organic EL panel can be more suitably prevented.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that an auxiliary electrode is formed in a pattern on the surface of the transparent electrode layer on the partition side, and the auxiliary electrode is disposed in a partition formation region where the partition is formed. An auxiliary electrode can be arranged without reducing the light emitting region, and luminance unevenness due to a voltage drop can be suppressed.

  In the present invention, the difference between the pressure in the sealed space and the atmospheric pressure is preferably 10 kPa or more. As a result, the back electrode layer on the partition formed on the organic EL substrate and the metal layer of the sealing substrate can be brought into stronger contact. Further, since the sealing substrate is excessively deformed by the pressure difference due to the partition wall, it is possible to prevent the organic EL layer in the light emitting region from being damaged.

  The present invention includes a transparent substrate, a transparent electrode layer formed on the transparent substrate, an insulating partition formed in a pattern on the transparent electrode layer, a light emitting region between the partitions, and at least Preparing an organic EL layer having a light emitting layer, an organic EL substrate having a back electrode layer formed on the partition and the organic EL layer, and a sealing substrate having flexibility and at least a metal layer; The sealing substrate when the organic EL substrate and the sealing substrate are bonded to each other on at least one surface of the organic EL substrate on the back electrode layer side or the metal layer side of the sealing substrate. The sealing material is disposed so as to be located on the outer periphery of the organic EL substrate, and then the back surface electrode layer side of the organic EL substrate and the metal layer side of the sealing substrate are opposed to each other and sealed under reduced pressure. The line A method for producing an organic EL panel comprising: a reduced pressure sealing step for forming an organic EL panel; and an opening step for taking out the organic EL panel sealed under the reduced pressure under atmospheric pressure. .

  According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the pressure of the sealing space formed between the organic EL substrate and the sealing substrate below atmospheric pressure by having the above-described decompression sealing step and opening step. By deforming the substrate, the back electrode layer on the partition of the organic EL substrate and the metal layer of the sealing substrate can be brought into firm contact. In the present invention, since the sealing substrate has a gas barrier property and it is necessary to contact the metal layer and the back electrode layer, a protective layer such as SiN is formed on the back electrode layer of the organic EL substrate. Since it is not necessary, a large-scale facility or the like is unnecessary, and an organic EL panel can be manufactured at a low cost.

  In the present invention, by using a sealing substrate having flexibility and at least a metal layer, the organic EL substrate and the sealing substrate are bonded together under reduced pressure conditions, thereby reducing the luminance unevenness due to the voltage drop described above. The organic EL panel having high strength and capable of efficiently dissipating heat generated in the organic EL element can be obtained.

It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows an example of the organic electroluminescent panel of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the other example of the organic electroluminescent panel of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the other example of the organic electroluminescent panel of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the other example of the organic electroluminescent panel of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows an example of the organic electroluminescent board | substrate used for the organic electroluminescent panel of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the other example of the organic electroluminescent panel of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the other example of the organic electroluminescent panel of this invention. It is process drawing which shows an example of the manufacturing method of the organic electroluminescent panel of this invention.

  Hereinafter, the organic EL panel and the manufacturing method thereof of the present invention will be described.

A. Organic EL panel The organic EL panel of the present invention includes a transparent substrate, a transparent electrode layer formed on the transparent substrate, a partition wall having an insulating property formed in a pattern on the transparent electrode layer, and a light emitting region between the partition walls. An organic EL layer having a light emitting layer and an organic EL substrate having a back electrode layer formed on the partition and the organic EL layer, and an organic EL substrate disposed on the back electrode layer of the organic EL substrate A sealing substrate having flexibility and having at least a metal layer; and a sealing portion formed on an outer periphery of the sealing substrate and disposed between the organic EL substrate and the sealing substrate. The back electrode layer located on the partition wall of the organic EL substrate and the metal layer of the sealing substrate are in contact with each other, and are sealed by the sealing portion between the organic EL substrate and the sealing substrate. The pressure of the stopped sealing space is lower than the atmospheric pressure.

  The “light emitting region” in the present invention refers to a region contributing to light emission in the organic EL panel. In addition, the “outer periphery” in the present invention is not limited to the outside of the sealing substrate, but includes a portion inside the substrate and close to the outside of the substrate.

Here, the organic EL panel of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing an example of the organic EL panel of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the organic EL panel 10 of the present invention includes a transparent substrate 11, a transparent electrode layer 12 formed on the transparent substrate 11, and an insulating partition formed in a pattern on the transparent electrode layer 12. 13, an organic EL substrate 1 having an organic EL layer 14 formed in the light emitting region between the barrier ribs 13 and having at least a light emitting layer, and a back electrode layer 15 formed on the barrier ribs 13 and the organic EL layer 14, and organic An organic EL substrate 1 and a sealing substrate 2 which are disposed on the back electrode layer 15 of the EL substrate 1 and are formed on the outer periphery of the sealing substrate 2 having flexibility and having at least the metal layer 21. The back electrode layer 15 on the partition wall 13 of the organic EL substrate 1 and the metal layer 21 of the sealing substrate 2 are in contact with each other. In the organic EL panel 10 of the present invention, the pressure in the sealed space 4 sealed by the sealing portion 3 between the organic EL substrate 1 and the sealing substrate 2 is lower than atmospheric pressure.
FIG. 1 shows a case where the sealing substrate 2 is composed of only the metal layer 21. Further, the case where the partition wall 13 is composed of a conductive partition wall 13a and an insulating thin film 13b is shown. Since the conductive partition wall 13a and the insulating thin film 13b will be described later, description thereof is omitted here.

According to the present invention, since the organic EL panel is sealed by using a flexible sealing substrate, the back surface of the organic EL substrate on the partition wall due to the pressure difference between the sealing space and the atmospheric pressure. It is possible to perform strong sealing in a state where the electrode layer and the metal layer of the sealing substrate are in contact with each other. Therefore, the strength of the organic EL panel can be improved. In addition, since the back electrode layer on the partition wall and the metal layer are in contact with each other, the metal layer can be used as an auxiliary electrode, and a larger current can flow than when only the back electrode layer is used. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the luminance unevenness due to the voltage drop described above.
Moreover, since the sealing substrate has a metal layer having high thermal conductivity, it is possible to impart heat dissipation to the sealing substrate. Therefore, the heat generated in the organic EL layer can be efficiently dissipated to the outside of the organic EL panel.

Moreover, according to this invention, when a sealing substrate has a metal layer, gas barrier property can be made high compared with sealing substrates, such as resin films. Moreover, the intensity | strength of an organic electroluminescent panel can be raised compared with the case where glass is used as a sealing substrate. Furthermore, since the sealing substrate has a gas barrier property and the metal layer and the back electrode layer need to be in contact with each other, a protective layer such as SiN is not necessary on the back electrode layer of the organic EL substrate. Since a large-scale facility or the like is not necessary when manufacturing the battery, and a simple manufacturing method can be used, a low-cost organic EL panel can be obtained.
Hereinafter, the organic EL panel of the present invention will be described in detail.

1. Pressure in the sealing space The pressure in the sealing space in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the pressure is lower than the atmospheric pressure. In the present invention, the difference between the pressure in the sealed space and the atmospheric pressure is preferably 10 kPa or more, more preferably in the range of 20 kPa to 100 kPa, and particularly preferably in the range of 40 kPa to 80 kPa. When the difference between the pressure in the sealing space and the atmospheric pressure is less than the above range, the back electrode layer on the partition wall of the organic EL substrate and the metal layer of the sealing substrate are tightly sealed. This may be difficult. Further, the upper limit of the difference between the pressure in the sealing space and the atmospheric pressure is that the sealing substrate is deformed to come into contact with the back electrode layer in the light emitting region, and the organic EL layer in the light emitting region is pressed to Set a value that does not deteriorate. The upper limit value depends on the height of the partition walls and the pitch of the partition walls, but is 100 kPa as a guide for the upper limit value.

2. Sealing substrate The sealing substrate used in the present invention is disposed on the back electrode layer of the organic EL substrate, has flexibility, and has at least a metal layer.
Here, the flexibility of the sealing substrate refers to the flexibility that allows the sealing substrate to be deformed by the pressure difference between the sealing space and the atmospheric pressure. Specifically, the flexibility of the sealing substrate refers to a degree of flexibility that does not damage the sealing substrate when the sealing substrate is wound around a tube having a diameter of 400 mm.

Here, the sealing substrate is not particularly limited as long as it has the above-described flexibility and at least has a metal layer. Specifically, as shown in FIG. , A mode (first mode) consisting only of the metal layer 21, a mode (second mode) in which the sealing substrate 2 is a laminate of the metal layer 21 and the insulating layer 22, as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, an embodiment (third embodiment) in which the sealing substrate 2 includes a metal layer 21 and a heat dissipation functional layer 5 can be exemplified. Here, FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of the organic EL panel of the present invention. Reference numerals not described in FIG. 2 can be the same as those in FIG. Is omitted.
In addition, when a sealing substrate is a 2nd aspect, the laminated body of a metal layer and an insulating layer shows the flexibility mentioned above. Moreover, when a sealing substrate is a 3rd aspect, the sealing substrate which has a metal layer and a thermal radiation functional layer shows the flexibility mentioned above.
Hereinafter, each aspect of the sealing substrate will be described.

(1) 1st aspect The 1st aspect of the sealing substrate used for this invention consists only of a metal layer. Specifically, a metal substrate can be used as such a sealing substrate.

The thickness of such a metal substrate is not particularly limited as long as it has the above-mentioned flexibility and gas barrier properties. Specifically, it is preferably in the range of 10 μm to 800 μm, more preferably in the range of 20 μm to 500 μm, and particularly preferably in the range of 30 μm to 350 μm. When the thickness of the metal substrate is less than the above range, when used in an organic EL panel, the metal substrate is damaged due to the pressure difference between the sealing space pressure and the atmospheric pressure, or the gas barrier property against water vapor is reduced. Because there is a possibility that. Further, when the thickness of the metal substrate exceeds the above range, the metal substrate is not sufficiently deformed due to the pressure difference between the sealing space and the atmospheric pressure, and the back electrode layer on the partition between the metal substrate and the organic EL substrate This is because it may be difficult to sufficiently contact with each other.
In addition, about a metal base material, since it can be made into a thing with high heat dissipation, so that the thickness is thin, it is preferable that the thickness of a metal base material is thinner within the said range.

The metal material used for the metal substrate is not particularly limited as long as the metal substrate exhibiting the above-described flexibility and gas barrier property can be formed. Here, since the metal layer in the present invention is also used as an auxiliary electrode by contacting with the back electrode layer, the metal material used for the metal substrate is excellent in electrical conductivity. It is more preferable.
Specifically, such metal materials include aluminum, copper, copper alloy, phosphor bronze, stainless steel (SUS), gold, gold alloy, nickel, nickel alloy, silver, silver alloy, tin, tin alloy, titanium, Iron, iron alloy, zinc, molybdenum and the like can be mentioned, and among these, aluminum, copper and the like are preferably used. This is because the metal material described above has high conductivity and excellent heat dissipation.

  The metal substrate production method can be the same as a general metal substrate production method, for example, a method for obtaining a rolled foil or a method for obtaining an electrolytic foil, Since the gas barrier properties are good, it is preferable to form the metal substrate using a method for obtaining a rolled foil.

(2) 2nd aspect The 2nd aspect of the sealing substrate used for this invention consists of a laminated body of a metal layer and an insulating layer. In addition, when using the sealing substrate of a 2nd aspect in the organic EL panel of this invention, the metal layer side of a sealing substrate turns into the side by which an organic EL substrate is arrange | positioned, and the organic EL substrate has been arrange | positioned at the insulating layer side of a sealing substrate. It is used so that it is the side which is not done.
Specifically, as such a sealing substrate, an insulating thin film is formed on one surface of the metal base described above, or a metal thin film is formed on an insulating film base. Can be mentioned.

When the sealing substrate is an insulating thin film formed on one surface of the metal base described above, the thickness of the insulating thin film is as long as it has an insulating property. It is not particularly limited. Specifically, it is preferably in the range of 1 μm to 300 μm, in particular in the range of 2 μm to 200 μm, particularly in the range of 5 μm to 100 μm. If the thickness of the insulating thin film is less than the above range, it may be difficult to show the desired insulation, and if the thickness of the insulating thin film exceeds the above range, the flexibility of the sealing substrate may be This is because there is a risk of damage.
Further, from the viewpoint of heat dissipation, the thinner the insulating thin film, the better the heat dissipation of the sealing substrate. Therefore, the thickness of the insulating thin film is preferably thinner within the above range.

As a material used for the insulating thin film, a resin material used for a general insulating member can be used. Among them, a material having high thermal conductivity and heat resistance is preferable. Examples of the material for the insulating thin film include simple substances or composite materials such as polyimide resin, fluorine resin, silicone resin, urethane resin, nylon resin, epoxy resin, PEEK resin, acrylic resin, polyvinyl butyral resin, and polyvinyl acetal resin. .
The insulating thin film can be produced in the same manner as a general resin thin film forming method.

  On the other hand, when the metal substrate is formed on the insulating film base material, the thickness of the film base material has the above-described flexibility and can form the metal thin film. If it is possible to have the self-supporting property, it is not particularly limited. The thickness of such a film substrate is preferably in the range of 5 μm to 500 μm, more preferably in the range of 10 μm to 300 μm, and particularly preferably in the range of 20 μm to 200 μm. It is because it may become difficult to have the flexibility mentioned above when the thickness of a film base material exceeds the said range. Moreover, it is difficult to produce a film substrate having a thickness less than the above range. From the viewpoint of heat dissipation, the thickness of the film substrate is preferably thinner within the above range.

  The material used for the film base is not particularly limited as long as it has insulating properties and can be formed into a film, and is used for a general resin film base. Although it can be the same, it is preferable that it is a thing with high heat conductivity and heat resistance especially. Specifically, the same material as that used for the above-described insulating thin film can be used.

  In the present invention, it is possible to impart gas barrier properties to the sealing substrate by forming a metal thin film on the film substrate, and therefore the presence or absence of the gas barrier property of the film substrate is particularly limited. Although it is not a thing, it is more preferable that it has a gas barrier property.

  In addition, the thickness of the metal thin film formed on the film base is not particularly limited as long as flexibility, gas barrier properties, and conductivity can be imparted to the sealing substrate. Specifically, it is preferably in the range of 5 μm to 800 μm, in particular in the range of 10 μm to 500 μm, particularly in the range of 20 μm to 350 μm. This is because when the thickness of the metal thin film is less than the above range, it is difficult to impart desired gas barrier properties and conductivity to the sealing substrate. In addition, it is difficult to form a metal thin film having a thickness exceeding the above range.

Since the metal material used for the metal thin film can be the same as the metal material used for the metal layer of the first aspect described above, description thereof is omitted here.
In addition, as a method for forming a metal thin film, for example, a method of forming a metal vapor deposition film on a film base material using a general vapor deposition method, a metal plating film on a film base material using a general plating method, Examples thereof include a method of forming, a method of bonding a metal foil on a film substrate via an adhesive, and the like.
In addition, when a metal thin film is formed on a film substrate having an insulating property as a sealing substrate, the metal thin film is usually formed on the entire surface of the film substrate, but the organic EL panel of the present invention is a passive matrix. In the case of a drive type organic EL panel, the metal thin film can be formed in a pattern.

(3) 3rd aspect The 3rd aspect of the sealing substrate used for this invention has a metal layer and a thermal radiation functional layer. In this invention, it is preferable that the said sealing substrate has a thermal radiation functional layer on the surface on the opposite side to the said organic EL board | substrate side. As a result, the heat generated in the organic EL layer can be dissipated more efficiently outside the organic EL panel, and deterioration of the organic EL panel can be more suitably prevented.

  The heat dissipation functional layer is not particularly limited as long as it can dissipate the heat retained in the organic EL panel. As such a heat dissipation functional layer, for example, a layer formed with irregularities on one surface of a metal substrate can be suitably used. The metal substrate having the uneven shape described above has a high thermal conductivity because it is made of metal, and by bringing the surface on which the uneven shape is formed into contact with air, the thermal diffusion becomes good and the heat dissipation is high. Can show.

  The metal base material used for the heat radiation function layer can be the same as the metal base material described in the section of the first aspect, and the description thereof is omitted here.

  The size and shape of the irregularities formed on the metal substrate are not particularly limited as long as the surface area of the metal substrate in contact with air can be increased. The width, height, pitch, etc. of the unevenness are appropriately selected according to the type of metal substrate, the use of the organic EL panel, and the like, and a range suitable for heat conduction can be obtained by simulation, for example.

In the present invention, as a method for forming irregularities on the metal substrate, for example, a method of directly embossing, etching, sandblasting, frosting, stamping, etc. on the surface of the metal substrate, photoresist, etc. Examples of the method include forming a concavo-convex pattern using a plating method, plating method, and the like. In the case of embossing, for example, a rolling roll having irregularities on the surface may be used. In the case of an etching process, a chemical | medical agent is selected according to the kind of metal base material.
Of these, embossing and etching are preferably used from the viewpoint of cost.

In the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3, the metal layer 21 and the heat dissipation function layer 5 may be integrally formed, and although not shown, the metal layer and the heat dissipation function layer may be formed separately. . In the case where the metal layer and the heat dissipation functional layer are integrated, the sealing substrate can be easily manufactured. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of the organic EL panel of the present invention, and reference numerals not described can be the same as those in FIG.
When the metal layer and the heat dissipation function layer are integral and the metal layer also serves as the heat dissipation function layer, the metal layer can be the same as the metal substrate described in the first aspect.

When the metal layer and the heat dissipation function layer are separate bodies, the metal layer and the heat dissipation function layer may be bonded together, or an insulating layer may be formed between the metal layer and the heat dissipation function layer.
When the heat dissipation functional layer and the metal layer are bonded, as a method of bonding the heat dissipation functional layer and the metal layer, for example, a method of joining the heat dissipation functional layer and the metal layer by brazing, welding, soldering, or the like, or And a method of laminating the heat dissipation functional layer and the metal layer through an adhesive such as an epoxy resin.
In this case, the metal layer can be the same as the metal substrate described in the first aspect.

On the other hand, when an insulating layer is formed between the metal layer and the heat dissipation functional layer, the heat dissipation functional layer 5 may be bonded to the insulating layer 22 via the adhesive layer 6 as shown in FIG. Although not shown, when the insulating layer has adhesiveness, a heat radiation function layer may be disposed directly on the insulating layer. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of the organic EL panel of the present invention, and reference numerals not described can be the same as those in FIG.
In this case, the metal layer and the insulating layer can be the same as the metal layer and the insulating layer described in the second aspect.

  When the heat radiation function layer is bonded to the insulating layer via the adhesive layer, the above-described adhesive such as epoxy resin can be used as the adhesive layer.

  When an insulating layer has adhesiveness, the insulating thin film mentioned above may have adhesiveness, and the film base material mentioned above may have adhesiveness. Thereby, it becomes possible to arrange | position a thermal radiation functional layer on an insulating layer without interposing an adhesive agent.

(4) Sealing substrate In the present invention, any of the above-described sealing substrate of the first aspect, the sealing substrate of the second aspect, and the sealing substrate of the third aspect can be used. It is more preferable to use the sealing substrate of the aspect or the sealing substrate of the third aspect in which an insulating layer is formed between the metal layer and the heat dissipation functional layer. Since the metal layer can be used as an auxiliary electrode, having the insulating layer can prevent an electric shock during use of the organic EL panel, and facilitates handling of the organic EL panel. Because.

3. Organic EL substrate The organic EL substrate used in the present invention includes a transparent substrate, a transparent electrode layer formed on the transparent substrate, an insulating partition formed in a pattern on the transparent electrode layer, and the above The organic EL layer is formed in a light emitting region between the partition walls and has at least a light emitting layer, and the back electrode layer formed on the partition walls and the organic EL layer. Hereinafter, each component in the organic EL substrate will be described.

(1) Partition Wall The partition wall used in the present invention is formed in a pattern on the transparent electrode layer and has an insulating property. In addition, the area | region in which the partition is normally formed is an area | region which is not used as a light emission area | region.

  Specific examples of the pattern shape of the partition include a lattice shape and a stripe shape. In the present invention, a lattice shape is particularly preferable. Although details will be described later, in the present invention, it is preferable to form the auxiliary electrode in contact with the transparent electrode layer in the partition forming region where the partition is formed. Compared to the stripe shape, the area where the auxiliary electrode can be arranged increases, and the auxiliary electrode can be arranged uniformly on the entire surface of the organic EL panel. Thereby, it is possible to reduce the voltage drop due to the resistance of the transparent electrode layer. Moreover, it is because the intensity | strength of an organic electroluminescent panel can be improved compared with stripe shape because the pattern shape of a partition is a grid | lattice form.

The cross-sectional shape of the partition wall is not particularly limited as long as it does not cause disconnection in the back electrode layer formed on the partition wall. For example, a trapezoidal shape (forward taper shape) and a rectangular shape are exemplified. However, a forward tapered shape is more preferable. Thereby, disconnection of the back electrode layer can be prevented more suitably.
In addition, when the cross-sectional shape of the partition wall is a forward tapered shape, the taper angle θ is not particularly limited as long as it is an angle that does not cause disconnection in the back electrode layer, but within a range of 45 ° ≦ θ <90 °. In particular, it is preferable that the angle is within the range of 60 ° ≦ θ <90 °, and particularly preferably within the range of 70 ° ≦ θ <90 °. This is because, by setting the taper angle θ within the above range, it is possible to more suitably prevent disconnection of the back electrode layer.
The taper angle θ of the partition wall refers to an angle indicated by θ in the forward tapered partition wall 13 in FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of an organic EL substrate used in the organic EL panel of the present invention. Further, reference numerals that are not described may be the same as those in FIG. 1, and thus description thereof is omitted here.

The height of the partition wall can be formed on the partition wall and the organic EL layer without disconnecting the back electrode layer, and the back electrode layer formed on the partition wall is connected to the metal layer of the sealing substrate. There is no particular limitation as long as the back electrode layer formed in the light emitting region can be in contact with the metal layer of the sealing substrate. Specifically, it is preferably in the range of 1 μm to 30 μm, in particular in the range of 2 μm to 20 μm, particularly in the range of 3 μm to 10 μm. If the height of the partition wall is less than the above range, the organic EL layer may be damaged by the sealing substrate deformed by the pressure difference between the sealing space and the atmospheric pressure when the organic EL panel is formed. It is. Moreover, when the height of the partition exceeds the above range, the back electrode layer formed on the partition and the organic EL layer may be disconnected, and the organic EL layer is uniformly formed in the light emitting region. This may be difficult.
In addition, the height of a partition refers to the height from the transparent electrode layer surface to the upper bottom surface of a partition.

In addition, the pitch of the partition wall is such that the back electrode layer on the partition wall and the metal layer of the sealing substrate are in contact with each other, and the back electrode layer in the light emitting region and the metal layer of the sealing substrate are not in contact with each other. It is not particularly limited. Specifically, it is preferably in the range of 20 μm to 10,000 μm, in particular in the range of 50 μm to 2,000 μm, particularly in the range of 100 μm to 1,000 μm. This is because when the partition pitch is less than the above range, the aperture ratio of the organic EL panel is lowered, so that it is difficult to obtain sufficient luminance when used in a lighting device or the like. Further, when the partition pitch exceeds the above range, the sealing substrate deformed due to the pressure difference between the sealing space and the atmospheric pressure becomes large, so that the partition electrode comes into contact with the back electrode layer in the light emitting region and seals. This is because the organic EL layer may be pressed and damaged by the stop substrate. Moreover, it is difficult to give sufficient strength to the organic EL panel.
Note that the partition pitch refers to the distance from the center portion of the partition wall to the center portion of the adjacent partition wall, specifically, the distance indicated by x in FIG.

The line width of the partition should be such that the back electrode layer on the partition and the metal layer of the sealing substrate are in contact with each other, and the back electrode layer in the light emitting region and the metal layer of the sealing substrate are not in contact. There is no particular limitation. Specifically, it is preferably in the range of 1 μm to 300 μm, in particular in the range of 5 μm to 200 μm, particularly in the range of 10 μm to 100 μm. This is because if the line width of the partition wall is less than the above range, it may be difficult to support the sealing substrate disposed on the partition wall. In addition, when the line width of the partition wall exceeds the above range, the aperture ratio of the organic EL panel is lowered, so that it is difficult to obtain sufficient luminance when used in a lighting device or the like.
In addition, the line width of a partition refers to the width of the base when the partition has a forward taper shape, and specifically, is a distance indicated by y in FIG.

  The partition walls described above are not particularly limited as long as they have insulating properties. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the partition wall 13 may be formed using an insulating material, or as shown in FIG. 1, the insulating thin film 13b is formed so as to cover the conductive partition wall 13a. A thing can also be used as the partition wall 13. When the partition wall 13 includes the conductive partition wall 13a and the insulating thin film 13b, the conductive partition wall 13a functions as the auxiliary electrode 16.

As a material used when the partition is formed using only an insulating material, a material generally used for a partition of an organic EL panel can be employed. For example, a photosensitive polyimide resin And photocurable resins or thermosetting resins such as acrylic resins, novolak resins, styrene resins, phenol resins, and melamine resins, and inorganic materials.
As a method for forming the partition wall, a general method such as a photolithography method or a printing method can be used.

On the other hand, when the partition is composed of a conductive partition and an insulating thin film, the material used for the insulating thin film and the formation method thereof are the same as the partition material using the insulating material and the formation method thereof. The description here is omitted.
In addition, the conductive partition can be the same as an auxiliary electrode described later, and thus description thereof is omitted here.

(2) Back electrode layer The back electrode layer used for this invention is formed on a partition and an organic electroluminescent layer. In the present invention, the back electrode layer is usually formed continuously on the partition wall and the organic EL layer so as to be one surface.

The back electrode layer may be an anode or a cathode, but is usually formed as a cathode.
As the cathode, it is preferable to use a conductive material having a small work function so that electrons can be easily injected, and those generally used for the cathode of an organic EL panel can be used. Examples of such conductive materials include metals such as Li, Na, Mg, Al, Ca, Ag, and In, or alloys containing one or more of these metals, such as MgAg, AlLi, AlCa, and AlMg. An alloy is mentioned. Among them, Al, Ag metal, or alloys containing Al and Ag such as MgAg, AlLi, AlCa, and AlMg are preferably used.

  The film thickness of the back electrode layer is not particularly limited as long as it can be brought into contact with the metal layer of the sealing substrate and can be conducted, and can be in the range of 10 nm to 1 μm, for example. , Preferably in the range of 50 nm to 500 nm.

As a method for forming the back electrode layer, a general electrode forming method can be employed.
When the organic EL panel of the present invention is a passive matrix driving type organic EL panel, the back electrode layer can be formed in a pattern.

(3) Transparent electrode layer The transparent electrode layer used in the present invention is formed on a transparent substrate. In the present invention, light is extracted from the transparent electrode layer side.

The transparent electrode layer may be an anode or a cathode, but is usually formed as an anode.
As the anode, a conductive material having a large work function is preferably used so that holes can be easily injected, and those generally used for an anode of an organic EL panel can be used. For example, ITO (indium tin oxide), IZO (indium zinc oxide), indium oxide, tin oxide, and the like can be given.

As a method for forming the transparent electrode layer, a general method for forming an electrode can be employed.
The transparent electrode layer is usually formed on the entire surface of the transparent substrate, but when the organic EL panel of the present invention is a passive matrix driving type organic EL panel, the transparent electrode layer is formed in a pattern. You can also

(4) Organic EL layer The organic EL layer used for this invention is formed in the light emission area | region between the partition on a transparent electrode layer, and contains a light emitting layer at least.

  The organic EL layer has one or more organic layers including at least a light emitting layer. That is, the organic EL layer is a layer including at least a light emitting layer, and the layer configuration is a layer having one or more organic layers. Usually, when forming an organic EL layer by a wet process, it is often composed of one or two organic layers because it is difficult to stack a large number of layers in relation to the solvent, It is possible to further increase the number of layers by devising organic materials or combining vacuum deposition methods.

  Examples of the layer constituting the organic EL layer other than the light emitting layer include a hole injection layer, an electron injection layer, a hole transport layer, and an electron transport layer. The hole transport layer may be integrated with the hole injection layer by imparting a hole transport function to the hole injection layer. In addition, the electron transport layer may be integrated with the electron injection layer by adding an electron transport function to the electron injection layer. Furthermore, examples of the layer constituting the organic EL layer include a layer for preventing penetration of holes or electrons, such as a carrier block layer, and improving recombination efficiency.

  The organic EL layer may be formed only in the light emitting region between the partition walls, or may be formed in the light emitting region between the partition walls and on the partition wall.

  Hereinafter, each structure in the organic EL layer will be described.

(A) Light emitting layer As a material used for the light emitting layer in this invention, light emitting materials, such as a pigment-type material, a metal complex type material, a polymeric material, can be mentioned, for example.

  Examples of dye materials include cyclopentadiene derivatives, tetraphenylbutadiene derivatives, triphenylamine derivatives, oxadiazole derivatives, pyrazoloquinoline derivatives, distyrylbenzene derivatives, distyrylarylene derivatives, silole derivatives, thiophene ring compounds, pyridine ring compounds. Perinone derivatives, perylene derivatives, oligothiophene derivatives, trifumanylamine derivatives, oxadiazole dimers, pyrazoline dimers, and the like.

  Examples of the metal complex-based material include an aluminum quinolinol complex, a benzoquinolinol beryllium complex, a benzoxazole zinc complex, a benzothiazole zinc complex, an azomethylzinc complex, a porphyrin zinc complex, and a eurobium complex. And metal complexes having a rare earth metal such as Tb, Eu, Dy, etc., and having an oxadiazole, thiadiazole, phenylpyridine, phenylbenzimidazole, quinoline structure or the like as a ligand.

  Furthermore, examples of the polymer material include polyparaphenylene vinylene derivatives, polythiophene derivatives, polyparaphenylene derivatives, polysilane derivatives, polyacetylene derivatives, polyvinyl carbazole, polyfluorene derivatives, polyquinoxaline derivatives, and copolymers thereof. be able to.

  A dopant may be added to the light emitting layer for the purpose of improving the light emission efficiency and changing the light emission wavelength. Examples of such doping agents include perylene derivatives, coumarin derivatives, rubrene derivatives, quinacridone derivatives, squalium derivatives, porphyrin derivatives, styryl dyes, tetracene derivatives, pyrazoline derivatives, decacyclene, phenoxazone, quinoxaline derivatives, carbazole derivatives, fluorene derivatives. Can be mentioned.

  The thickness of the light emitting layer is not particularly limited as long as it can provide a function of emitting light by providing a recombination field between electrons and holes, and is, for example, about 1 nm to 500 nm. Can do.

  The light emitting layer may be formed in a pattern so as to have light emitting portions of a plurality of colors such as red, green, and blue. Thereby, an organic EL panel capable of color display can be obtained.

  As a method for forming the light emitting layer, a general method for forming a light emitting layer can be adopted, and either a wet process or a dry process can be used. For example, vacuum deposition method, printing method, inkjet method, spin coating method, casting method, dipping method, bar coating method, slit coating method, blade coating method, roll coating method, gravure coating method, gravure offset printing method, flexographic printing method , Spray coating method, self-assembly method (alternate adsorption method, self-assembled monolayer method) and the like.

(B) Hole injection layer and hole transport layer In the present invention, the hole transport layer may be integrated with the hole injection layer by imparting a hole transport function to the hole injection layer. . That is, the hole injection layer may have only a hole injection function, or may have both a hole injection function and a hole transport function.

  The material used for the hole injection layer is not particularly limited as long as the material can stabilize the injection of holes into the light emitting layer. In addition, phenylamine, starburst amine, phthalocyanine, vanadium oxide, molybdenum oxide, ruthenium oxide, aluminum oxide, titanium oxide and other oxides, amorphous carbon, polyaniline, polythiophene, polyphenylene vinylene derivatives, etc. can be used. . Specifically, bis (N-((1-naphthyl) -N-phenyl) benzidine (α-NPD), 4,4 ′, 4 ″ -tris (3-methylphenylphenylamino) triphenylamine (m- MTDATA), poly (3,4 ethylenedioxythiophene) -polystyrene sulfonic acid (PEDOT-PSS), polyvinyl carbazole (PVCz) and the like.

Further, the thickness of the hole injection layer is not particularly limited as long as the hole injection function and the hole transport function are sufficiently exhibited. Specifically, the thickness is in the range of 0.5 nm to 500 nm, particularly 10 nm. It is preferable to be within a range of ˜200 nm.
The method for forming the hole injection layer can be the same as the method for forming the light emitting layer.

(C) Electron Injection Layer In the present invention, the electron transport layer may be integrated with the electron injection layer by imparting an electron transport function to the electron injection layer. That is, the electron injection layer may have only an electron injection function, or may have both an electron injection function and an electron transport function.

  The material used for the electron injection layer is not particularly limited as long as the material can stabilize the injection of electrons into the light emitting layer. In addition to the compounds exemplified as the light emitting material of the light emitting layer, Aluminum lithium alloy, lithium fluoride, sodium fluoride, strontium, magnesium oxide, magnesium fluoride, strontium fluoride, calcium fluoride, barium fluoride, aluminum oxide, strontium oxide, calcium, polymethyl methacrylate, sodium polystyrene sulfonate, Alkali metals, alkali metal halides, alkali metal organic complexes, and the like such as lithium, cesium, and cesium fluoride can be used.

  Alternatively, a metal doped layer in which an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal is doped on an electron transporting organic material may be formed and used as an electron injection layer. Examples of the electron-transporting organic material include bathocuproin, bathophenanthroline, and phenanthroline derivatives. Examples of the metal to be doped include Li, Cs, Ba, and Sr.

The thickness of the electron injection layer is not particularly limited as long as the electron injection function and the electron transport function are sufficiently exhibited.
The method for forming the electron injection layer can be the same as the method for forming the light emitting layer.

(D) Electron Transport Layer The material used for the electron transport layer in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is a material capable of transporting electrons injected from the cathode into the light emitting layer. For example, bathocuproine , Bathophenanthroline, phenanthroline derivative, triazole derivative, oxadiazole derivative, derivative of tris (8-quinolinolato) aluminum complex (Alq3), and the like.

The thickness of the electron transport layer is not particularly limited as long as the electron transport function is sufficiently exerted.
The method for forming the electron transport layer can be the same as the method for forming the light emitting layer.

(5) Transparent substrate The transparent substrate used for this invention supports the transparent electrode layer mentioned above, a partition, an organic EL layer, and a back electrode layer.
Examples of such a transparent substrate include inflexible rigid materials such as glass plates or flexible materials such as resin films. Flexible materials such as resin films are excellent in processability, and are useful in reducing the cost, weight and organic EL panels that are difficult to break, and can be applied to various applications such as curved surfaces. Has the advantage. In addition, a thin glass having a thickness of 200 μm or less having flexibility and a flexible material in which the thin glass and a resin film are laminated with an adhesive, an adhesive, or the like can be used. Moreover, you may use the transparent substrate which has gas barrier property which interrupts | blocks gas, such as a water | moisture content and oxygen, as needed.

(6) Auxiliary electrode In the present invention, the auxiliary electrode may be formed in a pattern in contact with the transparent electrode layer.
The auxiliary electrode used in the present invention is used to reduce the resistance of the transparent electrode layer. By forming the auxiliary electrode, it becomes possible to reduce the resistance of the transparent electrode layer, so that it is possible to prevent the voltage drop of the organic EL panel and to suppress the occurrence of luminance unevenness. .
The position where the auxiliary electrode is formed is not particularly limited as long as it can be electrically connected to the transparent electrode layer. However, the auxiliary electrode is preferably disposed in the partition forming region where the partition is formed. . This is because the auxiliary electrode can be arranged without reducing the light emitting region.

The position where the auxiliary electrode is formed is not particularly limited as long as it can be electrically connected to the transparent electrode layer. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. The auxiliary electrode 16 may be formed on the surface on the partition wall 13 side, and the auxiliary electrode 16 may be formed between the transparent substrate 11 and the transparent electrode layer 12 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6C, the transparent substrate 11 is dug so that the auxiliary electrode 16 is embedded in the transparent substrate 11 and electrically connected to the transparent electrode layer 12. Also good.
FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C are schematic cross-sectional views showing other examples of the organic EL panel of the present invention, and the reference numerals not described are the same as those in FIG. Since it is possible, description here is abbreviate | omitted.

  Note that the pattern shape of the auxiliary electrode can be the same as the pattern shape of the partition wall described above, and thus the description thereof is omitted here.

  In the present invention, the auxiliary electrode 16 is formed on the surface of the transparent electrode layer 12 on the partition wall 13 side, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. It is preferable that This is because the manufacturing process of the organic EL panel can be facilitated by adopting the above configuration. In this case, as shown in FIG. 1, a conductive partition 13 a may be formed as the auxiliary electrode 16, and the conductive partition 13 a may be covered with an insulating thin film 13 b as the partition 13.

The material used when forming the conductive partition as the auxiliary electrode is not particularly limited as long as it has electrical conductivity and can be processed into a desired shape, and is used for the metal layer of the sealing substrate described above. The metal material etc. which can be mentioned can be mentioned.
Moreover, since the formation method of the said conductive partition can be the same as the formation method of the electrically-conductive member used for a general organic electroluminescent panel, description here is abbreviate | omitted.
Since the auxiliary electrode can be the same as the auxiliary electrode used in a general organic EL panel except for the points described above, description thereof is omitted here.

(7) Optical functional layer The organic EL substrate used in the present invention may have an optical functional layer. The optical functional layer used in the present invention is used for efficiently extracting light from the inside of the organic EL panel. The optical functional layer is usually formed on the surface of the transparent substrate opposite to the organic EL layer side or between the transparent substrate and the transparent electrode layer.

The optical functional layer can be the same as that used in a general organic EL panel. For example, the surface of a transparent substrate or the like is subjected to mat processing, the microlens, the transparent resin layer, or the like in which fine particles having a light scattering function are dispersed.
In the present invention, the optical functional layer is preferably formed in a sheet shape. This is because the optical functional layer can be easily disposed on the organic EL panel.

4). Sealing part The sealing part used for this invention is formed in the outer periphery of the said sealing substrate, and is arrange | positioned between the said organic EL substrate and the said sealing substrate.

  As the height of the sealing portion, it is possible to seal the organic EL panel, and the back electrode layer on the partition wall of the organic EL substrate and the sealing substrate due to the pressure difference between the sealing space and the atmospheric pressure. The thickness is not particularly limited as long as the metal layer can be contacted. The height of such a sealing portion is equal to or higher than the distance from the surface of the transparent electrode layer formed on the transparent substrate to the surface of the back electrode layer formed on the partition wall. preferable.

As a sealing material used for the sealing portion, a sealing material generally used for an organic EL panel can be used. Especially, it is preferable that it is a curable adhesive as a sealing material. This is because the adhesion between the transparent substrate and the sealing substrate is strengthened, and moisture can be effectively prevented from entering.
Examples of the curable adhesive include a thermosetting adhesive and a photocurable adhesive. Specific examples include polyimide resins, silicone resins, epoxy resins, acrylic resins, and the like.
Further, in order to ensure the height of the sealing portion, the above-mentioned adhesive has a spacer having a diameter larger than the distance from the surface of the transparent electrode layer formed on the transparent substrate to the surface of the back electrode layer formed on the partition wall. Can be mixed.

  Moreover, as a sealing part, ceramic materials, such as glass frit which fuse | melts with energy, such as a laser other than what used the curable adhesive mentioned above, are mentioned.

  As a method for forming the sealing portion, a general method for forming the sealing portion in the organic EL panel can be employed.

5. Other Configurations The organic EL panel of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it has the above-described sealing substrate, organic EL substrate, and sealing portion. It can be used additionally. As such a configuration, for example, a connection terminal provided to supply power to the organic EL panel can be exemplified.

  The connection terminal used in the present invention is provided to supply power to the organic EL panel. In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, the connection terminal 7 a for the transparent electrode layer is usually insulative except for the connection part with the transparent electrode layer 12, and the connection terminal 7 b for the back electrode layer is insulative except for the connection part with the metal layer 21. It is isolated by the material 8. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of the organic EL panel of the present invention. Reference numerals not described in FIG. 7 can be the same as those in FIG. Omitted.

  The formation positions of the connection terminals are not particularly limited as long as they can be connected to the transparent electrode layer and the metal layer, respectively, but are preferably positions where power can be uniformly supplied to the organic EL panel. This is because luminance unevenness may occur when the power supply to the organic EL panel is uneven.

  Note that the connection terminals can be the same as those used in a general organic EL panel, and thus description thereof is omitted here.

6). Others Applications of the organic EL panel of the present invention mainly include display devices, lighting devices, and the like, and it is particularly preferable to use them for lighting devices.
In the present invention, a plurality of organic EL panels can be used by tiling.

  The manufacturing method of the organic EL panel of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is a manufacturing method capable of sealing so that the pressure in the sealing space becomes smaller than the atmospheric pressure. A method for producing such an organic EL panel will be described in the section “B. Method for producing an organic EL panel” described later.

B. Next, a method for manufacturing the organic EL panel of the present invention will be described.
The method for producing an organic EL panel according to the present invention includes a transparent substrate, a transparent electrode layer formed on the transparent substrate, an insulating partition formed in a pattern on the transparent electrode layer, and a light emitting region between the partitions. And an organic EL substrate having at least a light emitting layer, and an organic EL substrate having a back electrode layer formed on the partition and the organic EL layer, and having a flexibility and at least a metal layer. A stop substrate is prepared, and the organic EL substrate and the sealing substrate are bonded to each other on at least one surface of the organic EL substrate on the back electrode layer side or the sealing substrate on the metal layer side. The sealing material is disposed so as to be positioned on the outer periphery of the sealing substrate, and then the back electrode layer side of the organic EL substrate and the metal layer side of the sealing substrate are opposed to each other. And having a reduced-pressure sealing step for forming an organic EL panel by sealing under reduced pressure, and an opening step for taking out the organic EL panel sealed under the reduced pressure under atmospheric pressure. This is a manufacturing method.

The manufacturing method of the organic EL panel of this invention is demonstrated using figures. FIG. 8 is a process diagram showing an example of a method for producing an organic EL panel of the present invention.
In the present invention, as shown in FIG. 8A, first, an organic EL substrate 1 and a sealing substrate 2 are prepared. Next, the sealing material 3 ′ is disposed on the transparent electrode layer 12 of the organic EL substrate 1. Next, the back electrode layer 15 side of the organic EL substrate 1 and the metal layer 21 side of the sealing substrate 2 are arranged to face each other in the sealing and bonding apparatus 50 that can be adjusted to a desired pressure condition. Sealing is performed under reduced pressure (reduced pressure sealing step). Next, as shown in FIG. 8B, by returning the sealed organic EL panel 10 to atmospheric pressure, the sealing substrate 2 is deformed due to the pressure in the sealing space 4 and the pressure difference between the atmospheric pressure. Thus, the organic EL panel 10 that is firmly sealed in a state where the back electrode layer 15 formed on the partition wall 13 of the organic EL substrate 1 and the metal layer 21 of the sealing substrate 2 are in contact with each other can be obtained (open). Process). Each configuration of the organic EL substrate 1 can be the same as that described with reference to FIG.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the pressure of the sealing space formed between the organic EL substrate and the sealing substrate below atmospheric pressure by having the above-described decompression sealing step and opening step. By deforming the substrate, the back electrode layer on the partition of the organic EL substrate and the metal layer of the sealing substrate can be brought into firm contact. In the present invention, since the sealing substrate has a gas barrier property and it is necessary to contact the metal layer and the back electrode layer, a protective layer such as SiN is formed on the back electrode layer of the organic EL substrate. Since it is not necessary, a large-scale facility or the like is unnecessary, and an organic EL panel can be manufactured at a low cost.

1. Depressurization sealing process The decompression sealing process in this invention is demonstrated.
In this step, the organic EL substrate described above and the sealing substrate described above are prepared, and on the surface of at least one of the organic EL substrate on the back electrode layer side or the metal layer side of the sealing substrate, When the organic EL substrate and the sealing substrate are bonded to face each other, a sealing material is disposed so as to be positioned on the outer periphery of the sealing substrate, and then the back electrode layer side of the organic EL substrate and the sealing In this step, the organic EL panel is formed by placing the substrate so as to face the metal layer side and sealing under reduced pressure.
The organic EL substrate and the sealing substrate used in this step can be the same as those described in the above-mentioned section “A. Organic EL panel”, and thus description thereof is omitted here.

In this step, the sealing material may be disposed on at least one surface of the organic EL substrate on the back electrode layer side or the sealing substrate on the metal layer side. Further, the sealing material is disposed so as to be positioned on the outer periphery of the sealing substrate when the organic EL substrate and the sealing substrate are bonded to face each other.
The sealing material can be the same as the material used for the sealing portion described in the section “A. Organic EL panel” described above, and thus the description thereof is omitted here.

As the decompression conditions in this step, the sealing substrate is deformed due to the pressure difference between the sealing space and the atmospheric pressure manufactured according to the present invention, and the back electrode layer on the partition of the organic EL substrate and the metal of the sealing substrate There is no particular limitation as long as the pressure is reduced so that the layers are in contact and the organic EL layer is not deteriorated by deformation of the sealing substrate.
Specifically, the pressure condition can be the same as the pressure in the sealed space described in “A. Organic EL panel”.

  The sealing and laminating apparatus used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the organic EL substrate and the sealing substrate can be bonded under the above-described reduced pressure condition. A bonding apparatus provided with a decompression device can be used.

  Moreover, in this process, you may harden all the sealing materials arrange | positioned on the outer periphery of an organic EL panel under reduced pressure, or harden several places of the sealing material arrange | positioned on the outer periphery of an organic EL panel. After sealing and returning to atmospheric pressure, all of the sealing material may be cured in a later step.

2. Opening Step This step is a step of taking out the organic EL panel sealed under the reduced pressure under atmospheric pressure.
In this step, the organic EL panel sealed under reduced pressure is taken out under atmospheric pressure, whereby the sealing substrate is deformed due to the pressure in the sealing space and the pressure difference between the atmospheric pressure, and the partition of the organic EL substrate It becomes possible to contact the upper back electrode layer and the metal layer of the sealing substrate.

  The method of returning the organic EL panel from reduced pressure to atmospheric pressure is not particularly limited as long as it does not cause a problem such as damage to the organic EL panel due to a sudden change in pressure outside the organic EL panel. . For example, there can be mentioned a method in which the pressure of the decompression device is made equal to the atmospheric pressure by feeding a gas to the decompression device that has been bonded.

3. Other Steps The method for producing the organic EL panel of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is a production method having the above-described reduced pressure sealing step and opening step, and necessary steps can be added as appropriate. As such a process, an organic EL substrate forming process for manufacturing an organic EL substrate, when the sealing substrate has a metal layer and an insulating layer, and when the sealing substrate has a heat dissipation functional layer A sealing substrate forming step for forming a sealing substrate, a curing step for curing the sealing material of the organic EL panel under atmospheric pressure, and the like can be given. Since these steps can be the same as the steps performed in a general method for manufacturing an organic EL panel, description thereof is omitted here.

4). Organic EL Panel The organic EL panel produced according to the present invention can be the same as that described in the above-mentioned section “A. Organic EL Panel”, and thus the description thereof is omitted here.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. The above-described embodiment is an exemplification, and the present invention has substantially the same configuration as the technical idea described in the claims of the present invention, and any device that exhibits the same function and effect is the present invention. It is included in the technical scope of the invention.

  The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples.

[Example 1]
(Preparation of organic EL substrate)
As a transparent substrate, a glass substrate (length 150 mm × width 150 mm × thickness 0.7 mm) was prepared. Next, an indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode film having a film thickness of 300 nm was formed on the glass substrate by sputtering, a photosensitive resist was applied on the ITO electrode film, mask exposure and development were performed, and a resist pattern was formed. Thereafter, the ITO electrode film was etched to form a transparent electrode layer having a light emitting area portion and a terminal portion pattern. In addition, the pattern shape of the light emission area part was made into the area of 100 mm long x 100 mm wide.

  Next, an auxiliary electrode film in which a 20 nm-thickness NiMo film, a 300 nm-thickness Al film, and a 20 nm-thickness NiMo film were stacked by a sputtering method was formed on a glass substrate on which a transparent electrode layer was formed. Next, a photosensitive resist was applied on the auxiliary electrode film, mask exposure and development were performed to form a resist pattern, and then the auxiliary electrode film was etched to form an auxiliary electrode. The pattern shape of the auxiliary electrode was a lattice shape having a line width of 20 μm and a pitch of 300 μm.

  Next, a partition wall having a line width of 30 μm and a height of 6 μm was formed at the same position as the auxiliary electrode pattern. The partition wall material was formed by using a photolithography method using photosensitive polyimide. Moreover, the pattern insulated with this partition material was formed in the part which contacts a sealing substrate in the outer periphery of a light emission area part.

Next, an organic EL layer was formed by the following procedure.
First, a hole injection layer having a thickness of 60 nm was formed on the partition wall side surface of the transparent electrode layer by gravure offset printing. A polythiophene conductive polymer (PEDOT: PSS) was used as the hole injection material. Next, by vacuum deposition, diphenylnaphthyldiamine (α-NPD) is used as a hole transporting layer with a film thickness of 40 nm, and subsequently two layers of a light emitting layer and an orange emitting layer as a light emitting layer are combined to a film thickness of 40 nm. Formed. Subsequently, a 30-nm thick (8-hydroxyquinolinato) aluminum (Alq3) layer as an electron transport layer and a 2 nm-thick lithium fluoride (LiF) layer as an electron injection layer were formed by vacuum deposition.

  Next, an aluminum (Al) layer having a film thickness of 300 nm was continuously formed on the organic EL layer and the partition as a back electrode layer by vacuum deposition.

  The organic EL substrate was produced by the above process.

(Preparation of sealing substrate)
A sealing substrate was manufactured by bonding a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film having a thickness of 188 μm as an insulating layer and pure aluminum (Al) having a thickness of 200 μm as a metal layer by an adhesive. The outer shape of the sealing substrate was 120 mm long × 120 mm wide. Note that the produced sealing substrate has flexibility.

(Reduced pressure sealing process and opening process)
An ultraviolet curable epoxy adhesive was applied as a sealing material to the outer periphery of the metal layer of the sealing substrate using a dispenser. The sealing material was mixed with spacer particles having an average particle diameter of 10 μm.
Next, the organic EL substrate and the sealing substrate were set on the upper and lower substrate stages of the sealing and bonding apparatus so that the back electrode layer side of the organic EL substrate and the metal layer side of the sealing substrate face each other. . Each substrate was fixed by an electrostatic chuck method. The pressure in the sealing and laminating apparatus was reduced by a vacuum pump, and the pressure was adjusted so that the difference from the atmospheric pressure was 40 kPa. After pressure adjustment, the upper and lower substrate stages were moved to bond the two substrates. In order to increase the adhesive strength of the bonding, UV light was applied to the application portion of the sealing material and cured.
Next, the organic EL panel was taken out into the atmosphere.
In the obtained organic EL panel, the sealing substrate is deformed due to the difference between the pressure in the sealing space and the atmospheric pressure, and the metal layer of the sealing substrate and the back electrode layer of the organic EL substrate are in good contact with each other. I was able to.

(result)
A part of the PET film of the sealing substrate of the organic EL panel was removed, and processing for connecting to the back electrode layer was performed. The transparent electrode layer was electrically connected to (+) and the back electrode layer was electrically connected to (−). As a result of applying a voltage of 9 V with a DC power source, the metal layer and the back electrode layer of the sealing substrate were well connected, and light emission of 2,000 cad / m ² was obtained. In addition, luminance unevenness was suppressed and light was emitted.
Moreover, it was 40 degreeC as a result of measuring the temperature by the side of the sealing substrate.

[Example 2]
An organic EL panel was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that a sealing substrate was produced as follows.
A sealing substrate was prepared by coating pure aluminum (Al) with a thickness of 200 μm as a metal layer and polyimide with a thickness of 20 μm as an insulating thin film. The outer shape of the sealing plate was 120 mm long × 120 mm wide. Note that the produced sealing substrate has flexibility.

  In the obtained organic EL panel, the sealing substrate is deformed due to the difference between the pressure in the sealing space and the atmospheric pressure, and the metal layer of the sealing substrate and the back electrode layer of the organic EL substrate are in good contact with each other. I was able to.

(result)
A part of the insulating thin film of the sealing substrate of the organic EL panel was removed, and processing for connecting the back electrode layer was performed. The transparent electrode layer was electrically connected to (+) and the back electrode layer was electrically connected to (−). As a result of applying a voltage of 9 V from a DC power source, the metal layer and the back electrode layer of the sealing plate are well connected, so that light emission of 2,000 cad / m ² is obtained, and luminance unevenness is suppressed to emit light. did.
It was 35 degreeC as a result of measuring the temperature by the side of the sealing substrate.

[Comparative Example 1]
・ When there is no difference between the pressure in the sealing space and the atmospheric pressure As in Example 1, except that the pressure in the sealing laminating apparatus is not reduced by the vacuum pump and the difference from the atmospheric pressure is set to 0. An organic EL panel was produced.
In the obtained organic EL panel, the sealing substrate was not deformed, and the contact between the metal layer of the sealing substrate and the back electrode layer of the organic EL substrate was unstable.

(result)
In the same manner as in Example 1, the transparent electrode layer was electrically connected to (+), the back electrode layer was electrically connected to (−), and a voltage of 9 V was applied by a DC power source. Since the connection with the back electrode layer is unstable, the light emission was unstable.

[Comparative Example 2]
-When a sealing substrate does not have flexibility The organic EL panel was produced like Example 1 except having produced the sealing substrate as follows.
A sealing substrate was prepared by bonding a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film having a thickness of 188 μm and pure aluminum (Al) having a thickness of 1.5 mm with an adhesive. The outer shape of the sealing plate was 120 mm long × 120 mm wide. The produced sealing substrate does not have flexibility.

  In the obtained organic EL panel, the sealing substrate was not deformed, and the contact between the metal layer of the sealing substrate and the back electrode layer of the organic EL substrate was unstable.

(result)
In the same manner as in Example 1, the transparent electrode layer was electrically connected to (+), the back electrode layer was electrically connected to (−), and a voltage of 9 V was applied by a DC power source. Since the connection with the back electrode layer is unstable, the light emission was unstable.

[Comparative Example 3]
-General sealing substrate which carried out counterbore processing to glass substrate The organic EL panel was produced similarly to Example 1 except having produced the sealing substrate as follows.
Using a glass substrate having a thickness of 0.7 mm, the light emitting area was thinned to a thickness of 0.45 mm by etching to produce a sealing substrate. The light emitting area was 100 mm long × 100 mm wide. The transparent electrode layer and the back electrode layer can be electrically connected.

(result)
As in Example 1, the transparent electrode layer was electrically connected to (+), the back electrode layer was electrically connected to (−), and a voltage of 9 V was applied by a DC power source. Although light emission of / m ² was obtained, the luminance decreased near the center of the light emitting area, and uneven luminance was confirmed.
Moreover, it was 70 degreeC as a result of measuring the temperature by the side of the sealing substrate.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Organic EL substrate 10 ... Organic EL panel 11 ... Transparent substrate 12 ... Transparent electrode layer 13 ... Partition 14 ... Organic EL layer 15 ... Back electrode layer 2 ... Sealing substrate 21 ... Metal layer 22 ... Insulating layer 3 ... Sealing part 3 '... Sealing material 4 ... Sealing space 5 ... Heat radiation function layer

Claims (6)

Transparent substrate,
A transparent electrode layer formed on the transparent substrate;
Insulating partition walls formed in a pattern on the transparent electrode layer,
An organic electroluminescence layer formed in a light emitting region between the partition walls and having at least a light emitting layer; and an organic electroluminescence substrate having a back electrode layer formed on the partition walls and the organic electroluminescence layer;
A sealing substrate disposed on the back electrode layer of the organic electroluminescence substrate, having flexibility and having at least a metal layer;
Formed on the outer periphery of the sealing substrate, and having a sealing portion disposed between the organic electroluminescence substrate and the sealing substrate;
The back electrode layer located on the partition of the organic electroluminescence substrate and the metal layer of the sealing substrate are in contact;
The organic electroluminescence panel, wherein a pressure in a sealed space sealed by the sealing portion between the organic electroluminescent substrate and the sealing substrate is lower than an atmospheric pressure.   The organic electroluminescence panel according to claim 1, wherein the sealing substrate has an insulating layer formed on a surface of the metal layer opposite to the organic electroluminescence substrate side.   The organic electroluminescence panel according to claim 1, wherein the sealing substrate has a heat dissipation functional layer on a surface opposite to the organic electroluminescence substrate side.   The auxiliary electrode is formed in a pattern on the surface on the partition side of the transparent electrode layer, and the auxiliary electrode is disposed in a partition formation region where the partition is formed. The organic electroluminescence panel according to claim 3.   The organic electroluminescence panel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a difference between a pressure in the sealed space and an atmospheric pressure is 10 kPa or more. A transparent substrate, a transparent electrode layer formed on the transparent substrate, an insulating partition formed in a pattern on the transparent electrode layer, formed in a light emitting region between the partitions, and having at least a light emitting layer An organic electroluminescence substrate having an organic electroluminescence layer, and a back electrode layer formed on the partition and the organic electroluminescence layer;
Providing a sealing substrate having flexibility and at least a metal layer;
When the organic electroluminescent substrate and the sealing substrate are bonded to each other on at least one surface of the organic electroluminescent substrate on the back electrode layer side or the metal layer side of the sealing substrate, the sealing is performed. Place the sealing material so that it is located on the outer periphery of the stop substrate,
Next, the organic electroluminescence substrate is placed under pressure so that the back electrode layer side and the metal layer side of the sealing substrate face each other, and sealing is performed under reduced pressure to form an organic electroluminescence panel. Process,
And an opening step of taking out the organic electroluminescent panel sealed under the reduced pressure under atmospheric pressure. A method for producing an organic electroluminescent panel, comprising:

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