JP2002043054A - Light-emitting element and method of manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a light-emitting element, capable of restricting generation of fuzziness of image, in the case of using as a display device and the generation of parallax displacement, when using as the backlight of a transmission-type display device, while improving the outgoing light quantity (light-emitting effi ciency) of an organic EL element, and to provide a method of manufacturing this light-emitting element. SOLUTION: An anode electrode 12 formed of a transparent electrode such as ITO, an organic EL layer 13 made of the organic compound, and a cathode electrode 14 forming a reflecting layer are laminated in the order on one surface of a transparent insulating substrate 11a formed thin at about 0.2 mm or less (desirably, 0.1 mm or less) for the plate thickness so as to form an organic EL element. A sealing substrate 16, having a relatively thick plate thickness and facing the insulating substrate 11a, is provided via a sealing layer 15 which covers the whole surface of the organic EL element, and a scattering plate 18 is provided in the other surface of the insulating substrate 11a, so as to maintain continuity of the refractive index.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a light emitting device and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a light emitting device having a planar structure having a light emitting layer made of an organic electroluminescent material and a method of manufacturing the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the development of a highly information-oriented society, information communication devices such as computers, portable telephones and portable information terminals have been remarkably spread. In such information communication equipment,
A display device plays a major role as an input / output interface. In recent years, as a display device, a liquid crystal display panel (LCD panel) has rapidly spread as an alternative to a cathode ray tube (CRT).

On the other hand, as a thin display device,
The organic electroluminescence using an organic compound as a luminescent material (E lectro l uminescence) element (hereinafter, "organic EL
(Abbreviated as "element") is being researched and developed for practical use. Here, the LCD panel is a non-light-emitting element (transmissive display device) that displays image information by the light of a backlight, whereas the organic EL element is a self-light-emitting type using an organic compound for a light-emitting layer. Because it is a display device of
It has various features as follows.

[0004] For example, as compared with an LCD panel, it has a wider viewing angle and is superior in contrast and visibility. In addition, LCD
Since a backlight such as a panel is not required, it is characterized in that it can be made thinner and lighter, can be driven at a low DC voltage, and has a very high response speed.
Further, when the organic EL element is applied as a backlight of a transmissive display device such as an LCD panel, the same amount of light can be obtained with smaller energy than that of a normal cold cathode tube, and It has the feature that power can be reduced. In addition, since the element structure is all solid, it has a feature that it is resistant to vibration and has a wide application range. Because of these various features, the organic EL element has attracted much attention as a next-generation display device or light source.

FIG. 13 shows a schematic structure of an organic EL device according to the prior art, and the structure will be described. FIG.
As shown in (a), the organic EL element 10 is roughly divided into
On one side of a transparent insulating substrate 11 such as a glass substrate, an IT
A configuration in which an anode electrode 12 made of a transparent electrode material such as O (Indium Thin Oxide), an organic EL layer 13 made of a light emitting material such as an organic compound, and a cathode electrode 14 made of a metal material and having a reflection characteristic are sequentially laminated. have.
The organic EL element 10 as described above includes the sealing layer 1
5 and a sealing substrate 16 (or cap sealing filled with an inert gas) are sealed and hermetically sealed from outside air. The configuration for sealing such an organic EL element is described in, for example, JP-A-2000-3782 and JP-A-2000-173766. Further, as shown in FIG. 13B, the organic EL layer 13 includes, for example, a hole transport layer 13a made of a polymer-based hole transport material and an electron transport light-emitting made of a polymer-based electron transport light-emitting material. It is configured by stacking layers 13b.

The organic EL device 10 having such a configuration
As shown in FIG. 13 (b), by applying a positive voltage to the anode electrode 12 and a negative voltage to the cathode electrode 14 from a DC voltage source, the holes injected into the hole transport layer 13a and the electron transporting light emitting layer Light is emitted based on the energy at which the electrons injected into the organic EL layer 13 b recombine in the organic EL layer 13. The light hν passes through the transparent anode electrode 12 and is emitted to the other surface of the insulating substrate 11. At this time, the emission intensity of the light hν is controlled according to the amount of current flowing between the anode electrode 12 and the cathode electrode 14.

By the way, the organic EL element 1 as described above
0, light emitted from the organic EL layer 13 serving as a light emitting layer is transmitted from the organic EL layer 13 via the anode electrode 12 and the insulating substrate 11 or the cathode electrode 1
The light 4 is reflected by the organic EL layer 13, the anode electrode 12, and the insulating substrate 11, and is emitted to the other surface side of the insulating substrate 11, that is, the viewing side. Therefore, the amount of light emitted (extraction efficiency) toward the visual field with respect to the total amount of light emitted is uniquely determined according to the refractive index of each layer constituting the organic EL element 10.

Specifically, the refractive index of the organic EL layer 13 is 1.60, the refractive index of ITO forming the anode electrode 12 is 2.00, and the refractive index of glass forming the insulating substrate 11 is 1.45. If the refractive index of the air on the visual field side is 1.0008, the path (radiation and emission angle) of the light emitted from the organic EL layer 13 is, as shown in FIG. Is determined by the radiation angle α in the organic EL layer 13 and the light L0, L11 to L11 from the insulating substrate 11.
The relationship between L15 and the emission angle δ is represented by the following equation. sinα / sinδ = 1.0008 / 1.60 (1)

Therefore, as shown in FIG.
The organic E in the case where the emission angles δ of the light L0, L11, L12 from the insulating substrate 11 are 0 °, 45 °, and 75 °, respectively.
The radiation angle α in the L layer 13 is 0 °, 26.3 °, 3
7.2 °. Here, the radiation angle α and the emission angle δ are angles with the axis perpendicular to the light emitting surface of the organic EL layer 13 as an axis, and the emission angle δ of light from the insulating substrate 11 is limited (that is, the emission angle δ). = 90 °: equivalent to light L13) radiation angle (total reflection critical angle) in organic EL layer 13
α _L is obtained as in the following equation based on the above equation (1). α _L = sin ⁻¹ (sin 90 ° × 1.008 / 1.60) α _L = 38.7 ° (2)

The critical angle for total reflection α _L (= 38.7 °)
The light L14 and L15 emitted at the above angle α are
Based on the refractive indexes of the L layer 13, the anode electrode 12, and the insulating substrate 11, the light is reflected at the upper surface of the insulating substrate 11 and at the interface between the anode electrode 12 and the insulating substrate 11, and then reflected within the organic EL element. repeat. Having

On the other hand, the light radiated from the organic EL layer 13 has a perfect diffusion type radiation characteristic of emitting a uniform luminous flux with respect to all angles of the entire circumference, and as shown in FIG. The angle range in which light is emitted from the insulating substrate 11 (0 to 0)
90 °), the solid angle θ of the spherical cap is the above-mentioned total reflection critical angle α _L =
Based on 38.7 °, it is expressed by the following equation. θ = 2π × (1−cos 38.7 °) ≒ 0.44π (3)

As a result, the amount of light emitted to the visual field side (extraction efficiency) with respect to the total amount of light emitted from the organic EL layer 13 is:
The sum of the front-side emitted light beam directly emitted from the organic EL layer 13 through the insulating substrate 11 and the rear-side emitted light beam reflected from the organic EL layer 13 at the cathode electrode 14 and emitted through the insulating substrate 11 is obtained. Based on the following equation, Extraction efficiency = (front emission light flux + rear emission light flux) / total light flux = 0.44π × 2 / 4π ≒ 0.22 (= 22%) (4)

As described above, the conventional organic EL element 10
In this case, since the difference between the refractive indices of the insulating substrate 11 and air is large, a component that is repeatedly reflected or totally reflected at the interface of each layer and attenuated increases, and about 20% of the light emitted from the organic EL layer Only about% was emitted toward the viewing side. Therefore, in order to solve such a problem, for example, it has been proposed to improve the front luminance on the viewing side by changing the planar structure of the electrode layer and the organic EL layer. There is a problem that it is necessary to solve various problems in manufacturing and characteristics.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 16, a scattering plate (a film having a diffusivity) 1 is formed on the other surface of the insulating substrate 11.
A configuration in which the above-described extraction efficiency is improved by arranging the metal layer 8 and setting the reflectance of the metal layer forming the cathode electrode 14 high is known. In the organic EL element having such a configuration, the angle at which light is reflected or totally reflected at the interface of the insulating substrate 11 changes due to scattering by the scattering plate 18, so that the light reflected by the cathode electrode is emitted to the viewing side. And the light extraction efficiency can be improved.

[0015]

However, in the above-mentioned organic EL device, the following problems have been raised. (1) The insulating substrate constituting the organic EL element has a strength for preventing breakage due to external stresses during various processing steps during manufacturing and during transport, and a driving circuit (driver) for driving the organic EL element to emit light. In order to mount IC) and the like satisfactorily, it has a relatively thick plate thickness of, for example, about 0.4 to 0.7 mm.

Therefore, when the organic EL element itself is applied as a display device for displaying desired image information, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 7A, the path of the light emitted from the organic EL layer 13 expands according to the refractive index of each layer and the thickness of the insulating substrate 11, so that the contour Za of the display pixel or the image is obtained. Is blurred, so-called pixel blurring or image blurring occurs.

(2) The organic EL element is disposed on the back side of a transmissive display device such as an LCD panel, and serves as a reflective panel that reflects external light with a cathode electrode in a bright field environment such as outdoors. In the dark field environment such as indoors, the so-called two-way backlight (2 way backlight) is driven by emitting light and used as a backlight.
ght) has the following problems.

That is, as shown in FIG. 17B, when the organic EL element 10 is used as a reflection panel of the LCD panel 50, the reflection image Rb of the image Zb displayed on the LCD panel 50 is used as the cathode electrode 14. Since a thin reflection image Rc is formed by partial reflection on the upper surface of the insulating substrate 11 as well as on the upper surface of the insulating substrate 11, a double image Zc in which a shade is added to a display image, that is, a so-called parallax shift. Had the problem of occurring. These problems (1) and (2) become more remarkable as the thickness of the insulating substrate increases, but as described above, the manufacturing process and the configuration of the display device (the sealing structure of the organic EL element and the driver) IC
In addition, there is a limit in making the insulating substrate thinner.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve such a problem and improve the amount of emitted light (light extraction efficiency) in an organic EL element and to reduce image blur when applied as a display device. Another object of the present invention is to provide a light emitting element having sufficient mechanical strength capable of suppressing a parallax shift when applied as a backlight of a transmission type display device, and a method of manufacturing the same.

[0020]

According to the present invention, there is provided a light emitting device comprising: a first electrode made of a transparent conductive material; a light emitting layer made of an organic electroluminescent material; In a light emitting device having a planar structure in which second electrodes facing the first electrodes are sequentially laminated, the thickness of the transparent substrate is approximately 0.2 mm or less.

That is, the light-emitting element according to the present invention is applied to a self-luminous display device by making the transparent substrate on the outgoing light side thin (approximately 0.2 mm or less, preferably 0.1 mm or less). In this case, the distance from the light emitting layer to the emission surface (the other surface side of the transparent substrate) is shortened, and the spread of the path of light emitted from the light emitting layer is suppressed. Therefore, blurring of display pixels (image blurring) can be suppressed, and a display device with improved image quality can be realized.

Further, when the light emitting device according to the present invention is applied as a two-way backlight of a transmission type display device, the distance from the upper surface of the transparent electrode to the second electrode serving as a reflection layer becomes shorter, and The displacement and the overlap of the reflection images of the image displayed on the display device are suppressed. Therefore, a parallax shift can be suppressed, and a display device with improved image quality can be realized.

In the light emitting device according to the present invention, in the structure of the light emitting device, the first electrode, the light emitting layer, and the second electrode laminated on the transparent substrate are separated by a sealing member. Preferably, it is sealed. Further, it is preferable that a sealing substrate facing the transparent substrate is provided on one surface side of the transparent substrate via the sealing member.

That is, each electrode and the light-emitting layer constituting the light-emitting element are hermetically sealed with a sealing member such as a resin and a relatively thick sealing substrate facing the transparent substrate. The physical strength on one side of the transparent substrate is improved. Therefore, even when the other surface side of the transparent substrate is formed to be thin to approximately 0.2 mm or less, the physical strength of the transparent substrate itself can be ensured, and the image blur and parallax shift can be favorably reduced. A suppressed light emitting element can be realized. In particular, if a driving circuit that causes an increase in the substrate area is provided on the sealing substrate, the area of the thin transparent substrate can be reduced as much as possible, and the transparent substrate does not need to hold the driving circuit. The effect that the substrate is not easily damaged can be obtained.

Further, the light emitting device according to the present invention preferably has a configuration in which, in the configuration of the above light emitting device, light control means for changing and controlling the emission direction of light emitted from the light emitting layer is provided. .

That is, a light control means for scattering light is provided on an emission surface of the transparent substrate from which light emitted from the light emitting layer is emitted, or on a reflective layer for reflecting light emitted from the light emitting layer toward the transparent substrate. With this configuration, of the light emitted from the light emitting layer, light having an emission angle larger than the total reflection critical angle is emitted by scattering by the light control unit. Therefore, the light extraction efficiency in the viewing direction can be increased, and a light emitting element having a sufficient amount of light with smaller energy can be realized. Here, the light control means is provided so as to be in close contact with the other surface side of the transparent substrate, and the refractive index at the contact surface is the same as or close to the refractive index of the transparent substrate. Can be further increased.

In the light emitting device according to the present invention, in the above light emitting device configuration, the second electrode has a reflection characteristic of reflecting at least light emitted from the light emitting layer to the transparent substrate side. May be available. Or
A reflective layer that reflects at least light emitted from the light emitting layer toward the transparent substrate may be provided on the sealing member.

In short, any light emitted from the light-emitting layer, which is emitted to the rear surface side opposite to the transparent substrate, is preferably reflected to the transparent substrate side. Thereby, the light extraction efficiency can be further increased, and a light emitting element having a sufficient amount of light with smaller energy can be realized.

Further, in the light emitting device according to the present invention, in the above light emitting device, the first electrode or the first electrode and the first electrode may be provided between the transparent electrode and the second electrode. Alternatively, the light emitting layer may have a region in which none of the first electrode, the light emitting layer, and the second electrode intervene.

That is, the first electrode is formed in a stripe shape, for example, or a light emitting layer is formed in a matrix on a plurality of first electrodes formed in the stripe shape, or , The first electrode and the second
Are formed in a stripe shape orthogonal to each other, and the light-emitting elements are formed in a matrix at the intersections of the first and second electrodes, so that a transparent electrode and a second electrode are provided between the transparent electrode and the second electrode.
A region where the first electrode, the first electrode and the light-emitting layer, or the first electrode, the light-emitting layer, and the second electrode are not interposed is formed. Therefore, the light emitted from the light emitting layer passes through the transparent substrate without transmitting through the first electrode, or the first electrode and the light emitting layer, or the first electrode, the light emitting layer, and the second electrode. Since the light is emitted through the first electrode, the amount of light (light absorption loss) absorbed and attenuated by the first electrode, the light-emitting layer, and the second electrode can be suppressed, and the light extraction efficiency can be further increased. .

According to the method of manufacturing a light emitting device of the present invention, a first electrode made of a transparent conductive material, a light emitting layer made of an organic electroluminescent material, Sequentially laminating a second electrode facing the first electrode, and solidifying at least a sealing member on the entire surface of the first electrode, the light emitting layer, and the second electrode laminated on the transparent substrate. And a step of polishing the other surface of the transparent substrate to reduce the thickness of the transparent substrate to approximately 0.2 mm or less.

That is, each electrode and the light emitting layer constituting the light emitting element are hermetically sealed and sealed at least with a sealing member such as a resin, and then the other surface of the transparent substrate is polished. The transparent substrate is formed thinly (polished) while securing the physical strength. Therefore, it is preferable to form a thin film of about 0.2 mm or less (preferably 0.1 mm or less), which is about several times smaller than that of the conventional structure, and to shorten the distance from the light emitting layer to the emission surface. Accordingly, it is possible to realize a light-emitting element in which the above-described image blur and parallax shift are successfully suppressed.

Further, in the method for manufacturing a light emitting device according to the present invention, in the above method, a light control for changing and controlling an emission direction of light emitted from the light emitting layer may be provided on the other side of the polished transparent substrate. It may have a step of adhering the means.

That is, the thickness of the transparent substrate is approximately 0.2 m
After polishing to m or less, a light control means such as a light diffusing filter is provided in close contact with the emission surface side of the transparent substrate while maintaining the continuity of the refractive index with the transparent substrate. Therefore, of the light emitted from the light-emitting layer, light having an emission angle larger than the critical angle for total reflection can be emitted by scattering by the light control means, so that the image blur and the parallax shift can be suppressed well. At the same time, the light extraction efficiency is increased, and a light-emitting element having a sufficient amount of light with smaller energy can be easily realized.

[0035]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a light emitting device according to the present invention and a method for manufacturing the same will be described in detail. FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing one embodiment of a light emitting device (organic EL device) according to the present invention. Here, configurations equivalent to those of the related art (FIG. 13) will be described with the same reference numerals.

As shown in FIG. 1, an organic EL element 10A according to the present embodiment has an insulating substrate (transparent electrode) 11a on which layers constituting the organic EL element are formed, and an anode electrode (transparent electrode) made of a transparent electrode. A first electrode) 12, an organic EL layer (light emitting layer) 13 made of an organic compound or the like, a cathode electrode (second electrode) 14 constituting a reflective layer, and the anode electrode 12, the organic EL layer 13, and the cathode electrode. A sealing layer (sealing member) 15 covering the entire surface of the organic EL element formed by laminating the insulating substrates 14, a sealing substrate 16 disposed to face the insulating substrate 11 a, and an organic EL of the insulating substrate 11 a. A scattering plate (light control means) 18 provided in close contact with the surface opposite to the element formation side via an optical member 17.

The insulating substrate 11a is a substrate having high light transmittance such as glass or synthetic resin. For example, the thickness of the insulating substrate 11 as shown in the conventional configuration (FIG. 13) is approximately 0.1 mm. 4 to 0.7 mm), which is 0.2 mm or less, preferably 0.1 mm or less, which is a fraction or less. For this thin insulating substrate 11a,
Each layer constituting the organic EL element is formed on one surface side (the lower side in the drawing), and the scattering plate 18 is provided on the other surface side (the drawing information side). The anode electrode 12 is made of a transparent electrode material such as ITO, and is formed to have a predetermined shape (pattern) on one surface side of the insulating substrate 11a. Note that the electrode material applied to the anode electrode 12 is not limited to ITO, but may be any other material such as In ₂ O ₃ (ZnO) _m (m> 0) as long as it can be applied as a transparent electrode. May be used.

The organic EL layer 13 is formed on the anode electrode 12
It has a configuration in which a hole transporting layer and an electron transporting light emitting layer are laminated on each other in a predetermined shape (pattern), similarly to the prior art (FIG. 13B). ing. Here, as the hole transport layer, for example, poly 3,
Polymeric organic compound materials such as 4-ethylenedioxythiophene and polystyrenesulfonate can be favorably applied, and examples of the electron-transporting light emitting layer include polymers such as polyphenylenevinylene and derivatives thereof. A system organic compound material can be applied favorably.

The cathode electrode 14 is formed to have a predetermined shape (pattern) so as to be laminated at least on the organic EL layer 13. For example, calcium (Ca) (or Li, Mg) and low resistance, light reflective and high work function aluminum (Al) (or A
g), and has a function as a reflection layer that reflects light emitted from the organic EL layer 13 by the laminated cathode electrode 14 in a specific direction. Here, the reflectance of light at the cathode electrode 14 is
For example, it is preferable to set as high as possible so as to be 70% or more.

The sealing layer 15 covers the entire area of the organic EL element formed by laminating the anode electrode 12, the organic EL layer 13, and the cathode electrode 14, and further uses the sealing layer 15 as an adhesive layer to form a glass. By bonding a sealing substrate 16 made of a substrate or the like so as to face the insulating substrate 11a, the organic EL element is sealed and hermetically closed to form a configuration shielded from the outside air. Here, as the sealing layer 15, for example, an epoxy-based resin or an oxide in which silicon (Si) and cerium (Ce) are mixed can be favorably applied.

Here, the sealing structure using the sealing layer 15 and the sealing substrate 16 can be applied to the manufacturing process of the organic EL element even when the insulating substrate 11a is thinned to a thickness of 0.2 mm or less. It is necessary to have a thickness (or strength) that does not cause breakage or failure in the various processing steps and the transporting operation, and is made of glass or synthetic resin having a thickness of 0.4 mm or more. The sealing substrate 16 has a thickness (or strength) enough to mount a driving circuit (driver IC) for an organic EL element on one surface side and form a wiring or the like.
It is preferable to have The specific configuration will be described later.

The scattering plate 18 is an optical means such as a light-diffusing film or a light-transmitting member whose one surface is roughened. The scattering plate 18 is provided with an optical oil or the like on the other surface of the insulating substrate 11a. It is closely attached via an optical member 17. Here, the refractive index of the optical member 17 is the same as that of the insulating substrate 11.
a and an intermediate value of the refractive index in both the scattering plate 18 and the same value or an approximate value as one of the insulating substrate 11a and the scattering plate 18, so that the insulating substrate 11a and the scattering plate 18 are Has the function of providing the above optical characteristics. Therefore, at the interface between the insulating substrate 11a and the scattering plate 18, the light emitted from the organic EL layer 13 and the reflected light from the cathode electrode (reflection layer) 14
Reflection in the inward direction is suppressed, and the view side (insulating substrate 11
a on the other side).

That is, in the organic EL element 10A according to the present embodiment, the insulating substrate 1 formed to be as thin as 0.2 mm or less on the light emission side with respect to the organic EL layer 13.
1a, a scattering plate 18 is arranged, and a cathode electrode 14 serving as a reflective layer, a sealing layer 15 and a sealing substrate 16 are arranged on the back side. And organic EL
The element 10 </ b> A is formed by stacking the above-described layers each including a solid layer, and constitutes an all-solid device.

The organic EL device 10 having such a configuration
A, as shown in the prior art, the anode electrode 1
By applying a relatively positive voltage to the organic EL layer 2 and a relatively negative voltage to the cathode electrode 14, holes and electrons are injected into the organic EL layer 13, and light is radiated by recombination energy when these are combined. Is done. Light emitted from the organic EL layer 13 and light reflected from the cathode electrode (reflection layer) 14 reach the other surface of the insulating substrate 11a via the transparent anode electrode 12 and the insulating substrate 11a. The light is scattered by the scattering plate 18 provided in close contact with the other surface of the insulating substrate 11a, and is emitted toward the visual field.

Here, the operation of the optical member and the scattering plate applied to the present embodiment will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the emission angle of light and the state of emission to the visual field side in the organic EL element according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 shows the scattering plate in the organic EL element according to the present embodiment. It is a graph which shows the actual measurement value which shows the relationship between the stuck state and the emitted light flux.

In the present embodiment, as described above,
The insulating substrate 11a and the scattering plate 18 have a configuration in which the insulating substrate 11a and the scattering plate 18 are attached via an optical member 17 such as an optical oil that maintains the continuity of both refractive indexes. In such a configuration, since the insulating substrate 11a and the scattering plate 18 exhibit substantially single optical characteristics, as shown in FIG.
Larger than the light L1 having a total reflection critical angle alpha _L shown in FIG. 14, the radiation at the critical angle alpha ₃ is smaller than the angle alpha ₂ of the light L3 which total reflection occurs between the insulating substrate 11a and the optical member 17 ( Or, the light L reflected by the cathode electrode 14)
With respect to 2, the light is scattered without being totally reflected at the interface of the optical member 17 and the interface of the scattering plate 18 and emitted toward the visual field.

In particular, as shown in FIG.
In the case where the scattering plate 18 is brought into close contact with (a) without using the optical member 17 such as an optical oil (FIG. 3A), the light is emitted toward the visual field in a range of a radiation angle of approximately −45 ° to + 45 °. While the light flux to be emitted increases (the maximum of the radiated light flux increases to approximately 200), the scattering member 18 is provided with the optical member 17 interposed therebetween so as to maintain the matching of the refractive index with the insulating substrate 11a. (FIG. 3B), the luminous flux emitted to the visual field side is substantially increased in almost the entire range of a wider radiation angle of about −60 ° to + 60 ° (the maximum of the radiated luminous flux is 200 or more). ) Was observed.

That is, the organic EL element 10A according to the present embodiment has a configuration in which the scattering plate 18 is arranged in close contact with the optical member 17 so that the critical angle for total reflection is substantially large (FIG. 2). Α _{L at} angle → angle α ₃
(> Α ₂ )), and the light extraction efficiency (that is, the emitted light flux) can be significantly improved. Therefore, a light-emitting element having a sufficient amount of light with smaller energy can be realized and can be favorably applied to a light source such as a display device or a backlight.

The organic EL device 10 according to the present embodiment
According to the configuration A, the insulating substrate 11a on which the organic EL element is formed is approximately 0.2 mm or less (preferably, 0.1 mm or less).
mm or less), when the organic EL element 10A is applied as a self-luminous display device, the path of light emitted from the organic EL layer 13 spreads. Since the width is reduced to a width corresponding to the plate thickness of the insulating substrate 11a, haze (pixel blur or image blur) of a contour of a display pixel or an image is suppressed as compared with the conventional configuration (FIG. 17). On the other hand, when the organic EL element 10A is applied as a two-way backlight of a transmissive display device, the distance between the upper surface of the insulating substrate and the upper surface of the cathode electrode becomes shorter, so that it is compared with the conventional configuration (FIG. 17). do it,
The displacement and overlap (parallax displacement) in the horizontal direction of the reflected images formed on the upper surface of the insulating substrate and the upper surface of the cathode electrode are suppressed. Therefore, a display device having excellent display quality of image information can be realized.

(Application Example) Next, a configuration example of a display device or a light source (backlight) to which the above-described organic EL element is applied will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration example (configuration example 1) of a display device or a light source to which the organic EL element according to the embodiment is applied, and FIG.
Emission side of display device or light source shown in FIG.
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of the insulating substrate and the organic EL element of FIG. 6, and FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of the display device or the light source shown in FIG. It is. Here, the same components as those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be simplified.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the display device or the light source according to this configuration example has an insulating substrate 1 having a thickness of approximately 0.2 mm or less, similar to the above-described embodiment.
On one surface side of 1a, for example, a plurality of anode electrodes 12 formed in a stripe shape in one direction, and a single organic EL formed so as to cover the plurality of anode electrodes 12
For example, a layer 13, a cathode electrode 14 formed in a plurality of stripes in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the anode electrode 12 extends, and an anode electrode 12, an organic EL layer 13, and a cathode electrode 14 are sequentially laminated. The insulating substrate 11a is provided so as to surround the entire formation region of the formed organic EL element group.
Sealing member 21 for joining the sealing substrate 16 and the sealing substrate 16 to be described later, and the insulating substrate 11a via the sealing member 21.
A space (including an organic EL element) surrounded by at least the seal member 21 is filled with a sealing layer 15 made of epoxy or the like, and a sealing substrate (or a facing substrate) for sealing the space is provided. Substrate) 16 and a lead-out electrode 23 formed on one surface side of the sealing substrate 16 so as to extend in a predetermined pattern.
A, 23C, the anode electrode 12 and the cathode electrode 14 filled in the opening formed in the seal member 21 and formed on the insulating substrate side, and the extraction electrodes 23A, 23C are individually and electrically connected. Contact electrode 22
A, 22C, and a drive circuit (driver IC) 30 arranged at a predetermined position on one surface side of the sealing substrate 16 and electrically connected to the lead electrodes 23A, 23C.

That is, the organic EL element group formed in a matrix is in a space formed by the insulating substrate 11a, the sealing member 21, and the sealing substrate 16, and the space is filled with the sealing layer 15. It has a configuration that is sealed by being sealed, and is shielded from outside air. Further, each anode electrode 12 and each cathode electrode 14 of the organic EL element group are
Contact electrodes 22 respectively formed in the sealing member 21
A and 22C, and are electrically connected to the drive circuit 30 via lead electrodes 23A and 23C formed on the sealing substrate 16.

Although not shown, the insulating substrate 11
a, a scattering plate is adhered to the other surface side (viewing side) through an optical member such as an optical oil so as to maintain the continuity of the refractive index, as shown in the above-described embodiment. Have been. In the display device or the light source having such a configuration, when a predetermined DC voltage is applied from the drive circuit 30 to the anode electrode 12 and the cathode electrode 14 of each organic EL element, light is emitted from the organic EL layer 13,
Display driving or light-emitting driving is performed.

As described above, in the display device or the light source according to the present configuration example, by forming the sealing substrate 16 to be relatively thick, the physical strength of the display device is ensured and the sealing substrate 16 side Since the extraction electrodes 23A and 23C and the drive circuit 30 can be formed and mounted on the substrate, the thickness of the insulating substrate 11a can be extremely thin to 0.2 mm or less, and light emitted from the organic EL layer 13 can be formed. Can be greatly shortened, and a display device having good display quality in which occurrence of image blur and parallax displacement is suppressed can be provided. Further, by providing a scattering plate on the light emitting side of the thinly formed insulating substrate 11a so as to maintain the continuity of the refractive index, the light extraction efficiency can be greatly improved, so that power saving and power saving can be achieved. A high-luminance light source can be realized.

(Manufacturing Method) Next, a method of manufacturing an organic EL element applied to the above-described display device or light source will be described with reference to the drawings. 7 and 8 are process cross-sectional views illustrating a method of manufacturing the organic EL device shown in FIG. In addition,
In the following description, the terms “first step” to “fourth step” are used for convenience of explanation, and are not related to the actual manufacturing process. Further, the same components as those in the above-described configuration example will be described with the same reference numerals.

First, as shown in FIG. 7A, the first step is to form one surface of an insulating substrate 11b made of glass, quartz, transparent resin or the like having a thickness of about 0.4 to 0.7 mm. A transparent electrode layer made of ITO or the like is formed on the side (lower side in the figure) by a sputtering method, an ion plating method, or the like, and then patterned into a predetermined shape (a stripe shape in this case) to form the anode electrode 12. To form Thereafter, a hole transporting layer and an electron transporting light emitting layer made of an organic compound material are sequentially laminated by a vacuum evaporation method or another thin film forming method so as to cover at least a region where the anode electrode 12 is formed. An EL layer 13 is formed.

Next, in a second step, as shown in FIG. 7 (b), calcium and aluminum are extended by a sputtering method or a vapor deposition method so as to extend from the organic EL layer 13 onto the insulating substrate 11b. Is formed in a predetermined shape to form the cathode electrode 14. Here, for example, the cathode electrode 14 is formed in a stripe shape so as to extend in a direction orthogonal to the anode electrode 12 formed in the stripe shape. As a result, the anode electrode 12 and the cathode electrode 14 are stacked so as to face each other with the organic EL layer 13 interposed therebetween.
An L element group is formed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7 (c), a third step is performed on one surface side (the upper surface side in the figure) of the sealing substrate 16 made of glass or synthetic resin having a thickness of 0.4 mm or more. After the extraction electrodes 23A and 23C having a predetermined pattern are formed, in a later-described step, the sealing member 21 having such a height that the separation distance from the insulating substrate 11b is appropriately maintained is changed to the organic EL element group. Is formed so as to surround. Then, a plurality of openings are formed at predetermined positions of the seal member 21, and the contact electrodes 22A, 22C are buried in the openings to form the contact electrodes 22A, 22C.
And the extraction electrodes 23A and 23C are electrically connected. Thereafter, a predetermined positional relationship is set such that one surface of the insulating substrate 11b on which the organic EL element group is formed and one surface of the sealing substrate 16 on which the lead electrodes 23A and 23C and the sealing member 21 are formed face each other. Connect with.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 8A, the sealing layer 15 is injected into a space formed by the insulating substrate 11b, the sealing substrate 16 and the sealing member 21, and the whole is solid-sealed. By stopping (solidifying and sealing), the organic EL element group is completely shut off from the outside air. Here, for example, by using an epoxy-based or acrylic-based resin as the sealing layer 15, the organic EL element group is solidified and sealed well, and the insulating substrate 11b and the sealing substrate 16 are well bonded. Is done. At this time, the insulating substrate 1 is contacted via the contact electrodes 22A and 22C embedded in the seal member 21.
The anode electrode 12 and the cathode electrode 14 on the 1b side and the extraction electrodes 23A and 23C on the sealing substrate 16 side are individually and electrically connected.

Next, in a fourth step, as shown in FIG. 8B, the other surface side (the upper surface side in the figure) of the insulating substrate 11b
A display device having an insulating substrate 11a having a thickness of 0.2 mm or less, preferably 0 or 1 mm or less as shown in FIG. Form a light source. Here, the insulating substrate 11
As a method for forming b thin, a mechanical polishing method, a physical etching method using a sand blaster, or a scientific etching method using hydrofluoric acid can be applied. Although not shown, the thin insulating substrate 11 is formed.
As described above, the other surface side (the upper surface side in the figure) of the “a” has a configuration in which an optical oil is applied and a scattering plate is attached.

According to such a method of manufacturing an organic EL device, an organic EL device formed by laminating an anode electrode, an organic EL layer, and a cathode electrode is solidified and sealed by a sealing member and a sealing substrate. Since the processing for thinly processing the insulating substrate is performed, without causing breakage or failure due to external stress in various processes in the manufacturing process, while securing sufficient physical strength, The structure of the EL element can be favorably manufactured. This allows
Since the distance from the organic EL layer to the emission surface of the insulating substrate can be shortened, a light emitting element that suppresses the above-described image blur and parallax shift can be satisfactorily realized. In addition, most of the stress applied to the organic EL element after manufacturing is
Since it concentrates on the sealing substrate 16 having a thickness of 5 mm or more and 0.4 mm or more, sufficient protection can be achieved.

(Other Configuration Examples) Next, another configuration example of the organic EL device according to the above-described embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following configuration examples, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those in the above-described embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of another configuration example (configuration example 2) of the organic EL element according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 9, the organic E according to this configuration example
The L element 10B is composed of a plurality of striped anode electrodes 12 on at least one surface side (lower surface side in the figure) of an insulating substrate 11a formed to be as thin as 0.2 mm or less. A single organic EL layer 13 formed so as to cover the region where
And a single cathode electrode 14 formed of a metal layer or the like having a light reflection characteristic and formed so as to cover the L layer 13. Although not shown, the organic EL element group including the anode electrode 12, the organic EL layer 13, and the cathode electrode 14 is formed by a sealing member and a sealing substrate, similarly to the configuration shown in the above-described embodiment. It may have a solidified and sealed configuration. Further, the other surface side (outgoing surface side) of the insulating substrate 11a may have a configuration in which light control means such as a scattering plate is provided via an optical member such as optical oil.

That is, the organic EL element 1 according to this configuration example
0B is the organic E laminated on one surface side of the insulating substrate 11a.
Among the components of the L element, I
There is a region where the TO layer is not formed. here,
Although the ITO layer forming the anode electrode 12 has high light transmittance (transmittance), light passing through the ITO layer
Since the light is slightly absorbed and attenuated in the ITO layer, the amount of light reflected a plurality of times in the organic EL element decreases.

Therefore, according to such a configuration, in addition to the same functions and effects as those of the above-described configuration example, the anode electrode 1
Light ha emitted from the organic EL layer 13 and light hb reflected in the organic EL element in the region other than the region where
Since the light reaches the insulating substrate 11a and is emitted from the other surface of the insulating substrate 11a without passing through the O layer, the ITO
Light absorption and attenuation (light absorption loss) of light by the layer (anode electrode 12) can be suppressed, and the amount of light hν (light extraction efficiency) emitted to the visual field side can be increased. Can be realized.

FIG. 10 is a view showing a schematic structure of still another configuration example (configuration example 3) of the organic EL device according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 10, the organic EL element 10C according to the present configuration example is formed in a stripe shape on one surface side (the lower surface side in the figure) of the insulating substrate 11a formed as thin as 0.2 mm or less. A plurality of anode electrodes 12, a plurality of organic EL layers 13 formed so as to cover at least a region where the anode electrode 12 is formed, and a plurality of organic EL layers 13 formed so as to cover at least a region where the anode electrode 12 and the organic EL layer 13 are formed. And a single cathode electrode 14 formed of a metal layer or the like having light reflection characteristics. Although not shown, the organic EL element group may have a configuration solidified and sealed by a sealing member and a sealing substrate similarly to the above-described configuration example.
On the other surface side, a light control means such as a scattering plate may be provided.

That is, the organic EL device 1 according to this configuration example
0C is the organic E laminated on one surface side of the insulating substrate 11a.
Among the components of the L element, I
There is a region where the TO layer and the organic EL layer 13 are not formed. Here, the organic EL layer 13 has a high light transmittance (transmittance) like the above-mentioned ITO layer forming the anode electrode 12, but light passing through the organic EL layer 13 is slightly applied to the organic EL layer. Since the light is absorbed and attenuated in the light 13, the amount of light decreases.

Therefore, according to such a configuration, in addition to the same functions and effects as those of the above-described configuration example, the anode electrode 1
2 and a cathode electrode 14 having a light reflection characteristic without light passing outside the region where the organic EL layer 13 is formed.
Since the light hc reflected more favorably reaches the insulating substrate 11a and is emitted from the other surface side of the insulating substrate 11a,
Light absorption and attenuation (light absorption loss) by the ITO layer (anode electrode 12) and the organic EL layer 13 are further suppressed to further increase the light quantity (light extraction efficiency) of the light hν emitted to the visual field side. Thus, a light-emitting element with higher power consumption and higher luminance can be realized.

FIG. 11 is a view showing a schematic structure of still another configuration example (configuration example 4) of the organic EL device according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11, the organic EL element 10D according to the present configuration example is formed in a stripe shape on one surface side (the lower surface side in the figure) of an insulating substrate 11a formed as thin as 0.2 mm or less. The plurality of anode electrodes 12, the plurality of organic EL layers 13 formed at least at predetermined positions in the region where the anode electrodes 12 are formed, and the direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the stripe-shaped anode electrodes 12. Electrode 14 formed in a stripe shape extending in such a manner as to cover at least a region where the anode electrode 12 and the organic EL layer 13 are laminated.
2. A transparent passivation film 15a for protecting the whole area of the organic EL element group composed of the organic EL layer 13 and the cathode electrode 14, and a light reflection characteristic formed to cover the whole area of the passivation film 15a. And a single reflective layer 19 made of a metal layer or the like.

Here, the cathode electrode 14 is formed of a transparent electrode material such as ITO. Although not shown, a configuration in which light control means such as a scattering plate is provided on the other surface side of the insulating substrate 11a may be employed. Note that the light control means is not limited to the configuration provided on the other surface side of the insulating substrate 11a, and may have a configuration in which the surface of the reflection layer 19 is roughened so as to have the same light diffusion as the scattering plate. Good. That is, the organic EL element 10D according to this configuration example
Are the anode electrode 12 and the cathode electrode 1 among the components of the organic EL element laminated on one surface side of the insulating substrate 11a.
4 are formed in a lattice shape orthogonal to each other, and the organic EL
Since the layer 13 has a configuration formed at the lattice points (intersection points), it has a region where none of the anode electrode 12, the organic EL layer 13, and the cathode electrode 14 is formed.

Therefore, according to such a configuration, in addition to the same functions and effects as those of the above-described configuration example, the anode electrode 1
2. In regions other than the region where the organic EL layer 13 and the cathode electrode 14 are formed, light absorption and attenuation (light absorption loss) are suppressed, and light hd radiated to the back side of the organic EL layer 13 (downward in the drawing). And the light hb reflected in the organic EL element is satisfactorily reflected and scattered by the reflection layer 19 to form the insulating substrate 1.
Since the light reaches and emits light 1a, the amount of light hν (light extraction efficiency) emitted toward the visual field can be further increased, and a light-emitting element with higher power saving and higher luminance can be realized. .

FIG. 12 is a view showing a schematic structure of still another configuration example (configuration example 5) of the organic EL device according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 12, the organic EL element 10E according to this configuration example is formed in a stripe shape on one surface side (the lower surface side in the figure) of the insulating substrate 11a formed to be thinner than 0.2 mm in thickness. The plurality of anode electrodes 12, the plurality of organic EL layers 13 formed at least at predetermined positions in the region where the anode electrodes 12 are formed, and the direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the stripe-shaped anode electrodes 12. Electrode 14 formed in a stripe shape extending in such a manner as to cover at least a region where the anode electrode 12 and the organic EL layer 13 are laminated.
2. A transparent sealing layer 15 for sealing to cover the entire area of the organic EL element group composed of the organic EL layer 13 and the cathode electrode 14, and a single reflective layer made of a metal layer having a light reflection characteristic. 19, and a relatively thick sealing substrate 16 disposed opposite the insulating substrate 11a.

Here, similarly to the above-described configuration example, the cathode electrode 14 is formed of a transparent electrode material such as ITO. Although not shown, the insulating substrate 11a
On the other surface side, a light control means such as a scattering plate may be provided, and by roughing the surface of the reflection layer 19, light diffusivity equivalent to that of the scattering plate can be obtained. It may have the light control means provided. That is, the organic EL element 10E according to this configuration example includes the anode electrode 12
And the cathode electrode 14 are formed in a lattice pattern with each other, and
Since the organic EL layer 13 has a structure formed at the lattice points, the organic EL layer 13 has a region where none of the anode electrode 12, the organic EL layer 13 and the cathode electrode 14 is formed.

Therefore, according to such a configuration, in addition to the same functions and effects as those of the above-described configuration example, a relatively thick sealing substrate 16 is provided opposite to the insulating substrate 11a on which the organic EL element is formed. Therefore, sufficient physical strength can be ensured, and occurrence of breakage or failure due to external stress in various processes in the manufacturing process can be suppressed.

In each of the above embodiments, a light control means such as a scattering plate is provided on the emission surface side of the insulating substrate as a configuration for improving the efficiency of extracting light emitted from the organic EL layer. Although the configuration is shown, the present invention is not limited to this. In short, it is sufficient that the light emitted from the organic EL layer is changed in its course (traveling direction) and emitted toward the visual field. For example, the surface of the insulating substrate on the emission surface side is roughened (so-called frost). The surface of a cathode electrode or a reflective metal layer that reflects light emitted from the organic EL layer may be roughened so that scattering is performed inside the organic EL element. May be caused. According to such a configuration, there is no need to provide a scattering plate or the like on the emission surface side of the insulating substrate, so that the number of manufacturing steps is reduced, the light extraction efficiency is easily increased, and a high-brightness organic EL element is provided. be able to.

[0076]

According to the light-emitting device of the present invention, the light-emitting device is made to emit light by making the transparent substrate on the emission light side thin (approximately 0.2 mm or less, preferably 0.1 mm or less). When the present invention is applied to a display device of the type, the distance from the light emitting layer to the emission surface (the other surface side of the transparent substrate) is shortened, and the spread of the path of light emitted from the light emitting layer is suppressed. Blur (image blur) can be suppressed, and a display device with improved image quality can be realized.

Further, the light emitting element is used as a transmission type display device.
When applied as a way backlight, the distance from the upper surface of the transparent electrode to the second electrode serving as the reflective layer is shortened, and the shift or overlap of the reflected image of the image displayed on the transmissive display device is suppressed. Therefore, a parallax shift can be suppressed, and a display device with improved image quality can be realized.

In the structure of the light-emitting element, each electrode and the light-emitting layer constituting the light-emitting element are all-solid-formed by a sealing member such as a resin and a relatively thick sealing substrate facing the transparent substrate. Since the physical strength on one side of the transparent substrate is improved by hermetically sealing, even if the other side of the transparent substrate is formed to be thinner to approximately 0.2 mm or less, the physical strength of the transparent substrate itself is reduced. In addition, it is possible to realize a light-emitting element which can secure a sufficient intensity, and in which the above-described image blur and parallax shift are favorably suppressed.

In the structure of the light-emitting element, the light emitted from the light-emitting layer is emitted to the light-emitting surface of the transparent substrate, or the light emitted from the light-emitting layer is reflected on the transparent substrate to reflect light toward the transparent substrate. By providing the light control means for scattering the light, of the light emitted from the light emitting layer, light having an emission angle larger than the total reflection critical angle is emitted by scattering by the light control means, so Light extraction efficiency can be increased, and a light-emitting element having a sufficient amount of light with smaller energy can be realized. Here, the light control means is provided so as to be in close contact with the other surface side of the transparent substrate, and the refractive index at the contact surface is the same as or approximate to the refractive index of the transparent substrate. Can be increased.

Further, in the structure of the light emitting element, of the light emitted from the light emitting layer, the light emitted to the rear surface side opposite to the transparent substrate is reflected so as to be favorably reflected to the transparent substrate side. By forming the layer, light extraction efficiency can be further increased, and a light-emitting element having a sufficient amount of light with smaller energy can be realized.

Further, in the above structure of the light emitting element, the first electrode is formed in a stripe shape, for example, or a light emitting layer is formed in a matrix on the plurality of first electrodes formed in the stripe shape. Alternatively, the first electrode and the second electrode are formed in a stripe shape orthogonal to each other, and the light emitting elements are formed in a matrix at the intersections of the first and second electrodes. A first electrode or a first electrode between the transparent electrode and the second electrode;
The electrode and the light-emitting layer, or the first electrode, a region where neither the light-emitting layer and the second electrode are formed, the light emitted from the light-emitting layer is the first electrode, or, The first electrode, the light emitting layer, and the second electrode are emitted through the transparent substrate without passing through any of the first electrode, the light emitting layer, or the first electrode, the light emitting layer, and the second electrode. The amount of light absorbed by the electrode and attenuated (light absorption loss) can be suppressed, and the light extraction efficiency can be further increased.

According to the method of manufacturing a light emitting device according to the present invention, after each electrode and the light emitting layer constituting the light emitting device are hermetically sealed at least with a sealing member such as a resin,
By polishing the other side of the transparent substrate, the transparent substrate is formed thinly (polishing) while maintaining the physical strength of the transparent substrate.
Therefore, it is preferably formed to be thinner to about 0.2 mm or less (preferably 0.1 mm or less), which is about several times smaller than the conventional configuration, and the distance from the light emitting layer to the emission surface is shortened. Thus, a light-emitting element in which the above-described image blur and parallax shift are successfully suppressed can be realized.

In the above method, after the transparent substrate is polished to a thickness of about 0.2 mm or less, light control means such as a light diffusing filter is provided in close contact with the light emitting surface of the transparent substrate. Of the light emitted from the layer, light having an emission angle larger than the critical angle for total reflection can be emitted by scattering by the light control means, and while suppressing the image blur and the parallax shift, the light It is possible to easily realize a light emitting element having a sufficient light amount with smaller energy by increasing the extraction efficiency.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing one embodiment of a light emitting device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the emission angle of light and the state of emission to the viewing side in the organic EL element according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a graph showing measured values showing the relationship between the state of attachment of a scattering plate and the radiated light flux in the organic EL device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration example (configuration example 1) of a display device or a light source to which the organic EL element according to the embodiment is applied.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an output side (X-
FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a planar structure of an insulating substrate (as viewed from an arrow X) and an organic EL element.

6 is a schematic diagram showing a planar structure of the display device or the light source shown in FIG. 4 on the sealing substrate side (as viewed from the arrow YY).

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing each of first to third steps in the method for manufacturing the organic EL element shown in FIG.

8 is a process cross-sectional view showing a fourth process in the method for manufacturing the organic EL device shown in FIG.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of another configuration example (configuration example 2) of the organic EL element according to the embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a view showing a schematic structure of still another configuration example (configuration example 3) of the organic EL element according to the embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of still another configuration example (configuration example 4) of the organic EL element according to the embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a view showing a schematic structure of still another configuration example (configuration example 5) of the organic EL element according to the embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of an organic EL element according to a conventional technique.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a relationship between a light path inside an organic EL element and an emission angle toward a viewing side.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the relationship between the radiation characteristics of the organic EL element and the critical angle for total reflection.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a configuration in which light extraction efficiency of an organic EL element is improved in a conventional technique.

FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram for explaining a problem of the organic EL element in the related art.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10, 10A-10E Organic EL element 11a, 11b Insulating substrate 12 Anode electrode 13 Organic EL layer 14 Cathode electrode 15a Passivation film 15 Sealing layer 16 Sealing substrate 17 Optical member 18 Scattering plate 19 Reflective layer 21 Sealing member 22A, 22C Contact electrode 23A, 23C Lead electrode 30 Drive circuit

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Osamu Okada Inventor F-term in Kashio Computer Co., Ltd., Hachioji Research Laboratory, 2951 Ishikawacho, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo 3K007 AB02 AB17 AB18 BA06 BB07 CA01 CA05 CB01 DA01 DB03 EA01 EB00 FA01 FA02

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A first electrode made of a transparent conductive material, a light emitting layer made of an organic electroluminescent material, and a second electrode facing the first electrode on one surface side of an insulating transparent substrate. Wherein the thickness of the transparent substrate is approximately 0.2 mm or less. 2. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode, the light emitting layer, and the second electrode laminated on the transparent substrate are sealed by a sealing member. element. 3. The light emitting device according to claim 1, further comprising light control means for changing and controlling an emission direction of light emitted from the light emitting layer. 4. The light control means is provided so as to be in close contact with the other surface of the transparent substrate, and the refractive index at the contact surface is:
The light emitting device according to claim 3, wherein the refractive index is the same as or approximate to the refractive index of the transparent substrate. 5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an opposing substrate facing said transparent substrate is provided on one surface side of said transparent substrate.
5. The light-emitting device according to any one of items 1 to 4. 6. The substrate according to claim 5, wherein the counter substrate is made of a glass or synthetic resin substrate having a size of 0.4 mm or more.
The light-emitting device according to any one of the preceding claims. 7. The drive circuit according to claim 7, wherein the counter substrate is provided with a drive circuit for applying a voltage to the first electrode and the second electrode on the transparent substrate. Light emitting element. 8. A sealing member is provided between the transparent substrate and the opposing substrate around the light emitting layer, and a sealing member is provided in a space surrounded by the sealing member, the transparent substrate, and the opposing substrate. The light emitting device according to claim 5, wherein 9. A first electrode made of a transparent conductive material, a light emitting layer made of an organic electroluminescent material, and a second electrode facing the first electrode, on one surface side of the insulating transparent substrate. A step of sequentially laminating, a step of solidly sealing the entire surface of the first electrode, the light emitting layer, and the second electrode laminated on the transparent substrate with at least a sealing member; Polishing the other surface of the substrate to reduce the thickness of the transparent substrate to about 0.2 mm or less. 10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of: adhering a light control unit for changing and controlling the emission direction of light emitted from the light emitting layer, on the other surface side of the polished transparent substrate. A method for manufacturing a light emitting device according to claim 9.