JP2006139971A - Display device and manufacturing method of the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an EL thin film panel obtaining a good sealing property by using a cheap flat-plate shaped opposed base plate for sealing. <P>SOLUTION: A glass base plate 1 on which, a thin film EL light emitting element 10 is formed and a flat-plate shaped opposed base plate for sealing 11 for sealing the thin film EL light emitting element 10 are stuck to each other, and a third base plate 15 having a concave part capable of communicating with a sealing space 18 formed between the glass base plate 1 and the flat-plate shaped opposed base plate for sealing 11 through a through hole 14 is stuck on the flat-plate shaped opposed base plate for sealing 11. The volume of an internal space can be enlarged by the concave part of the third base plate 15 and a sealing space 18 even by using the flat-plate shaped opposed base plate for sealing 11. An absorbent 17 is arranged in the concave part of the third base plate 15, and relative humidity of the sealing space 18 communicated with inside of the concave part can be reduced. Further, the area of the third base plate 15 may be small comparing with the case of forming a concave part on the opposed base plate for sealing 11. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a light emitting display device using an EL element such as an inorganic EL (Electro Luminescence) element and an organic EL element as a light emitting element, and other light emitting elements, and a method for manufacturing the same.

  Conventionally, in an EL display device using the above-described EL element, an inorganic EL panel using an inorganic EL element whose light emitting layer is made of an inorganic material, and an organic EL panel using an organic EL element whose light emitting layer is made of an organic material, Exists. Since both of these inorganic EL elements and organic EL elements are deteriorated by moisture, it is indispensable for the EL display device to seal the light emitting element portion for moisture prevention.

  Hereinafter, a method for sealing a light emitting element portion of a conventional EL display device will be described using the thin film EL panel shown in FIG. 16 as an example.

  As shown in FIG. 16, the thin film EL panel 50 includes a first electrode 52, a first insulating layer 53, a light emitting layer 54, a second insulating layer 55, and a second electrode 56 that are sequentially stacked on a glass substrate 51. A thin film EL element as a light emitting element is formed.

  Each of the first electrode 52 and the second electrode 56 is formed in a direction in which a plurality of strips are parallel to each other and the first electrode 52 and the second electrode 56 are orthogonal to each other. By applying a voltage between the electrodes 56, the light emitting layer 54 sandwiched between the two electrodes can selectively emit light as a light emitting element portion to display characters and figures.

  In order to seal the light emitting element part, an adhesive 62 is used so that the light emitting element part side of the glass substrate 31 faces the concave side of the counter substrate (sealing plate) 61 that can accommodate the light emitting element part. It is pasted together. If moisture enters the sealed space between the glass substrate 31 and the counter substrate 61 from the outside through the adhesive 62, the relative humidity increases and the deterioration of the light emitting element is accelerated.

  Therefore, a method of providing a concave portion in the counter substrate 61 to increase the volume of the sealing space, a method of filling the sealing space with a material having a high saturated water content as a filler, a method of arranging a hygroscopic material in the sealing space, and the like Various measures are taken.

  In the example of FIG. 16, the counter substrate 61 is formed with a recess, and the volume of the sealing space is large.

  In the case of FIG. 16, silicon oil 64 mixed with a hygroscopic material 63 is filled as a filler between both the substrates. This filler is filled into a sealing space from a through hole 65 provided in the counter substrate 61, and this through hole 65 is sealed and sealed by a sealing glass 68 bonded by a sealing metal 66 and an adhesive 67. Has been.

  As the filler, for example, as described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, insulating oil, silicon oil, silicon oil mixed with a hygroscopic material, fluorine compound insulating oil, or the like can be used. In particular, the use of silicon oil 64 mixed with a hygroscopic material 63 has a very excellent moisture resistance life, so it is also suitable for applications that require high reliability such as for FA (Factory Automation). ing.

  In addition, as a sealing method of the inorganic EL element, for example, Patent Document 3 discloses a method of combining a flat counter substrate (sealing plate) and an annular glass layer in order to increase the volume of the sealing space. Are listed. Patent Document 4 describes a method of combining a flat counter substrate and a bead-shaped spacer. Further, Patent Document 5 describes a method of combining a flat counter substrate and a strip spacer.

Moreover, as a sealing method of an organic EL element, for example, in Patent Document 6, a substrate on which an organic EL element is formed and a metal counter substrate on which a concave portion is formed by drawing are bonded together, and then between the two substrates. Describes a method of filling with an inert gas. Patent Document 7 describes a method in which a substrate on which an organic EL element is formed and a metal counter substrate in which a hygroscopic material is disposed in a recess are bonded together, and then an inert gas is filled between the substrates. Has been. Further, in Patent Document 8 and Patent Document 9, a substrate on which an organic EL element is formed and a glass counter substrate in which a recess is formed by digging are bonded together, and then a desiccant and an inert gas are enclosed. How to do is described. Further, Patent Document 10 describes a method in which a substrate on which an organic EL element is formed and a flat glass counter substrate are bonded together with a sealing material mixed with a spacer material. Furthermore, Patent Document 11 describes a method in which oil is filled after a substrate on which an organic EL element is formed and a flat glass counter substrate are bonded together. Furthermore, Patent Document 12 describes a method of forming an adsorbent molded body that maintains adsorption performance for a long period of time within a housing (sealing container).
Patent Publication-Sho 59-8039 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-134959 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 2-13779 JP-A-63-252391 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-3988 JP-A-4-249092 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-261091 JP 2001-185349 A JP 2001-57287 A JP 11-214152 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-74582 JP 2003-320215 A

  As described above, various methods have been devised and put into practical use as the conventional EL element sealing method. However, all of these methods have problems in cost, performance, manufacturing process, and the like.

  For example, a light emitting element part forming substrate on which a light emitting element part is formed and a glass or metal sealing counter substrate for sealing the light emitting element part are bonded together by a resin adhesive. Therefore, moisture enters the sealed space from the outside through the adhesive portion. Since the deterioration of the light emitting element is accelerated when the relative humidity of the sealed space increases, in the conventional configuration, the internal volume is increased, and a material having a high saturated water content is used as an internal filler. Measures such as placing hygroscopic materials are also taken. Further, in order to suppress the intrusion of moisture into the sealing space, the bonding width (seal width) is widened, the bonding thickness (light emitting element portion forming substrate-sealing counter substrate interval) is thinned, and the moisture permeability is low. A method of improving the adhesion between the light emitting element portion forming substrate or the sealing counter substrate and the adhesive is used.

  Here, examples of the counter substrate for sealing used for sealing the light emitting element portion include a substrate having a recess and a plate-like substrate.

  By using the sealing counter substrate having the recesses, it is possible to increase the volume of the sealing space and secure a space for arranging the hygroscopic material. Therefore, it is considered that excellent sealing performance can be obtained by forming a recess in the sealing counter substrate. However, since the recess processing on the sealing counter substrate is required, the cost increases.

  On the other hand, when a flat plate-shaped counter substrate for sealing is used, it is considered that sufficient sealing performance cannot be obtained. For example, it demonstrates using Table 1 below. Table 1 below shows the adhesive thickness for a sealing method using a sealing counter substrate in which concave portions are formed with a standard configuration and a sealing method using a flat sealing counter substrate. And an example of the distance between the substrates in the sealing space.

上記表１に示すように、平板状の対向基板を用いた封止方法では、接着材厚さと封止空間の基板間距離とが同じになり、封止空間の体積と接着材厚の比とを大きく設定することはできない。なお、封止空間の体積／接着材厚（封止空間の体積と接着材厚の比）は、大きい程、封止空間の相対湿度を低く設定することができるため、封止性能を向上させることができる。

As shown in Table 1, in the sealing method using a flat counter substrate, the adhesive material thickness and the inter-substrate distance in the sealing space are the same, and the ratio of the sealing space volume to the adhesive material thickness Cannot be set large. In addition, since the relative humidity of the sealing space can be set lower as the volume of the sealing space / the adhesive material thickness (ratio of the volume of the sealing space to the adhesive material thickness) is larger, the sealing performance is improved. be able to.

  On the other hand, in the sealing method using the sealing counter substrate having the recesses, the adhesive material thickness and the inter-substrate distance in the sealing space can be freely set. The sealing performance can be improved by setting a large ratio of the adhesive thickness.

  Furthermore, there are a method of arranging a hygroscopic material in the sealed space and a method of not arranging the hygroscopic material in the sealed space. Here, the arrangement of the hygroscopic material has a greater effect of improving the sealing performance than setting the volume of the sealing space to be large. In particular, a hygroscopic material that is irreversible and has strong hygroscopicity from a low humidity region, such as calcium oxide, is sealed because moisture that has entered the sealed space through the adhesive is absorbed by the hygroscopic material. Even when the volume of the space is not large, excellent sealing performance is exhibited.

  When using a sealing counter substrate having a recess, a hygroscopic material can be disposed over the entire recess, and when the sealing container is relatively large as in Patent Document 12, an adsorbent molded body is formed. Although it can also arrange | position inside a sealing container, when the opposing board | substrate for sealing is flat form, it is difficult to ensure the space which can arrange | position a hygroscopic material.

  The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and provides a display device capable of obtaining sufficient sealing performance even when a low-cost flat counter substrate that does not require recess processing is used and a method for manufacturing the same. For the purpose.

In the display device of the present invention, the first substrate having the light emitting element formed on the surface and the flat plate-like second substrate are opposed to each other, and the light emitting element is fixed in the sealed space between the two substrates. And
A third substrate having a recess is fixed to seal the inside of the recess on the outer surface of at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate with the recess as an inside;
A communication space for communicating the sealing space with the inside of the concave portion is provided on one substrate side to which the third substrate is fixed or on an end surface side of the substrate, thereby achieving the above object.

  Preferably, the communication space in the display device of the present invention is a through hole formed on one substrate side to which the third substrate is fixed.

  Further preferably, the display device of the present invention further includes a fourth substrate fixed on one of the first substrate and the second substrate and on the other side of the substrate end surface, and on the end surface of the fourth substrate. A notch portion is provided, and the communication space is provided between the notch portion and the substrate end face side and a part between the first substrate and the second substrate.

  Further preferably, in the display device of the present invention, the third substrate is fixed on the outer surfaces of the first substrate and the second substrate, and the communication space is one end surface of the first substrate and the second substrate. Between the side and the recess of the third substrate and between the first substrate and the second substrate.

  Further preferably, the third substrate in the display device of the present invention is any one of glass, metal, and a resin film in which a metal layer is laminated.

  Further preferably, any one of the metal and the resin film in which the metal layer is laminated in the display device of the present invention is subjected to drawing processing to form the concave portion.

  Further preferably, the light emitting element in the display device of the present invention is an inorganic thin film EL (Electro Luminescence) element, an organic thin film EL element, an organic / inorganic hybrid EL element, or a thick film / thin film hybrid EL element.

  Further preferably, an adsorbing substance that adsorbs the specific substance is disposed in the recess of the third substrate in the display device of the present invention.

  Further preferably, the adsorbing substance in the display device of the present invention is a material that adsorbs at least water out of water and oxygen as the specific substance.

  Further preferably, the adsorbing substance in the display device of the present invention is a hygroscopic material or a desiccant.

  Further preferably, the adsorbing substance in the display device of the present invention is at least one of silica gel, zeolite, activated alumina, calcium oxide, strontium oxide and magnesium oxide.

  Further preferably, in the display device of the present invention, the first substrate and the second substrate are bonded to each other with an adhesive mixed with a spacer having a diameter of 1 μm to 20 μm.

  Further preferably, in the display device of the present invention, the first substrate and the second substrate are bonded together by an adhesive mixed with a spacer having a diameter of 3 μm or more and 10 μm or less.

  Further preferably, in the display device of the present invention, the third substrate and the first substrate or the second substrate are bonded together by an adhesive mixed with a spacer having a diameter of 1 μm or more and 20 μm or less.

  Further preferably, in the display device of the present invention, the third substrate and the first substrate or the second substrate are bonded to each other with an adhesive mixed with a spacer having a diameter of 3 μm to 10 μm.

  Further preferably, the spacer in the display device of the present invention has a bead shape.

  Further preferably, the third substrate and the first substrate or the second substrate in the display device of the present invention are bonded together by a UV (ultraviolet) curable adhesive.

  Further preferably, the adhesive in the display device of the present invention is an epoxy adhesive.

  Further preferably, the depth of the concave portion of the third substrate in the display device of the present invention is set to 0.05 mm or more and 1.00 mm or less.

  Further preferably, the depth of the concave portion of the third substrate in the display device of the present invention is set to 0.1 mm or more and 1.00 mm or less.

  Further preferably, in the display device of the present invention, the first substrate and the second substrate are curved and the display portion is a curved surface.

  Further preferably, in the display device of the present invention, the third substrate is fixed on the surface of the end portion of the first substrate or the second substrate, and the third substrate is disposed on the first substrate and the second substrate. It is curved at the part that is not.

  Further preferably, the thickness of the first substrate and the second substrate in the display device of the present invention is set to 0.01 mm or more and 0.3 mm or less.

  Further, preferably, the thickness of the first substrate and the second substrate in the display device of the present invention is set to 0.05 mm or more and 0.2 mm or less.

  Further, preferably, a specific gas is filled in a sealed space between the first substrate and the second substrate in the display device of the present invention.

  Further preferably, the specific gas in the display device of the present invention is at least one of dry air, nitrogen gas and inert gas.

  The method for manufacturing a display device of the present invention includes a step of forming a light emitting element on a first substrate, a through hole is formed in the second substrate or the first substrate, the second substrate and the first substrate, A step of bonding the light emitting element in the sealed space between the two substrates, the third substrate having the concave portion, and the first substrate or the second substrate, and the inside of the concave portion through the through hole And a third substrate laminating step for laminating the sealing space so as to communicate and seal, thereby achieving the above object.

  In the method for manufacturing a display device according to the present invention, the step of forming the light emitting element on the first substrate, and the second substrate and the first substrate so as to have the light emitting element in the sealed space between the two substrates. A bonding step; a thinning step of thinning the first substrate and the second substrate; a through hole forming step of forming a through hole in the thinned first substrate or the second substrate; A third substrate laminating step of laminating the three substrates and the thinned first substrate or the second substrate so that the inside of the recess communicates with and seals the sealed space through the through hole; This achieves the above object.

  The method for manufacturing a display device of the present invention includes a step of forming a light emitting element on a first substrate, a fourth substrate having a notch on the end surface, a flat second substrate, and the first substrate. The notch and the end surface of the second substrate are opposed to each other, the light emitting element is included in a sealing space between the second substrate and the first substrate, and the notch and the second substrate A step of bonding so as to leave a communication space for communicating a space between the end surfaces in the sealing space, a third substrate having the recess, the first substrate or the second substrate, and the fourth substrate. The concave portion communicates with the sealing space through the communication space between the notch and the end surface of the second substrate and the partial communication space between the first substrate and the second substrate. And a third substrate laminating step for laminating and sealing so that the above object is achieved.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a display device comprising: forming the light emitting element on a first substrate; a fourth substrate having a notch on an end surface; a flat second substrate; and the first substrate. The notch and the end surface of the second substrate are opposed to each other, and the light emitting element is included in a sealed space between the second substrate and the first substrate, and the notch and the second substrate. A step of bonding so as to leave a communication space that allows the space between the end faces to communicate with the inside of the sealing space, a step of reducing the thickness of the first substrate, the second substrate, and the fourth substrate; A first substrate or second substrate having a reduced thickness, and a fourth substrate having a reduced thickness, wherein the recess has a communication space between the notch and the end surface of the second substrate, and So as to communicate and seal in the sealing space through a part of the communication space between the first substrate and the second substrate. Ri aligned and a third substrate bonding step, the objects can be achieved.

  The manufacturing method of the display device of the present invention includes a step of forming a light emitting element on a first substrate, a flat plate-like second substrate, and the first substrate, and the light emitting element is placed in a sealed space between both the substrates. And a step of bonding so as to leave a communication space communicating with the sealed space, a third substrate having the recess, the first substrate, and the second substrate, and the interior of the recess through the communication space. A third substrate laminating step for laminating the sealed space so as to communicate and seal, thereby achieving the above object.

The display device manufacturing method of the present invention includes a step of forming the light emitting element on a first substrate,
Bonding the flat plate-like second substrate and the first substrate so as to have the light emitting element in the sealing space between the two substrates and leave a communication space communicating with the sealing space; A step of thinning the first substrate and the second substrate, the third substrate having the recess, and the first substrate or the second substrate having the recess are sealed in the recess through the communication space. And a third substrate bonding step for bonding so as to communicate and seal in the space, thereby achieving the above object.

  Preferably, the method further includes a step of bending the first substrate and the second substrate into a predetermined curved surface after the third substrate bonding step in the method for manufacturing a display device of the present invention.

  Further preferably, in the thinning step in the method for manufacturing a display device of the present invention, the first substrate and the second substrate are thinned by chemical etching.

  Still preferably, in the method for manufacturing a display device according to the present invention, the through hole forming step forms a through hole at a predetermined position of the first substrate or the second substrate by laser irradiation.

  The operation of the present invention will be described below with the above configuration.

  In the present invention, the first substrate on which the light emitting element is formed and the flat plate-like second substrate (counter substrate) are bonded together, and the first substrate or the third substrate having a recess is bonded to the second substrate. ing. A through hole is provided in a portion of the first substrate or the second substrate corresponding to the inside of the recess, and even if a flat plate-like second substrate is used, only the volume in the recess of the third substrate communicates therewith. Inclusion in the volume of the sealed space can increase the internal volume and reduce the relative humidity. Since the third substrate may have a significantly smaller area than the second substrate, the concave portion can be formed at a lower cost.

  In addition, an adsorbing substance that adsorbs moisture and oxygen, such as a hygroscopic material and a desiccant, is disposed in the concave portion of the third substrate, so that a space for arranging the adsorbing substance is secured even if a flat second substrate is used. It becomes possible to do.

  Further, the first substrate and the second substrate, and the third substrate and the first substrate or the second substrate are thinly bonded to each other with a thickness within a range in which the strength of the adhesive does not decrease, so that the adhesive space is passed through the adhesive. It becomes possible to suppress intrusion of moisture. The thickness of the adhesive can be adjusted, for example, by mixing spacers having a diameter of 1 μm to 20 μm, preferably 3 μm to 10 μm.

  Further, by using an epoxy adhesive having a low moisture permeability as an adhesive for bonding the first substrate and the second substrate, and an adhesive for bonding the first substrate or the second substrate and the third substrate, adhesion is achieved. It becomes possible to suppress moisture from entering the sealed space through the material.

  By using a UV (ultraviolet) curable adhesive as an adhesive for bonding the first substrate or the second substrate to the third substrate, it becomes possible to perform bonding easily by UV irradiation.

  By using a bead-shaped spacer as a spacer mixed in the adhesive, it can be easily set to a predetermined adhesive thickness.

  Furthermore, it is possible to form a curved display portion by thinning and bending the first substrate and the second substrate by chemical etching or the like. In this case, the third substrate can be bonded to the end of the first substrate or the second substrate, and the first substrate and the second substrate can be curved at a portion where the third substrate is not disposed.

  Furthermore, by filling the space (sealing space) where the first substrate and the second substrate are bonded together with dry air, nitrogen gas, inert gas, or the like, moisture is mixed into the sealing space or adsorbent is adsorbed. Moisture adsorption can be suppressed.

  Furthermore, the reason why the diameter of the spacer mixed with the adhesive for bonding the third substrate and the first substrate or the second substrate is 1 μm or more and 20 μm or less, more preferably 3 μm or more and 10 μm or less will be described. That is, it is known that the adhesive strength of an adhesive, particularly an epoxy adhesive with low moisture permeability, decreases as the adhesive thickness (determined by the spacer diameter) decreases. As a result of the experiment, a decrease in the adhesive strength was observed at 3 μm or less, and the adhesive strength was significantly decreased at less than 1 μm. Moreover, when the thickness of the adhesive is increased, not only the adhesive strength is lowered, but also the moisture entering through the adhesive is proportionally increased. As a result of the experiment, when the thickness exceeds 20 μm, a decrease in adhesive strength and a significant intrusion of water, that is, a decrease in sealing properties were observed. When the thickness was more than 10 μm and not more than 20 μm, no decrease in the adhesive strength was observed, but it was confirmed that the ingress of moisture, that is, the decrease in the sealing characteristics was large. From this, the appropriate range of the spacer material mixed with the adhesive can be determined.

  The depth of the concave portion of the third substrate is set to, for example, 0.05 mm or more and 1.00 mm or less, preferably 0.1 mm or more and 1.00 mm or less. This is because the lower limit is a sufficient thickness to secure a space for the adsorbed material, and the shallower the upper limit, the easier it is to form recesses.

  That is, as the hygroscopic material disposed in the concave portion of the third substrate, a resin obtained by mixing a hygroscopic material powder in the form of a film is often used. A thickness of about 0.2 mm is often used. When the depth of the recess is 0.05 mm or less, the amount of the moisture absorbent material that can be filled is extremely small, which is not desirable. Desirably, the thickness is preferably 0.1 mm or more where a resin film mixed with a hygroscopic material is easily formed. In addition, if the thickness of the recess exceeds 1 mm, the thickness of the third substrate also exceeds 1 mm, which is not desirable because the thickness of the display device increases. In addition, it becomes difficult to form the recess.

  The reason why the thicknesses of the first substrate and the second substrate are set to 0.01 mm to 0.3 mm, more preferably 0.05 mm to 0.2 mm will be described. That is, when the thickness of the substrate is 0.01 mm or less, the strength is extremely low, which is not desirable. A thickness between 0.01 mm and 0.05 mm is not desirable because a means for supplementing the strength of the substrate is required. If it is 0.05 mm or more, a certain level of strength is ensured in production. On the other hand, if it is 0.3 mm or more, it is difficult to curve the substrate, which is not desirable. In the case of 0.2 to 0.3 mm, the bending is possible, but the degree is small and the effect of bending is hardly recognized. In the case of 0.2 mm or less, it is desirable that a curve with an effect of curving of about R300 mm or less is obtained.

  Note that Patent Document 12 also describes a method of arranging hygroscopic materials partially together, but in this prior art, a structure in which a substrate on which a light emitting element is formed and a counter substrate having a recess are bonded together. A hygroscopic material is disposed inside the sealed container. In the present invention, a recess is formed by a third substrate having a smaller area than the second substrate, outside the sealing container formed by laminating the substrate on which the light emitting element is formed and the flat counter substrate, Since the hygroscopic material is disposed in the concave portion, even if the concave portion is processed, the processing can be easily performed at a lower price than the case of the second substrate.

  As described above, according to the present invention, even when a flat second substrate is used, the recessed portion of the third substrate increases the volume of the sealing space and arranges the adsorbing member such as the hygroscopic material. Space can be secured easily. Moisture that has entered the sealing space through the adhesive is adsorbed to the adsorbent in the recess of the third substrate through, for example, the through hole of the second substrate, so that the relative humidity of the sealing space is kept sufficiently low, Deterioration of the light emitting element can be prevented. In addition, by reducing the thickness of the adhesive sufficiently, even if the volume of the sealed space is not so large, the amount of moisture entering through the adhesive is reduced and the sealed space is kept at a lower humidity. Can do. Furthermore, since the third substrate has a smaller area than the second substrate, the third substrate can be processed at a low cost even if the recess processing is performed. Therefore, a display device having excellent sealing performance can be easily realized at low cost.

  In the case where a transparent display device in which the display portion is transparent and the background can be seen through is formed, a hygroscopic material cannot be disposed in the concave portion of the counter substrate. In addition, when the recess is processed by mechanical polishing, blasting, or chemical treatment, it is extremely difficult to make the surface state of the recess digging portion uniform, and the recess is formed on the second substrate as in the past. In some cases, it was difficult to ensure the transparency of the display unit. On the other hand, in the present invention using a flat plate for the second substrate, it is possible to secure a sufficient transparency and obtain a good display state. Therefore, a transparent display device having excellent sealing performance and low cost can be realized.

  Furthermore, a curved display device can be realized by processing a thin plate of the first substrate on which the light emitting element is formed and the second substrate to curve the display portion.

Hereinafter, a case where the display device of the present invention and Embodiments 1 to 3 of the manufacturing method thereof are applied to a thin film EL panel (EL display device) using a thin film EL element will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a configuration example of Embodiment 1 of a thin film EL panel according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a configuration example of the light emitting element part of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the thin-film EL panel 20 has an inorganic thin-film EL element 10 as a light-emitting element portion formed on a glass substrate 1 as a first substrate. A flat plate-shaped sealing counter substrate 11 as a substrate is disposed to face the substrate. A spacer material 12 is dispersed between the inorganic thin film EL element 10 and the sealing counter substrate 11, and the outer peripheral portion thereof is sealed with the inorganic thin film EL element 10 by an adhesive 13 mixed with the spacer material 12. The counter substrate 11 for use is bonded. A through-hole 14 is formed at the end of the sealing counter substrate 11 from the outer surface portion to the sealing space 18 between the inorganic thin film EL element 10 and the sealing counter substrate 11.

  A third substrate 15 having a recess is bonded to the outer surface portion of the outer peripheral end portion of the sealing counter substrate 11 with an adhesive 13 mixed with the spacer material 15 so that the recess is on the inner side. . In the recess of the third substrate 15, a hygroscopic material (or a drying material) 17 is disposed on the bottom surface of the recess as an adsorbent that adsorbs moisture and oxygen. The inside of the concave portion of the third substrate 15 and the sealing space 18 are communicated with each other through the through-hole 14, and moisture in the sealing space 18 is also adsorbed by the adsorbing substance.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the inorganic thin film EL element 10 includes a first transparent conductive pattern electrode 2, a first insulating layer 3, a light emitting layer 4 made of an inorganic material, and a second insulating layer 5 on a glass substrate 1. And the second transparent conductor pattern electrode 6 are sequentially laminated. Each of the first transparent conductor pattern electrode 2 and the second transparent conductor pattern electrode 6 has a plurality of strips parallel to each other, and the first transparent conductor pattern electrode 2 and the second transparent conductor pattern electrode 6 are It is formed in a crossing (or orthogonal) direction and is electrically connected to the AC voltage source 7. A light emitting layer sandwiched between the selected conductor pattern electrodes 2 and 6 by selectively applying a predetermined voltage from the AC voltage source 7 to the first transparent conductor pattern electrode 2 and the second transparent conductor pattern electrode 6 A predetermined voltage is applied to 4 through the insulating layers 3 and 5, and the portion of the light emitting layer 4 selectively emits light as a pixel so that characters, figures and the like are displayed in a dot matrix.

  Below, the manufacturing method of the thin film EL panel 20 of this Embodiment 1 is demonstrated.

  First, the inorganic thin film EL element 10 is formed on the glass substrate 1.

In this step, as shown in FIG. 2, a first transparent conductive pattern electrode 2 made of ITO is formed on a glass substrate 1, and SiO ₂ , Si ₃ N ₄ , SiON, Y ₂ O ₃ , Al ₂ is formed thereon. A first insulating layer 3 made of O ₃ , Ta ₂ O ₅ or the like is formed by a sputtering method.

  A light emitting layer 4 made of an inorganic material such as ZnS: Mn is formed on the first edge layer 3, and a second insulating layer 5 made of the same material as the first insulating layer 3 is formed thereon. As a result, a double insulating structure in which the light emitting layer 4 is sandwiched between the insulating layers 3 and 5 is formed.

  A strip-shaped second transparent conductive pattern electrode 6 made of ITO is disposed on the second insulating layer 5 so as to be orthogonal to the strip-shaped first transparent electrode pattern electrode 2. In the example of FIG. 2, a plurality of strip-shaped first transparent electrode pattern electrodes 2 are formed in a direction parallel to the paper surface of the drawing (FIG. 2), and a plurality of strip-shaped second electrodes are formed in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface. A transparent electrode pattern electrode 6 is formed. The first transparent electrode pattern electrode 2 and the second transparent electrode pattern electrode 6 are parallel to the surface of the glass substrate 1.

  Next, the glass substrate 1 on which the thin film EL element 10 is formed as the light emitting element portion as described above is bonded to the sealing counter substrate 11 and the light emitting element portion is sealed in the internal sealing space 18. To do.

  In this step, as shown in FIG. 1, an adhesive material 13 in which a spacer material 12 is mixed with an outer peripheral portion of a flat plate-shaped sealing counter substrate 11 in which a through hole 14 is formed in a recess of a third substrate 15 is applied. The spacer material 12 is applied and bonded to the glass substrate 1 dispersed on the surface of the thin film EL element 10.

  In addition, it is preferable that the diameter of the spacer material 12 in the adhesive material 13 and the spacer material 12 spread on the surface of the thin film EL element 10 are the same or close to each other, for example, 1 μm or more. It is 20 μm or less, preferably 3 μm or more and 10 μm or less, and it is preferable to use a bead-shaped spacer material. Moreover, as the adhesive 13, it is preferable to use an epoxy adhesive having a low moisture permeability. Further, the adhesive material 13 may be applied to the glass substrate 1 side on which the thin film EL element 10 is formed, and the spacer material 12 may be distributed to the flat plate-shaped sealing counter substrate 11 side. Further, the third substrate 15 is bonded to the glass substrate 1 or the sealing counter substrate 11 (in this embodiment, the sealing counter substrate 11) bonded as described above, with the recesses inside.

  In this step, as shown in FIG. 1, a hygroscopic material 17 as an adsorbing substance is disposed in the concave portion of the third substrate 15, and a UV adhesive material 13 mixed with a spacer material 16 is applied around the concave portion, The thin film EL panel 20 is manufactured by disposing the concave portion of the third substrate 15 in the through hole 14 of the counter substrate 11 and bonding the third substrate 15 and the sealing counter substrate 11 together.

  As the hygroscopic material 17, silica gel, zeolite, activated alumina, calcium oxide, strontium oxide, magnesium oxide, or the like can be used. In the first embodiment, calcium oxide powder having excellent hygroscopic properties is used as the resin. A moisture-absorbing sheet dispersed in was used. The depth of the concave portion of the third substrate 15 is set to 0.05 mm or more and 1.00 mm or less, preferably 0.1 mm or more and 1.00 mm or less, sufficient to install the moisture absorbing sheet.

  The diameter of the spacer material 12 in the adhesive 13 is, for example, 1 μm or more and 20 μm or less, preferably 3 μm or more and 10 μm or less, and it is preferable to use a bead-shaped spacer material. Moreover, as the adhesive 13, it is preferable to use an epoxy UV adhesive having a low moisture permeability.

  Further, the third substrate 15 and the glass substrate 1 on which the EL light emitting element 10 is formed may be bonded. In this case, a through hole 14 is provided on the glass substrate 1 side.

  Further, before the third substrate 15 having the recesses is bonded, dry air, nitrogen is introduced into the internal space (inside the sealing portion) where the glass substrate 1 on which the thin film EL element 10 is formed and the counter substrate 11 are bonded. It is preferable to fill with a gas or an inert gas. For example, it can also be realized by performing a bonding operation in a glove box or apparatus filled with dry air, nitrogen gas, inert gas, or the like.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, the hygroscopic material 17 is disposed in the recess after the glass substrate 1 on which the thin film EL element 10 is formed and the flat plate-shaped sealing counter substrate 11 are bonded together. Further, by performing the mounting process on the third substrate 15 in a low moisture atmosphere, it is possible to sufficiently suppress moisture mixing into the sealed space 18 and moisture adsorption of the moisture absorbent 17. For this reason, it was not necessary to perform the coating treatment of the adsorption inhibiting substance on the adsorbing substance. Further, the glass substrate 1 on which the thin film EL element 10 is formed and the flat plate-shaped sealing counter substrate 11 are bonded together, and the amount of moisture that enters the sealing space 18 through the adhesive 13 is small. A wide range of hygroscopic materials can be used, from silica gel having a relatively low hygroscopic amount to a hygroscopic material by chemical adsorption such as calcium oxide having a high hygroscopic amount.

  Further, by forming a recess in the third substrate 15, it is possible to sufficiently reduce the thickness of the adhesive 13 even if the flat counter substrate 11 is used. Since a hygroscopic material can be disposed on the surface, sufficiently excellent sealing characteristics can be obtained. Moisture that has entered the sealing space from the adhesive 13 is adsorbed to the hygroscopic material 17 disposed in the recess of the third substrate 15 through the through-hole 12 of the opposing substrate 11 for sealing, and therefore the relative humidity of the sealing space Can be kept sufficiently low.

  In the first embodiment, since the recess is provided in the third substrate 15 which is much smaller than the counter substrate 11 for sealing, sealing is performed compared to the conventional technique in which the recess is provided in the counter substrate 11 for sealing. Although the volume of the space 18 is not large, since the thickness of the adhesive 13 can be sufficiently reduced, the amount of moisture that enters the sealed space 18 through the cross section of the adhesive 13 is small. In addition, by using a calcium oxide hygroscopic material that is irreversible and exhibits strong moisture absorption characteristics in the low moisture permeability region as the hygroscopic material 17, the moisture that has entered the sealed space through the adhesive 13 is almost completely absorbed by calcium oxide. Since it is adsorbed by the material, it is possible to keep the sealing space 18 at a very low humidity, and it is possible to realize very excellent sealing characteristics. Further, although the third substrate 15 subjected to the recess processing is used, since the area is far smaller than that of the sealing counter substrate 11, the recess processing can be performed at low cost. Therefore, a display device having excellent sealing performance can be realized at low cost.

Further, in the case of manufacturing a transparent display device in which the display portion is transparent and the background can be seen through, if the hygroscopic material 17 is disposed in the concave portion of the sealing counter substrate 11, the transparency of the display portion cannot be obtained. Further, even if mechanical polishing, blasting or chemical treatment is used for processing the recess, it is extremely difficult to make the surface state of the recess digging portion uniform, and the transparency of the display portion can be ensured. Have difficulty. On the other hand, in the first embodiment, the flat counter substrate 11 is used, and the hygroscopic material 17 is disposed in the concave portion of the third substrate 15, so that sufficient transparency can be secured in the display unit. it can. Therefore, a transparent display device having excellent sealing characteristics can be realized at low cost.
(Embodiment 2)
In the second embodiment, a curved display device in which a first substrate (glass substrate 1) on which a light emitting element is formed and a second substrate which is a sealing counter substrate 11 are curved so that a display portion has a curved shape will be described. .

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an essential part showing a configuration example of Embodiment 2 of the thin film EL panel according to the present invention. FIG. 4 shows the first substrate and the second substrate in the manufacturing process of the thin film EL panel of FIG. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows the shape before curving.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in the thin film EL panel 20A, the inorganic thin film EL element 10 as the light emitting element portion is formed on the glass substrate 1 as the first substrate, as in the case of the thin film EL panel 20 of the first embodiment. Then, on the light emitting element forming side surface, a flat plate-shaped sealing counter substrate 11 as a second substrate is arranged to face.

  A spacer material 12 is dispersed between the surface of the inorganic thin film EL element 10 and the sealing counter substrate 11, and is bonded to the outer peripheral portion by an adhesive material 13 in which the spacer material 12 is mixed. A through hole 14 extending from the outer surface to the sealing space 18 is formed at the end of the sealing counter substrate 11.

  A third substrate 15 having a concave portion is bonded to an end portion of the sealing counter substrate 11 with an adhesive 13 mixed with a spacer material 16 on the outer surface. In the recess of the third substrate 15, a hygroscopic material 17 (or a drying material) is disposed as an adsorbing material that adsorbs moisture and oxygen. In addition, the inside of the recess of the third substrate 15 communicates with the sealing space 18 between the glass substrate 1 and the sealing counter substrate 11 and the through hole 14.

  Moreover, in the thin film EL panel 20A of the second embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the glass substrate 1 on which the EL light emitting element 10 is formed and the sealing counter substrate 11 are formed into a thin plate shape. The surface on which the three substrates 15 are not arranged is curved, and the display portion A is curved.

  As in the case of the thin film EL panel 20 of the first embodiment, the inorganic thin film EL element 10 includes a first transparent conductive pattern electrode 2, a first insulating layer 3, and a glass substrate 1, as shown in FIG. The light emitting layer 4 made of an inorganic material, the second insulating layer 5, and the second transparent conductor pattern electrode 6 are sequentially laminated. Each of the first transparent conductor pattern electrode 2 and the second transparent conductor pattern electrode 6 is formed in a strip shape in parallel with each other, and the first transparent conductor pattern electrode 2 and the second transparent conductor pattern electrode 6 intersect each other. It is formed in a direction and is electrically connected to the AC voltage source 7. By selectively applying a voltage from the AC voltage source 7 to the first transparent conductor pattern electrode 2 and the second transparent conductor pattern electrode 6, the light emitting layer 4 sandwiched between the two selected conductor pattern electrodes. A voltage is applied to the first and second layers through the insulating layers 3 and 5, and the light emitting layer 4 selectively emits light as a pixel to display characters, figures, etc. in a dot matrix. At this time, since the glass substrate 1 and the sealing counter substrate 11 are curved and the display portion is curved, characters / graphics are displayed on the curved surface.

  Below, the manufacturing method of 20 A of thin film EL panels of this Embodiment 2 is demonstrated.

  First, the inorganic thin film EL element 10 is formed on the glass substrate 1. This step can be performed in the same manner as in Embodiment 1 to form the inorganic thin film EL element 10 as shown in FIG.

  Next, the glass substrate 1 on which the inorganic thin film EL element 10 is formed as a light emitting element is bonded to the sealing counter substrate 11 to seal the light emitting element portion in the internal sealing space 18.

  In this step, as shown in FIG. 4, an adhesive material 13 mixed with a spacer material 12 is applied to the outer peripheral portion of a flat plate-shaped sealing counter substrate 11, and this is applied to the glass substrate 1 on which the spacer material 12 is dispersed. Paste.

  The diameter of the spacer material 12 in the adhesive 13 and the diameter of the spacer material 12 dispersed on the glass substrate 1 are preferably the same or close to each other, for example, 1 μm or more and 20 μm. The diameter is preferably about 3 μm or more and 10 μm or less, and a bead-shaped spacer material is preferably used. Moreover, as the adhesive 13, it is preferable to use an epoxy adhesive having a low moisture permeability. Further, the adhesive material 13 may be applied to the glass substrate 1 side on which the thin film EL element 10 is formed, and the spacer material 12 may be dispersed to the flat counter substrate 11 side.

  Next, the glass substrate 1 on which the inorganic thin film EL element 10 is formed and the counter substrate 11 for sealing are thinned.

  In this process, after masking a necessary portion such as an electrode portion of the bonded substrate, a chemical etching treatment is performed by immersing in a hydrofluoric acid-based etching solution, for example, so that the glass substrate 1 is opposed to the sealing substrate. Each of the substrates 11 is thinned. Thereby, the substrates 1 and 11 having a thickness of, for example, 0.7 mm before thinning are thinned to a thickness of 0.01 mm to 0.3 mm, preferably 0.05 mm to 0.2 mm. .

  Next, the through-hole 14 is formed in the position corresponding to the recessed part of the 3rd board | substrate 15 with respect to the glass substrate 1 or counter substrate 11 in which the thin film EL element 10 was formed.

  In this step, in the second embodiment, for example, the through hole 12 is formed in the sealing counter substrate 11 using a laser.

  In addition, you may make it form the through-hole 14 in the position corresponding to the recessed part of the 3rd board | substrate 15 with respect to the glass substrate 1 in which EL light emitting element 10 was formed.

  Next, the 3rd board | substrate 16 which has a recessed part is bonded to the glass substrate 1 or the counter substrate 11 in which the through-hole 12 was formed as mentioned above.

  In this step, as shown in FIG. 4, a hygroscopic material 17 is disposed in the concave portion of the third substrate 15, and a UV adhesive material 13 mixed with a spacer material 16 is applied around the concave portion. The recessed part of the 3rd board | substrate 15 is arrange | positioned in the position containing the through-hole 12 of the board | substrate 11, and the 3rd board | substrate 15 and the opposing board | substrate 11 for sealing are bonded together.

  As the hygroscopic material 17, silica gel, zeolite, activated alumina, calcium oxide, strontium oxide, magnesium oxide, or the like can be used. In the second embodiment, calcium oxide powder having excellent hygroscopic properties is used as the resin. A dispersed moisture absorbing sheet was used. The depth of the concave portion of the third substrate 15 is set to 0.05 mm or more and 1.00 mm or less, preferably 0.1 mm or more and 1.00 mm or less, sufficient to install the moisture absorbing sheet.

  The diameter of the spacer material 16 in the adhesive 13 is, for example, about 1 μm to 20 μm, preferably about 3 μm to 10 μm, and it is preferable to use a bead-shaped spacer material. Moreover, as the adhesive 13, it is preferable to use an epoxy UV adhesive having a low moisture permeability.

  Further, the third substrate 15 and the glass substrate 1 on which the EL light emitting element 10 is formed may be bonded together. In this case, the through hole 14 is provided on the end side of the glass substrate 1, and the inside of the concave portion of the third substrate 15 is communicated with the sealing space 18 through the through hole 14.

  Further, before the third substrate 15 having the recesses is bonded, the dry air, nitrogen is contained in the sealing space 18 in which the glass substrate 1 on which the thin film EL element 10 is formed and the counter substrate 11 for sealing are bonded. It is preferable to fill with a gas or an inert gas. For example, this can be realized by performing a bonding operation in a glove box or apparatus filled with dry air, nitrogen gas, inert gas, or the like.

  Thereafter, the glass substrate 1 on which the thin film EL element 10 is formed and the sealing counter substrate 11 are curved at a portion where the third substrate 15 is not disposed.

  In this step, after connecting a driving IC (not shown) to the electrode portion of the thin-film EL panel 20A, the sealed glass substrate 1 and the sealing counter substrate 11 are bent and deformed into a curved shape as shown in FIG. By doing so, a curved surface display device having a curved surface display portion A can be manufactured.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, the glass substrate 1 on which the thin film EL element 10 as the light emitting element is formed and the sealing counter substrate 11 are processed into a thin plate. Therefore, the curved surface display device can be realized by curving the display portion A.

  In a conventional curved display device, for example, a light emitting element is formed on a plastic substrate or a thin glass substrate and sealed with an organic film such as a thin film or a polymer. It was not able to endure practical use time such as. On the other hand, the curved display device of the second embodiment has a use time and a sealing characteristic that can sufficiently withstand practical use.

Using the curved surface display device of the second embodiment, for example, curved surface display on the inside panel of the vehicle, curved surface display by arranging it corresponding to the curvature of the windshield of the vehicle, and further corresponding to the curvature of the rotating body in the gaming machine It is possible to realize curved surface display on a rotating body by installing them.
(Embodiment 3)
In the third embodiment, a case will be described in which a curved surface can be displayed on a rotating body by installing the gaming machine corresponding to the curvature of the rotating body.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a configuration example when the curved display device of the second embodiment is applied to the gaming machine of the third embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in the gaming machine 30 of the third embodiment, the thin film EL panel 20 </ b> A of the second embodiment is curved according to the curvature of the rotating body 31, and the thin film EL panel 20 </ b> A is It is arranged so as to overlap. Accordingly, the number on the surface of the rotating body 31 can be seen through the curved display portion A so as to overlap the dot matrix display of the curved display portion A by the thin film EL element 10, thereby realizing a curved transparent display device. Can do.

  As described above, according to the first to third embodiments, the glass substrate 1 on which the thin film EL light emitting element 10 is formed and the flat plate-shaped sealing counter substrate 11 for sealing the thin film EL light emitting element 10 are attached. The third substrate 15 having a recess that allows the through space 14 to communicate with the sealing space 18 between the glass substrate 1 and the sealing counter substrate 11 is bonded to the sealing counter substrate 11. Even if the flat counter substrate 11 for sealing is used, the volume of the internal space can be increased by the recesses of the third substrate 15 and the sealing space 18. In addition, a hygroscopic material 17 is disposed in the concave portion of the third substrate 15, and the relative humidity of the sealing space 18 communicating with the concave portion can be reduced. Further, the concave portion of the third substrate 15 may have a small area as compared to the case where the concave portion is formed in the sealing counter substrate 11. Thereby, in the EL thin-film panels 20 and 20A, good sealing performance can be obtained using the low-cost flat plate-shaped counter substrate 11 for sealing.

  In the first to third embodiments, the thin film EL element 10, particularly an example using the inorganic thin film EL element has been described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and in the present invention, the organic thin film EL element, the organic thin film EL element, and the inorganic thin film Light emission using an organic EL element such as an organic / inorganic hybrid EL element in combination with an EL element, an EL element such as a thick film / thin film hybrid EL element in which a thick film EL element and a thin film EL element are combined, and other light emitting elements It is applicable to a display device of a type.

  Here, modified examples of the first and second embodiments will be described.

  In the first and second embodiments, the through hole 14 is provided by processing the first substrate 1 or the second substrate 11. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the first substrate 1 or the second substrate 1 can be used instead of the through hole 14. The present invention can also be applied to a case where a portion where the substance (adhesive material 13) for fixing the substrate 11 is not partially formed is a communication space where the recess of the third substrate 15 and the sealing space 18 are communicated.

  In the first to third embodiments, the material of the third substrate 15 having the recesses is not particularly described. However, the film is made of glass, metal, and at least one metal layer and at least one resin layer. Any of (laminated film or laminated sheet) may be used and processed to form a recess.

  The third substrate 15 having recesses can be generally processed glass, but in addition, a metal plate drawn into a shape having recesses and generally used for food preservation. It is also conceivable that the resin film on which the metal layers are laminated is subjected to drawing processing in the same manner as the metal plate by heat or pressure to form a shape having a recess. The resin film in which the metal layer is laminated has excellent moisture barrier properties due to the metal layer.

For example, the third substrate 15 is any one of A glass, B metal, and C laminate film (resin film in which metal layers are laminated), and a communication space that communicates the concave portion of the third substrate 15 with the sealing space 18. The following (Table 2) shows combinations in which any one of the following (A) to (U) is used.
(A) A method of processing the through hole 14 in the first substrate 1 or the second substrate 11 (for example, making a hole), and the communication space is a through hole formed on one substrate side to which the third substrate is fixed. 14 (see FIGS. 6 to 8).
(A) A system in which a part of the substance (adhesive 13) for fixing the first substrate 1 or the second substrate 11 is not formed (the fourth substrate 23 for correcting the substrate plate thickness difference is used). And a fourth substrate 23 fixed on one side of the second substrate 11 and on the other substrate end surface side, and a notch 22 is provided on the end surface of the fourth substrate 23. Communication spaces are provided between the substrate end face sides and a part 21 between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 11 (see FIGS. 9 to 11).
(C) A system in which a part of the substance (adhesive material 13) for fixing the first substrate 1 or the second substrate 11 is not formed (processed into a shape in which the plate thickness difference is corrected as the third substrates 15G to 15I). The substrates 15G to 15I are fixed on the outer surfaces of the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 11, and the communication space is one of the end surfaces of the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 11 and any one of the third substrates 15G to 15I. Between the first and second recesses, and a portion 21 between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 11.

Ｂ金属、Ｃラミネートフイルムは、外観的にほぼ同じため同じ図としているが、厚さが以下のように異なる。

The B metal and the C laminate film are almost the same in appearance, and therefore the same figure is used, but the thicknesses are different as follows.

  B metal is a stainless steel plate with a thickness of 100 to 500 μm, which is drawn by applying pressure using a die to form a recess (thickness is less than 100 μm, strength is weak, and processing over 500 μm is difficult) .

  C laminate film is a three-layered film in which a PET resin with a thickness of 10 to 100 μm, AL (aluminum) with a thickness of 10 to 100 μm, and a PET resin with a thickness of 10 to 100 μm are laminated. Use, heat and pressure to draw and form recesses (PET resin is weak when its thickness is 10 μm or less, difficult to process when it is 100 μm or more, AL is 10 μm or less in thickness) The moisture barrier property is poor, and if it is 100 μm or more, processing is difficult).

  7 and 8 differ from the third substrate 15A in FIG. 6 only in the materials and thicknesses of the third substrates 15B and 15C.

  9 to 11, a portion 21 that does not partially form a substance (adhesive 13 used for bonding) that fixes the first substrate 1, the second substrate 11, and the fourth substrate 23 is provided. The fourth substrate 23 has the same thickness as the second substrate 11 and is mixed with the spacer 12 in the fourth substrate 23 having the cutout portion 22 as a cutting portion. Then, the third substrate 15D, 15E, or 15F is bonded with the concave portion inside. The sealing space 18 between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 11 communicates with the recess of the third substrate 15D, 15E, or 15F through a communication space including a portion 21 where the adhesive 13 is not partially formed and a notch 22. And seal.

  12 to 14, the third substrate 15G, 15H, or 15I formed into a shape that takes into account the plate thickness difference of the second substrate 11 is used, and the sealing space 18 between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 11 is: Through the portion 21 where the adhesive 13 is not partially formed, the third substrate 15G, 15H or 15I is communicated with and sealed in the concave portion of the third substrate 15G, 15H or 15I.

  Note that the cost of each of the above methods is that the method using B metal and C laminate film requires a new mold and molding equipment, so initial costs are required, but the unit price is high when the production volume is large. Go down. On the other hand, the method using A glass is more advantageous in price than B metal or C laminate film when the production quantity is relatively small. In addition, the difference in the method of forming the through holes 14 of A, B, and C in Table 2 is different depending on the shape and size of the display portion, although the material price, yield, and sealing characteristics of each substrate are different. Should be selected according to the characteristics of the display device to be manufactured.

  Further, FIG. 15 shows the case where the third substrate 15 is provided on the left front side in plan view in the case of FIG. 1, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the third substrate 15 is provided on the back left side in plan view. Alternatively, the third substrate 15 may be provided on the back side of the right hand in plan view, the third substrate 15 may be provided on the front side of the right hand in plan view, and the third substrate 15 may be provided on the left or right hand side in plan view. It may be provided at an intermediate position before and after.

  A modification of the method for manufacturing the display device according to the first and second embodiments will be described.

The method for manufacturing the display device of the first embodiment (Modification A) is as follows.
A step of forming the light emitting element 10 on the first substrate 11; a through-hole 14 is formed in the second substrate 11 or the first substrate 1; and the second substrate 11 and the first substrate 1 are sealed between the two substrates. The step of bonding so as to have the light emitting element 10 in the space 18, and the third substrate 15 having the recess and the first substrate 1 or the second substrate 11 are placed in the sealed space 18 through the through hole 14 in the recess. And a third substrate bonding step of bonding so as to communicate and seal.

Moreover, the manufacturing method (modification example A) of the display device of the second embodiment is as follows.
A step of forming the light emitting element 10 on the first substrate 1, a step of bonding the second substrate 11 and the first substrate 1 so as to have the light emitting element 10 in the sealed space 18 between the two substrates, A thinning step for thinning the substrate 1 and the second substrate 11, a through hole forming step for forming a through hole 14 in the thinned first substrate 1 or the second substrate 11, a third substrate 15 and a thin plate having recesses And a third substrate bonding step of bonding the first substrate 1 or the second substrate 11 thus formed so that the inside of the recess communicates with the sealed space 18 through the through hole 14 and is sealed.

In this case, as a modification example (FIGS. 9 to 11) of the method for manufacturing the display device of the first embodiment,
The step of forming the light emitting element 10 on the first substrate 1, the fourth substrate 23 provided with the notch 22 on the end face, the flat second substrate 11 and the first substrate 1, and the notch 22 The end surface of the second substrate 11 is opposed to the light emitting element 10 in the sealing space 18 between the second substrate 11 and the first substrate 1, and the space between the notch 22 and the end surface of the second substrate 11. The step of bonding so as to leave a communication space that allows communication between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 11, and the fourth substrate 23. The recess communicates with the sealing space 18 through the communication space between the notch 22 and the end surface of the second substrate 11 and the communication space of the part 21 between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 11. And a third substrate laminating step for laminating and sealing To.

  When this modified example (FIGS. 9 to 11) is used as modified example (a) of the second embodiment, a step of forming the light emitting element 10 on the first substrate 1 and a first step in which a notch 22 is provided on the end face are provided. The sealing space between the second substrate 11 and the first substrate 1 with the four substrates 23 and the flat second substrate 11 and the first substrate 1 facing each other with the notch 11 and the end surface of the second substrate 11 facing each other. A step of bonding the first substrate 1, the first substrate 1, the first substrate 1, the first substrate 1, and the second substrate 11. The thinning step of thinning the two substrates 11 and the fourth substrate 23, any of the third substrates 15D to 15F having the recesses, the thinned first substrate 1 or the second substrate 11, and the thinned fourth substrate 23, the inside of the recess is between the notch 22 and the end face of the second substrate 11 And a third substrate bonding step of bonding so that communicates with the sealed space 18 and sealed through the communication space, and part 21 communicating the space between the first substrate 1 and second substrate 11.

Further, as a modified example C (FIGS. 12 to 14) of the method of manufacturing the display device of the first embodiment,
The step of forming the light emitting element 10 on the first substrate 1, the flat plate-like second substrate 11 and the first substrate 1, the light emitting element 10 in the sealing space 18 between the two substrates, and this sealing A step of bonding so as to leave a communication space that communicates in the space 18, and any of the third substrates 15 </ b> G to 15 </ b> I having the recesses and the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 11 are sealed in the recesses through the communication space. And a third substrate laminating step for laminating so as to communicate with and be hermetically sealed.

When this modified example C (FIGS. 12 to 14) is a modified example C of the second embodiment,
The step of forming the light emitting element 10 on the first substrate 1, the flat plate-like second substrate 11 and the first substrate 1, the light emitting element 10 in the sealing space 18 between both substrates, and the sealing space 18, the step of pasting so as to leave a communication space that communicates within 18, the thinning step of thinning the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 11, and any of the third substrates 15 </ b> G to 15 </ b> I having recesses, A third substrate bonding step of bonding the first substrate 1 or the second substrate 11 so that the inside of the recess communicates with the sealed space 18 through the communication space and is sealed.

  As mentioned above, although this invention has been illustrated using preferable Embodiment 1-3 of this invention, this invention should not be limited and limited to this Embodiment 1-3. It is understood that the scope of the present invention should be construed only by the claims. It is understood that those skilled in the art can implement an equivalent range based on the description of the present invention and the common general technical knowledge from the description of specific preferred embodiments 1 to 3 of the present invention. Patents, patent applications, and documents cited herein should be incorporated by reference in their entirety, as if the contents themselves were specifically described herein. Understood.

  The present invention uses a flat sealing counter substrate in the field of light-emitting display devices using EL elements such as inorganic EL elements and organic EL elements as light-emitting elements and other light-emitting elements and methods for manufacturing the same. However, the concave portion of the third substrate increases the volume of the sealing space, and an adsorbing member such as a hygroscopic material is disposed inside the concave portion to keep the relative humidity of the sealing space sufficiently low, thereby deteriorating the light emitting element. Can be prevented.

  Moreover, in the thin film EL panel of the present invention, by sufficiently reducing the thickness of the adhesive material, the amount of moisture entering through the adhesive material portion can be reduced, and the sealed space can be kept at a low humidity.

  Furthermore, since a flat sealing counter substrate can be used for the thin film EL panel of the present invention, a display device having excellent sealing performance can be realized at low cost.

  Furthermore, the thin film EL panel of the present invention can be applied to a transparent display device or a curved display device, and these can also be applied to a gaming machine.

It is principal part sectional drawing which shows the structural example of Embodiment 1 of the thin film EL panel which concerns on this invention. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows the structural example of the light emitting element part of FIG. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows the structural example of Embodiment 2 of the thin film EL panel which concerns on this invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing the shapes of the first substrate and the second substrate of FIG. 3 before bending in the manufacturing process of the thin film EL panel according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structural example at the time of applying the curved-surface display apparatus of this Embodiment 2 to the game machine of this Embodiment 3. FIG. (A) And (b) is the top view and principal part sectional drawing which show typically the modification 1 with respect to Embodiment 1 of the thin film EL panel which concerns on this invention. (A) And (b) is the top view and principal part sectional drawing which show typically the modification 2 with respect to Embodiment 1 of the thin film EL panel which concerns on this invention. (A) And (b) is the top view and principal part sectional drawing which show typically the modification 3 with respect to Embodiment 1 of the thin film EL panel which concerns on this invention. (A) And (b) is the top view and principal part sectional drawing which show typically the modification 4 with respect to Embodiment 1 of the thin film EL panel which concerns on this invention. (A) And (b) is the top view and principal part sectional drawing which show typically the modification 5 with respect to Embodiment 1 of the thin film EL panel which concerns on this invention. (A) And (b) is the top view and principal part sectional drawing which show typically the modification 6 with respect to Embodiment 1 of the thin film EL panel which concerns on this invention. (A) And (b) is the top view and principal part sectional drawing which show typically the modification 7 with respect to Embodiment 1 of the thin film EL panel which concerns on this invention. (A) And (b) is the top view and principal part sectional drawing which show typically the modification 8 with respect to Embodiment 1 of the thin film EL panel which concerns on this invention. (A) And (b) is the top view and principal part sectional drawing which show typically the modification 9 with respect to Embodiment 1 of the thin film EL panel which concerns on this invention. (A) And (b) is the top view and principal part sectional drawing which show the modification 10 of Embodiment 1 of the thin film EL panel which concerns on this invention. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows the principal part structural example of the conventional thin film EL panel.

Explanation of symbols

1 First substrate (glass substrate)
2 1st transparent conductive pattern electrode 3 1st insulating layer 4 light emitting layer 5 2nd insulating layer 6 2nd transparent conductor pattern electrode 7 AC voltage source 10 thin film EL light emitting element 11 2nd board | substrate (opposite board | substrate for sealing)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12,16 Spacer material 13 Adhesive material 14 Through-hole 15,15A-15I 3rd board | substrate 17 Hygroscopic material 18 Sealing space 20, 20A Thin film EL panel 30 Game machine 31 Rotating body 21 Portion which does not form one part of adhesive material 22 Cutting Notch 23 Fourth substrate

Claims (35)

A first substrate having a light emitting element formed on the surface and a flat plate-like second substrate are opposed to each other and fixed so as to have the light emitting element in a sealed space between the two substrates.
A third substrate having a recess is fixed to seal the inside of the recess on the outer surface of at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate with the recess as an inside;
A display device, wherein a communication space for communicating the sealing space and the inside of the recess is provided on one substrate side to which the third substrate is fixed or on an end surface side of the substrate.   The display device according to claim 1, wherein the communication space is a through hole formed on one substrate side to which the third substrate is fixed.   And further including a fourth substrate fixed on one of the first substrate and the second substrate and on the other side of the substrate end surface, the notch portion being provided on the end surface of the fourth substrate, the notch The display device according to claim 1, wherein the communication space is provided between a portion and the substrate end face side and a part between the first substrate and the second substrate.   The third substrate is fixed on the outer surfaces of the first substrate and the second substrate, and the communication space is between one end face side of the first substrate and the second substrate and the concave portion of the third substrate, The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display device is provided in a part between the first substrate and the second substrate.   The display device according to claim 1, wherein the third substrate is one of glass, metal, and a resin film in which a metal layer is laminated.   The display device according to claim 5, wherein either the metal or the resin film on which the metal layer is laminated is subjected to a drawing process to form the concave portion.   The display device according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting element is an inorganic thin film EL (Electro Luminescence) element, an organic thin film EL element, an organic / inorganic hybrid EL element, or a thick film / thin film hybrid EL element.   The display device according to claim 1, wherein an adsorbing substance that adsorbs the specific substance is disposed in the concave portion of the third substrate.   The display device according to claim 8, wherein the adsorbing substance is a material that adsorbs at least water out of moisture and oxygen as the specific substance.   The display device according to claim 8, wherein the adsorbing substance is a hygroscopic material or a desiccant.   The display device according to claim 8, wherein the adsorbing substance is at least one of silica gel, zeolite, activated alumina, calcium oxide, strontium oxide, and magnesium oxide.   2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are bonded together by an adhesive mixed with a spacer having a diameter of 1 μm to 20 μm.   2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are bonded to each other with an adhesive mixed with a spacer having a diameter of 3 μm to 10 μm.   The display device according to claim 1, wherein the third substrate and the first substrate or the second substrate are bonded to each other with an adhesive mixed with a spacer having a diameter of 1 μm to 20 μm.   2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the third substrate and the first substrate or the second substrate are bonded to each other with an adhesive mixed with a spacer having a diameter of 3 μm to 10 μm.   The display device according to claim 12, wherein the spacer has a bead shape.   The display device according to claim 1, wherein the third substrate and the first substrate or the second substrate are bonded together by a UV (ultraviolet) curable adhesive.   The display device according to claim 12, wherein the adhesive is an epoxy adhesive.   18. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the depth of the concave portion of the third substrate is set to 0.05 mm or more and 1.00 mm or less.   18. The display device according to claim 1, wherein a depth of the concave portion of the third substrate is set to 0.1 mm or more and 1.00 mm or less.   The display device according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are curved and the display unit is a curved surface.   The third substrate is fixed on a surface of an end portion of the first substrate or the second substrate, and the first substrate and the second substrate are curved at a portion where the third substrate is not disposed. Item 22. The display device according to Item 21.   23. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the first substrate and the second substrate is set to 0.01 mm or more and 0.3 mm or less.   23. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the first substrate and the second substrate is set to 0.05 mm or more and 0.2 mm or less.   The display device according to any one of claims 1, 12 to 15, 17 and 21 to 24, wherein a specific gas is filled in a sealed space between the first substrate and the second substrate.   The display device according to claim 25, wherein the specific gas is at least one of dry air, nitrogen gas, and inert gas. Forming a light emitting element on the first substrate;
Forming a through hole in the second substrate or the first substrate, and bonding the second substrate and the first substrate so as to have the light emitting element in a sealed space between the substrates;
A third substrate bonding step of bonding a third substrate having a recess and the first substrate or the second substrate so that the inside of the recess communicates with the sealed space through the through hole and is sealed. A method for manufacturing a display device. Forming the light emitting element on a first substrate;
Bonding the second substrate and the first substrate so as to have the light emitting element in the sealed space between the two substrates;
A thinning step of thinning the first substrate and the second substrate;
A through hole forming step of forming a through hole in the thinned first substrate or the second substrate;
A third substrate bonding step in which the third substrate having the recess and the thinned first substrate or the second substrate are bonded so that the inside of the recess is communicated with and sealed in the sealing space through the through hole; A method for manufacturing a display device. Forming a light emitting element on the first substrate;
A fourth substrate having a notch on the end surface, a flat plate-like second substrate, and the first substrate, the notch and the end surface of the second substrate facing each other, and the second substrate and the second substrate A step of having the light emitting element in the sealed space between the first substrates, and bonding so as to leave a communication space that communicates the space between the notch and the end surface of the second substrate in the sealed space; ,
The third substrate having a recess, the first substrate or the second substrate, and the fourth substrate, the inside of the recess, the communication space between the cutout and the end surface of the second substrate, and the second substrate A method of manufacturing a display device, comprising: a third substrate bonding step in which a part of the communication space between one substrate and the second substrate is passed and bonded so as to communicate with and be sealed in the sealing space. Forming the light emitting element on a first substrate;
A fourth substrate having a notch on the end surface, a flat plate-like second substrate, and the first substrate, the notch and the end surface of the second substrate facing each other, and the second substrate and the second substrate A step of having the light emitting element in the sealed space between the first substrates, and bonding so as to leave a communication space that communicates the space between the notch and the end surface of the second substrate in the sealed space; ,
A thinning step of thinning the first substrate, the second substrate, and the fourth substrate;
A communication space between the notch and the end surface of the second substrate, the third substrate having a recess, the first or second substrate made thin, and the fourth substrate made thin; And a third substrate bonding step in which the first substrate and the second substrate are bonded to each other through the communication space between the first substrate and the second substrate so as to communicate with and be sealed in the sealed space. Forming a light emitting element on the first substrate;
Bonding the flat second substrate and the first substrate so as to have the light emitting element in the sealing space between the two substrates and leave a communication space communicating with the sealing space;
A third substrate bonding step of bonding a third substrate having a recess, the first substrate, and the second substrate so that the inside of the recess communicates and seals with the sealed space through the communication space. A method for manufacturing a display device. Forming the light emitting element on a first substrate;
Bonding the flat second substrate and the first substrate so as to have the light emitting element in the sealing space between the two substrates and leave a communication space communicating with the sealing space;
A thinning step of thinning the first substrate and the second substrate;
A third substrate bonding step of bonding the third substrate having a recess and the thinned first substrate or the second substrate so that the inside of the recess communicates and seals with the sealing space through the communication space. A method for manufacturing a display device.   33. The method for manufacturing a display device according to claim 28, further comprising a step of bending the first substrate and the second substrate into a predetermined curved surface after the third substrate bonding step.   33. The method for manufacturing a display device according to claim 28, wherein the thinning step comprises thinning the first substrate and the second substrate by chemical etching.   29. The method for manufacturing a display device according to claim 27, wherein the through hole forming step forms a through hole at a predetermined position of the first substrate or the second substrate by laser irradiation.

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