JP2007080633A - Electroluminescence device and manufacturing method and inspection method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a manufacturing method and an inspection method of organic EL device which include a step for deciding a shutoff effect of a protection layer, and to provide an organic EL device which has a structure capable of realizing the step for deciding the shutoff effect of the protection layer. <P>SOLUTION: The organic EL device has a substrate, an organic EL element 14 formed on the substrate, and a protection layer 26 formed on the upper surface of the organic EL element 14. The manufacturing method and the inspection method of organic EL element comprise a step for applying a voltage between the upper surface side and the lower surface side of the protection layer 26, and a step for deciding presence or absence of a defect of the protection layer 26 on the basis whether a current flows through the protection layer 26. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an electroluminescence (hereinafter referred to as “EL”) device. Specifically, the present invention relates to an inspection method for an EL device in which a protective layer is provided on the surface of an EL element. The present invention also relates to an EL device having a structure capable of suitably realizing such a manufacturing method and inspection method.

The EL device includes an EL element in which an EL layer (light emitting layer) is sandwiched between a pair of electrode layers. The EL device functions as an illuminating device or an image display device by applying a voltage between two electrode layers of an EL element to emit light emitted from a light emitting material contained in the light emitting layer.
In order for the EL device to function as a lighting device or an image display device, the light emission luminance of the EL device is important. The light emission luminance of the EL device is determined by the current flowing through the EL element, and the current flowing through the EL element is determined by the voltage applied to the EL element. Therefore, in order for the EL device to have a predetermined light emission luminance within a predetermined power consumption range, the EL element must emit light with a predetermined luminance when a predetermined voltage is applied to the EL element (that is, EL The device must have predetermined light emission characteristics). For this reason, it is inspected whether or not the EL element has a predetermined light emission characteristic at the manufacturing stage of the EL device, and EL elements that do not have the predetermined light emission characteristic are removed from the production line.

  As a method for inspecting the light emission characteristics of an EL element in a manufacturing process, for example, an inspection method described in Patent Document 1 is known. In the inspection method of Patent Document 1, an inspection voltage is applied to an inspection EL element formed on a substrate to emit light, and a voltage when the inspection EL element emits light with a predetermined luminance is measured. Next, the measured voltage is compared with a preset threshold voltage to determine whether or not the EL element has a predetermined light emission characteristic. According to the inspection method described in Patent Document 1, only an EL element having good light emission characteristics is sent to the subsequent manufacturing process, and an EL device having good light emission characteristics can be obtained.

JP 2004-192925 A

  According to the above-described technique, an EL device having good light emission characteristics can be obtained, but the light emission luminance of the EL device may decrease with time. As a cause of the decrease in luminance of the EL device over time, the light emitting layer and the electrode layer of the EL element are deteriorated by the intrusion of moisture or gas. For this reason, a protective layer made of an insulating material may be formed on the surface of the EL element for the purpose of preventing moisture and gas from entering from the outside. If the shielding effect of the protective layer formed on the surface of the EL element is high, a decrease in luminance of the EL device can be suppressed over a long period of time. Therefore, in order to ensure that the EL device has high luminance over a long period of time, it is necessary to inspect the shielding effect of the protective layer in the manufacturing process of the EL device. The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and in a method for manufacturing an EL device in which a protective layer is provided on the surface of an EL element, the protective layer provided on the surface of the EL element prevents intrusion of moisture, gas, or the like. It is an object of the present invention to provide an EL device manufacturing method and an inspection method capable of ensuring that a decrease in luminance of an EL device is suppressed over a long period of time by determining whether or not the protective layer has a high shielding effect. And It is another object of the present invention to provide an EL device that can easily determine the shielding effect of the protective layer.

The present invention is an inspection method for an EL device having a substrate, an EL element provided on the substrate, and a protective layer provided on an upper surface of the EL element.
The inspection method includes a step of applying a voltage between an upper surface side and a lower surface side of the protective layer, and a pass / fail of the EL device according to a current value that a current flows through the protective layer when a voltage is applied to the protective layer. And a step of determining.

The protective layer covering the surface of the EL element is made of an insulating material. A protective layer having many defective portions such as pores and cracks has a low withstand voltage, and dielectric breakdown occurs at a relatively low voltage. On the other hand, a protective layer with few defects has a high withstand voltage, and dielectric breakdown is unlikely to occur even when a high voltage is applied.
The inspection method of the present invention determines the state of the protective layer by applying a voltage to the protective layer from the upper surface side and the lower surface side and examining whether or not a dielectric breakdown occurs in the protective layer and current flows through the protective layer. . By determining the state of the protective layer, it is possible to obtain an EL device in which it is assured that a decrease in luminance is unlikely to occur over a long period of time.
The determination of the presence or absence of a defect in the protective layer can be made, for example, by determining whether or not a current flows through the protective layer by applying a predetermined voltage to the protective layer (whether or not the current value is 0), or The current flowing through the protective layer is measured by applying a predetermined voltage to the protective layer, and it can be determined whether or not the measured current value is equal to or higher than the set value.

In this specification, “electroluminescence element (EL element)” is an “organic electroluminescence element (organic EL element)” using an organic compound as a main material of a light emitting material, or an inorganic compound as a main material of a light emitting material. "Inorganic electroluminescence element (inorganic EL element)".
In addition, the “electroluminescence device (EL device)” includes an “organic electroluminescence device (organic EL device)” using an organic EL element, and an “inorganic electroluminescence device (inorganic EL device)” using an inorganic EL element. Is included.
The “protective layer” is a layer that protects the EL element from external moisture and physical impact, and is not limited to a single-layer structure. Typical examples of the protective layer include thin films of inorganic compounds such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and silicon oxynitride, polymer films such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, and polystyrene, and combinations thereof. .

The step of applying a voltage can be performed by applying a voltage between the anode layer of the EL element and the upper surface side of the protective layer.
The EL element is on the lower surface side of the protective layer, and the anode layer is included in the EL element. For this reason, a voltage can be applied between the upper surface side and lower surface side of a protective layer by applying a voltage between the anode layer of an EL element, and the upper surface side of a protective layer. Further, when a voltage is applied between the anode layer and the upper surface side of the protective layer, the terminal part of the anode layer used for causing the EL element to emit light can be used as a terminal part for applying a voltage for inspection.

Moreover, you may implement the process of applying a voltage by applying a voltage between the cathode layer of an EL element, and the upper surface side of a protective layer.
The cathode layer is included in the EL element and is located on the lower surface side of the protective layer. For this reason, a voltage can be applied between the upper surface side and lower surface side of a protective layer by applying a voltage between the cathode layer of an EL element, and the upper surface side of a protective layer. Further, when a voltage is applied between the cathode layer and the upper surface side of the protective layer, the terminal portion of the cathode layer used for causing the EL element to emit light can be used as a terminal portion for applying a voltage for inspection.

The EL device inspection method of the present invention can further include a step of providing a conductor layer on the upper surface of the protective layer. In this case, the step of applying a voltage is preferably performed between the conductor layer and the lower surface side of the protective layer.
When a conductor layer is formed on the upper surface of the protective layer, in the step of applying a voltage, a voltage is applied from substantially the entire upper surface of the protective layer, and defects in the protective layer can be inspected without omission. This increases the reliability of the determination in the step of determining the defect of the protective layer.

Furthermore, the present invention provides a novel EL device manufacturing method incorporating the above inspection method.
The method for manufacturing an EL device according to the present invention includes a step of providing an EL element having an anode layer and a cathode layer, and a light emitting layer sandwiched between the anode layer and the cathode layer, and a protective layer on the upper surface of the EL element. A step of providing a conductor layer on the upper surface of the protective layer, a step of applying a voltage between the lower surface of the protective layer, the anode layer or the cathode layer, and the conductor layer, Determining whether the EL device is acceptable or not based on a current value of a current flowing through the protective layer when a voltage is applied to the protective layer.
According to the manufacturing method of the present invention, a voltage is applied to the protective layer from the upper surface side and the lower surface side to check whether the protective layer has a dielectric breakdown and current flows through the protective layer, thereby determining the state of the protective layer. Can be determined. Moreover, the defect of a protective layer can be test | inspected without omission by providing a conductor layer in the upper surface side of a protective layer. As a result, it is possible to obtain an EL device in which it is ensured that the luminance is not easily lowered over a long period.

The present invention also provides a novel EL device capable of easily carrying out the “step of applying a voltage” and the “step of determining whether or not the EL device is acceptable” performed by the inspection method and the manufacturing method. .
The EL device of the present invention includes an insulating substrate, an EL element provided on the insulating substrate, a protective layer provided on the upper surface of the EL element, and a conductor layer provided on the upper surface of the protective layer. Device. In this EL device, the EL element has an anode layer, a cathode layer, and a light emitting layer sandwiched between the anode layer and the cathode layer, the anode layer has an anode terminal portion, and the cathode layer is a cathode terminal portion. The conductor layer also has a terminal portion. Here, the anode terminal portion, the cathode terminal portion, and the terminal portion of the conductor layer are provided on the insulating substrate, and these terminal portions are arranged apart from each other.

  In the above EL device, a conductor layer having a terminal portion is provided on the upper surface side of the protective layer, and an anode layer and a cathode layer having a terminal portion are formed on the lower surface side of the protective layer. Therefore, the “voltage applying step” in the above-described EL device inspection method can be performed by applying a voltage to the terminal portion of the conductor layer and the terminal portion of the anode layer or the cathode layer. Furthermore, by providing a conductor layer on the upper surface side of the protective layer and applying a voltage between the conductor layer and the anode layer or between the conductor layer and the cathode layer, defects in the protective layer can be determined with high accuracy. . Therefore, the EL device having such a configuration can easily apply a voltage between the upper surface side and the lower surface side of the protective layer, and can accurately and non-defectively identify the defect in the protective layer. It becomes possible to classify. Further, in the EL device having such a configuration, an EL device determined as a non-defective product in the step of determining a defect in the protective layer has a high shielding effect of the protective layer and is unlikely to cause a decrease in luminance over a long period.

The main features of the embodiments described in detail below are listed first.
(Feature 1) The EL device is an organic EL device including an organic EL element as an EL element.
(Feature 2) The protective layer is made of an insulating material.
(Feature 3) The protective layer is an inorganic compound layer formed by a vacuum thin film forming method.
(Feature 4) A conductor layer made of metal is formed on the upper surface of the protective layer.
(Feature 5) A conductor layer made of aluminum is formed on the upper surface of the protective layer.
(Feature 6) The conductor layer is formed by a low temperature sputtering method.
(Feature 7) The conductor layer is formed so as to cover at least substantially the entire surface of the protective layer.

(Example)
An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view of the organic EL device 10 as viewed from the conductor layer 30 side, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG.
First, a rough configuration of the organic EL device according to this embodiment will be described. The organic EL device 10 includes an organic EL element 14 having a structure in which an anode layer 20, an organic light emitting layer 18, and a cathode layer 16 are stacked on a transparent insulating substrate 12, and is protected so as to cover the organic EL element 14. A layer 26 is provided, and a conductor layer 30 is provided on the upper surface of the protective layer 26 (see FIGS. 1 and 2).
As shown in FIG. 1, the transparent insulating substrate 12 is a substantially rectangular plate material that is long in the vertical direction (vertical direction in FIG. 1), and has a substantially constant thickness. The transparent insulating substrate 12 may be made of a material that is transparent or translucent to visible light and has an insulating property, and the constituent material is not particularly limited. For example, a glass substrate or a synthetic resin substrate that satisfies the conditions can be used.

The anode layer 20 is formed on the upper surface of the transparent insulating substrate 12. A part of the anode layer 20 extends from the organic light emitting layer 18 toward the lower side of the transparent insulating substrate 12 (downward in FIG. 1), and the extending part constitutes the anode terminal part 22. The anode layer 20 has a substantially constant thickness (see FIG. 2). The anode layer 20 is not particularly limited as long as it is made of a known transparent conductive material. For example, ITO is used. Light from the organic light emitting layer 18 is extracted to the outside through the anode layer 20 which is a transparent electrode and the transparent insulating substrate 12.
In this embodiment, the “upper surface” means the front surface in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1, and the “lower surface” means the rear surface in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. About directions other than these, it shall follow the direction when seeing drawing used for description.

The organic light emitting layer 18 is formed on the upper surface of the anode layer 20. The shape of the organic light emitting layer 18 is a rectangle that is slightly long in the vertical direction when viewed in plan. The organic light emitting layer 18 is formed to have a substantially uniform thickness.
The organic light emitting layer 18 of the organic EL element 14 is made of a known organic light emitting material such as Alq (tris (8-hydroxyquinolinolite) aluminum) or DCM. By combining such known organic light emitting materials, monochromatic light such as red, green, blue, and yellow, and light emission colors such as white light, for example, can be obtained. Examples of the configuration that can obtain white light include a laminated type in which the light emitting layers are laminated in two or three layers, and a separate type in which different light emitting layers are coated on one light emitting layer.
In addition, functional layers such as a charge (hole, electron) injection layer, a charge transport layer, and a block layer can be appropriately combined.

The cathode layer 16 is formed on the upper surface of the organic light emitting layer 18. The cathode layer 16 is formed so as to spread over the entire area of the organic light emitting layer 18. A part of the cathode layer 16 extends from the organic light emitting layer 18 toward the lower side of the transparent insulating substrate 12 (downward in FIG. 1), and the extending part constitutes the cathode terminal part 24. The thickness of the cathode layer 16 is substantially constant (see FIG. 2). The constituent material of the cathode layer 16 should just have reflectivity with respect to visible light, and is not specifically limited. Moreover, it is preferable to form with a material with low volume low efficiency from a viewpoint of reduction of drive voltage or electric power efficiency. Examples of cathode materials having low volume resistivity and high reflectivity for visible light include magnesium alloys (eg, magnesium-silver alloys, magnesium-indium alloys), aluminum and aluminum alloys (lithium-aluminum alloys), gold, silver, Examples thereof include metals such as chromium and alloys thereof.
In the organic EL element 14, when a voltage is applied between the anode layer 20 and the cathode layer 16, holes are injected from the anode layer 20 to the organic light emitting layer 18, and electrons are transferred from the cathode layer 16 to the organic light emitting layer 18. Is injected, and the light emitter in the organic light emitting layer 18 is excited to emit light.

The protective layer 26 covering the upper surface of the organic EL element 14 (more precisely, the upper surface of the cathode layer 16) is formed slightly wider than the organic light emitting layer 18 so as to reliably protect substantially the entire area of the organic light emitting layer 18. . The shape of the protective layer 26 is a rectangle that is slightly wider than the organic light emitting layer 18.
The protective layer 26 is formed for the purpose of protecting the organic EL element 14 from external moisture or gas. In addition, when the sealing property (shielding property) of the protective layer 26 is poor, external moisture, gas, or the like enters the organic EL element 14 and the organic light emitting layer 18 or the cathode layer 20 is deteriorated. When such deterioration occurs, the luminance of the organic EL device 10 decreases.
The protective layer 26 is composed of an insulating inorganic compound (for example, an inorganic compound such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, or silicon oxynitride).

The conductor layer 30 covering the surface of the protective layer 26 is formed so as to spread at least over the entire area of the organic light emitting layer 18. A part of the protective layer 26 extends from the light emitting portion 28 toward the lower side of the transparent insulating substrate 12, and the extended portion forms a terminal portion 32 of the conductor layer. The conductor layer 30 is made of aluminum. By forming the conductor layer 30 on the protective layer 26, there is an effect that moisture, gas, and the like are less likely to enter the organic EL element 14.
In the organic EL device 10 according to the present embodiment, the terminal portion 22 of the anode layer 20, the terminal portion 24 of the cathode layer 14, and the terminal portion 32 of the conductor layer 30 are formed on the transparent insulating substrate 12. These are arranged apart from each other on the transparent insulating substrate 12 (see FIG. 1). Therefore, when a voltage is applied between the terminal portions 22, 24, 32, a short circuit occurs, so that no current flows between the terminals.

Next, a method for manufacturing the organic EL device 10 described above will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the manufacturing method of the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 3, in this manufacturing method, first, a transparent insulating substrate 12 on which an anode layer 20 is formed is prepared (step 1), and a known method such as a vacuum deposition method is applied on the surface of the transparent insulating substrate 12. The organic light emitting layer 18 (Step S2) and the cathode layer 16 (Step S3) are sequentially laminated to form the organic EL element 14 by a vacuum thin film forming method. In addition, the anode terminal part 22 and the cathode terminal part 24 are also formed in synchronization with these film forming steps.
Thereafter, a protective layer 26 made of an inorganic compound (for example, an inorganic compound such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride) is formed on the surface of the cathode layer 16 (organic EL element 14) by plasma CVD (step S4).
After forming the protective layer 26, the conductor layer 30 made of aluminum is formed on the upper surface of the protective layer 26 by low-temperature sputtering (step S5). At this time, the terminal portion 32 of the conductor layer 30 is also formed.
In addition, when dust is mixed in the film in each of the film forming processes of steps S1 to S5, a gap (for example, a pore or a crack) is formed in the protective layer 26 due to the dust, and the cause of moisture in the atmosphere invading. It becomes. When moisture in the atmosphere enters and the organic light emitting layer 18 or the like deteriorates, so-called dark spots (non-light emitting regions) are formed, which causes a decrease in luminance. Further, when pores, cracks, or the like are formed in the protective layer 26, the dielectric strength voltage of the protective layer 26 is also lowered.

  When the layers are formed in steps S1 to S5, next, a voltage having a preset voltage value is applied between the anode layer 20 and the conductor layer 30 (step S6), and current flows in the protective layer 26. Whether or not (step S7) is inspected. That is, when pores or cracks are formed in the protective layer 26, the withstand voltage of the protective layer 26 decreases. For this reason, a predetermined voltage is applied between the upper surface side and the lower surface side of the protective layer 26, thereby causing a dielectric breakdown in the protective layer 26, and whether the current flows through the protective layer 26 or not. The presence or absence of 26 defects (pass / fail of shielding effect) is determined.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing the withstand voltage characteristics of the protective layer 26. In the graph of FIG. 4, the vertical axis indicates the current value (A), and the horizontal axis indicates the voltage value (V). In the graph, a protective layer containing many defects is indicated by a solid line, and a protective layer having few defects is indicated by a broken line.
The protective layer 26 covering the surface of the EL element is made of an insulating material as described above. Since the protective layer 26 having many defects such as pores and cracks has a low withstand voltage, the current value rapidly rises at a relatively low voltage (E ₁ ) to cause dielectric breakdown (see the solid line in FIG. 4). On the other hand, since the protective layer 26 with few defects has a high withstand voltage, dielectric breakdown does not occur unless a relatively high voltage (E ₂ ) is applied (see the dotted line in FIG. 4). Therefore, there is a correlation between the number (amount) of pores or cracks of the protective layer 26 and the withstand voltage of the protective layer 26, and the presence or absence of a defect in the protective layer 26 is determined from the withstand voltage of the protective layer 26. Can do. Specifically, when the reference current value (I ₀ ) is set as shown in FIG. 4 and a predetermined voltage (E ₀ ) is applied, the flowing current is smaller than the reference current value (I ₀ ). It is determined that the product is an acceptable product that has few defects and can provide a sufficient shielding effect. If the product is larger than the reference current value (I ₀ ), the product is judged to be an unacceptable product that has many defects and cannot provide a sufficient shielding effect. The determination of the presence / absence of a defect in the protective layer 26 according to the present embodiment uses the above-mentioned dielectric strength characteristics of the protective layer 26.

FIG. 5 schematically shows how a voltage is applied to the protective layer 26. As shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, a constant voltage power source 40 (inspection power source) is connected to the anode terminal portion 22 of the anode layer 20 and the terminal portion 32 of the conductor layer 30. A predetermined inspection voltage (a voltage at which the above-described reference current value (I ₀ ) is applied to the protective layer 26) is applied between the conductive layer 30 and the conductor layer 30. Check the amount. The “reference current value (I ₀ )” is appropriately set according to the type of insulating material constituting the protective layer 26 and the thickness of the protective layer 26, and the inspection voltage is set based on the reference current value. Is done. (For example, it may be set to be smaller than the reference current value I ₀ only when there is no defect in accordance with the required quality as a product.)
When a current exceeding the reference current value I ₀ flows between the anode layer 20 and the conductor layer 30 by the voltage application described above (Yes in step S7), the EL device 10 is removed from the production line as a rejected product (step S9). . When a current exceeding the reference current value I ₀ does not flow due to the voltage application described above (No in step S7), the EL device 10 proceeds to the FPC mounting process (step S8) as a passing product.
In step S8, the anode terminal of the FPC (flexible wiring board) is connected to the anode terminal portion 22 of the organic EL element 14, and the cathode terminal of the FPC is connected to the cathode terminal portion 24 of the organic EL element 14. Thereby, the organic EL device 10 according to the present embodiment is completed.

In the manufacturing method and the inspection method of the present embodiment, the pass / fail of the protective layer 26 is determined using the dielectric strength characteristics of the protective layer 26. For this reason, only the organic EL device 12 provided with the protective layer 26 with few defects such as pores and cracks and having a high shielding effect proceeds to the FPC process, and thus the organic EL device 12 provided with the good protective layer 26. Only manufactured. Since the organic EL device 10 obtained by the manufacturing method and the inspection method has a high shielding effect of the protective layer 26, the organic EL element 14 is hardly deteriorated by external moisture, gas, or the like. According to this manufacturing method and inspection method, it is possible to obtain an organic EL device that is less likely to cause a decrease in luminance with the passage of time after manufacturing.
In this embodiment, a voltage is applied between the anode layer 20 and the conductor layer 30. Therefore, even when conductive foreign matter is present between the anode layer 20 and the conductor layer 30 (for example, between the organic light emitting layer 18 and the cathode layer 16), the voltage is applied between the anode layer 20 and the conductor layer 30. Then, since it short-circuits with a conductive foreign material, it can be extracted as a rejected product.

(Modification)
Next, a modification of the above embodiment will be described.
This modification is the same as the above-described embodiment except that the terminal portion connected to the inspection power supply 40 for applying a voltage to the protective layer is different.

In this modification, the inspection power source 40 is connected to the cathode terminal portion 24 of the organic EL element 14 and the terminal portion 32 of the metal layer. Next, a predetermined inspection voltage is applied from the inspection power source 40 between the cathode layer 16 and the metal layer 30, and the amount of current flowing through the protective layer 26 is examined using an ammeter 42. The EL device 10 in which a current exceeding the current reference value (I ₀ ) flows due to such voltage application was removed from the production line as a rejected product, and a current exceeding the current reference value (I ₀ ) did not flow (No in step S7). ) EL device 10 is transferred to the FPC mounting process as an acceptable product.

In the organic EL device 10 manufactured by the manufacturing method of this modification, the luminance is not easily lowered over a long period of time as in the above-described embodiment.
Further, in the manufacturing method of this modification, the cathode layer 16 on the lower surface side of the protective layer 26 is used when applying a voltage in the protective layer inspection step. Since the cathode layer 16 is located on the uppermost surface of the organic EL element 14 and is adjacent to the protective layer 26, the presence or absence of a defect in the protective layer 26 can be accurately determined. In addition, even if the protective layer breaks down in the protective layer inspection process and becomes a rejected product, current does not flow through the organic light emitting layer 18, so that the quality of the organic EL element 14 is maintained. Therefore, even if it becomes a rejected product in the protective layer inspection step, it is possible to re-form the protective layer and incorporate it again into the production line.

As mentioned above, although the Example of this invention was described in detail, this is only an illustration and does not limit a claim. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and changes of the specific examples illustrated above.
For example, in the above embodiment, a conductor layer is formed on the upper surface side of the protective layer, and a voltage is applied to the upper surface side of the protective layer via the conductor layer. It is not limited to. For example, a voltage application terminal may be in direct contact with the upper surface of the protective layer, and the terminal may be scanned with the surface of the protective layer so that a voltage is applied to the entire surface of the protective layer to inspect the entire surface of the protective layer. Good. According to this method, there is an advantage that a defective portion of the protective layer can be specified.

Moreover, in the said Example, although it formed into a film by the low temperature sputtering method which is one of the vacuum thin film formation methods as a method of forming a conductor layer, formation of a conductor layer is not limited to this method. For example, another vacuum thin film forming method such as a plasma CVD method may be applied. Further, the conductor layer may be formed by applying a conductor paste or the like. Furthermore, as another example, the conductor layer may be formed by attaching a detachable conductor means (conductive tape or the like).
What is necessary is just to select the material which has electroconductivity suitably as the material which comprises a conductor layer, and is not limited to the aluminum shown in the said Example. For example, other metals such as iron, copper, chromium, nickel, and carbon materials such as carbon may be used.
Moreover, in the said Example, although it is a bottom emission type organic EL element, it is not limited to this. For example, a top emission type in which a cathode, an organic light emitting layer, an anode, a transparent protective layer, and a transparent conductor layer are laminated in this order on the substrate may be used.

  The technical elements described in the present specification or the drawings exhibit technical usefulness alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. In addition, the technology exemplified in this specification or the drawings achieves a plurality of objects at the same time, and has technical utility by achieving one of the objects.

It is the top view which looked at the organic electroluminescent apparatus concerning the Example of this invention from the upper surface side. It is II-II sectional drawing of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the manufacturing method of the organic electroluminescent apparatus based on the Example of this invention. It is a graph which shows the withstand voltage of the protective layer of an organic electroluminescent apparatus. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the process of determining the pass / fail of a protective layer.

Explanation of symbols

10: Organic EL device 12: Insulating transparent substrate 14: Organic EL element 16: Cathode layer 18: Organic light emitting layer 20: Anode layer 26: Protective layer 30: Conductor layer

Claims (6)

In an inspection method of an electroluminescence device having a substrate, an electroluminescence element provided on the substrate, and a protective layer provided on an upper surface of the electroluminescence element,
Applying a voltage between the upper surface side and the lower surface side of the protective layer;
And a step of determining whether the electroluminescence device is acceptable or not based on a current value of a current flowing through the protection layer when a voltage is applied to the protection layer. The electroluminescence element has an anode layer, a cathode layer, and a light emitting layer sandwiched between the anode layer and the cathode layer,
The method for inspecting an electroluminescence device according to claim 1, wherein in the step of applying the voltage, a voltage is applied between an upper surface side of the protective layer and the anode layer. The electroluminescence element has an anode layer, a cathode layer, and a light emitting layer sandwiched between the anode layer and the cathode layer,
The method for inspecting an electroluminescence device according to claim 1, wherein in the step of applying the voltage, a voltage is applied between an upper surface side of the protective layer and the cathode layer. Further comprising providing a conductor layer on the upper surface of the protective layer;
The method for inspecting an electroluminescent device according to claim 1, wherein in the step of applying the voltage, a voltage is applied between the conductor layer and the lower surface side of the protective layer. An electroluminescent device comprising: an insulating substrate; an electroluminescent element provided on the insulating substrate; a protective layer provided on the upper surface of the electroluminescent element; and a conductor layer provided on the upper surface of the protective layer. And
The electroluminescence element has an anode layer, a cathode layer, and a light emitting layer sandwiched between the anode layer and the cathode layer,
The anode layer has an anode terminal portion,
The cathode layer has a cathode terminal portion,
The conductor layer also has a terminal portion for applying a voltage for inspection,
The anode terminal part, the cathode terminal part, and the terminal part of the conductor layer are provided on an insulating substrate, respectively, and these terminal parts are arranged apart from each other. A method for manufacturing an electroluminescent device, comprising:
Providing a substrate with an electroluminescent element having an anode layer, a cathode layer, and a light emitting layer sandwiched between the anode layer and the cathode layer;
Providing a protective layer on the upper surface of the electroluminescence element;
Providing a conductor layer on the upper surface of the protective layer;
Applying a voltage between the lower surface of the protective layer or any of the anode layer or the cathode layer and the conductor layer;
Determining pass / fail of the electroluminescent device according to a current value of a current flowing through the protective layer when a voltage is applied to the protective layer;
A method for manufacturing an electroluminescent device, comprising:

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