JP2009218089A - Light-emitting device and electronic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a light-emitting device for preventing the creep of moisture into a light-emitting element. <P>SOLUTION: The light-emitting device 10 includes an element substrate 7 in which a circuit element thin film 801 including an organic EL element is formed on its surface, a sealing plate 12 arranged opposing to the surface, a wall part 12A which is equipped at the sealing plate, and which goes around so as to surround the whole or one part of a form of an outline of the element substrate, and a cover plate 19 which is opposed to the rear face 7r of the element substrate, and to a face 12At of the end part of the wall part, and which is arranged so as to be brought into close contact with these faces. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a light emitting device and an electronic device that emit light by electroluminescence.

  An organic light emitting diode (OLED), that is, an organic EL (electro luminescent) element, has attracted attention as a thin and light-emitting source. The organic EL element has a structure in which at least one organic thin film formed of an organic material is sandwiched between a pixel electrode and a counter electrode. The organic EL element emits light when a predetermined current is supplied between the pixel electrode and the counter electrode.

  A light emitting device including such an organic EL element is used, for example, in a printer head for an image forming apparatus such as a tandem type or a 4-cycle type line printer. Here, the image forming apparatus includes, for example, an image carrier such as a photosensitive drum, a charging device, a developing device, and a transfer device in addition to the printer head. The image carrier is charged by a charger and then exposed to light emitted from an organic EL element constituting a part of the printer head. By this exposure, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the image carrier. Thereafter, the electrostatic latent image is developed with toner supplied from a developing device, and the toner is transferred to a transfer medium such as paper by a transfer device. As a result, a desired image is formed on the transfer medium.

As a light emitting device incorporated in such an image forming apparatus or the like, for example, a light emitting device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known.
JP 2001-143864 A

  By the way, the organic EL element is sensitive to moisture. When moisture enters, the above-described divergence between the pixel electrode or the counter electrode and the organic thin film, deterioration of the organic thin film itself, or the like is caused, and finally light emission becomes impossible. The practical problem is that the lifetime of the organic EL element is shortened due to such a cause. For this reason, the organic EL element needs to be protected as much as possible from the ingress of moisture.

Patent Document 1 discloses a technique of fixing an “organic compound layer in a hollow portion to a transparent support” and a “cover member” (the contents of “” are described in Patent Document 1 [ From Claim 1], see [FIG. Thus, Patent Document 1 claims that the effect of “not being exposed to moisture containing moisture and not being altered or deteriorated by moisture” is obtained ([0008] of Patent Document 1).
Surely, according to Patent Document 1, the “organic compound layer” is “sealed”, so that the effect of suppressing moisture intrusion into the light-emitting element can be enjoyed to a certain extent. However, in this Patent Document 1, for example, the “cover member 20” and the “cover plate 26” are bonded by “ultraviolet curable resin” ([0075] of Patent Document 1). , [0077] and [FIG. 3] or [Claim 2] and [Claim 3], etc.), and there is a weak point regarding “sealing”. This is because a so-called adhesive such as an “ultraviolet curable resin” does not completely block the permeation of moisture but allows it to some extent. If this point is regarded as important, Patent Document 1 has a problem as to whether a sufficient moisture ingress preventing effect can be obtained.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a light-emitting device and an electronic device that can prevent moisture from entering the light-emitting element.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a light-emitting device and an electronic device that can solve such problems or related problems that occur in solving the problems.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a light-emitting device according to the present invention includes an element substrate having a light-emitting element formed on a first surface thereof, a sealing plate disposed so as to face the first surface, and the sealing. A wall portion provided on the stop plate and enclosing all or part of the contour shape of the element substrate, a second surface as the back surface of the first surface of the element substrate, and an end portion of the wall portion And a cover plate disposed to be in close contact with these surfaces.

According to the present invention, the element substrate is disposed so as to be accommodated in the space surrounded by the wall portion provided in the sealing plate, according to the above-mentioned definition. In this state, the above-described cover plate is disposed so as to be in close contact with the second surface which is the back surface of the element substrate and the end surface of the wall portion. In this way, the element substrate is sealed in the space.
In this case, considering the path through which moisture or oxygen (hereinafter represented by “water” or “moisture”) may enter the light emitting element on the element substrate, first, the cover plate A path passing between the surface and the second surface (hereinafter referred to as "first path" in the section of [Problem ... Solution ...]], and secondly, the surface of the cover plate and the end portion A route passing between the surfaces (hereinafter referred to as “second route” in the section of [Problem… Solution… Means]) is conceivable, but in any case, the possibility of the progress of moisture is extremely small. This is because both of these surfaces are in close contact.
According to the structure of the present invention, for example, the area of the surface where the surface of the cover plate and the second surface are in close contact with each other is basically ( As long as the second surface is present), it can be increased anywhere. To say the least, the structure according to the present invention allows at least the size of the contact surface to be relatively large. And this greatly increases the distance that water has to pass between the two contact surfaces, making it very difficult for water to enter the light-emitting element (the same as described above). This is also true between the surface of the cover plate and the end surface of the wall, and the area of the contact surface between these surfaces increases as the “thickness” of the “wall” is increased. However, there is no particular limitation on increasing the “thickness”).
In this way, according to the present invention, a very excellent effect of suppressing moisture intrusion into the light emitting element is achieved.

In the light emitting device of the present invention, at least one of the second surface and the surface of the end portion and the surface of the cover plate may be bonded with an adhesive.
According to this aspect, adhesion between the cover plate and the element substrate or between the cover plate and the sealing plate is suitably performed. Moreover, according to this aspect, since the “adhesive” itself exhibits a corresponding moisture ingress suppressing effect, the above-described effects according to the present invention are more effectively achieved.
In addition, the area of the surface where the surface of the cover plate and the second surface are in close contact, or the area of the surface where the surface of the cover plate and the surface of the end of the wall are in close contact is premised on the structure according to the present invention. In this case, it can be relatively large as described above. This allows the amount of adhesive to be relatively increased. Therefore, the adhesion between any of the surfaces described above can be performed more reliably, or greatly contributes to the further enhancement of the moisture ingress suppression effect according to the present invention described above.
The “adhesive” referred to in this embodiment includes, for example, an ultraviolet curable resin or a thermosetting resin.

In the light emitting device of the present invention, the second surface and the end surface may be configured to be on the same plane.
According to this aspect, even if the cover plate has, for example, a simple flat plate shape, the surface of the cover plate can be suitably brought into close contact with the second surface and the end surface. This embodiment also has an advantage that, as a specific example of the present invention, an example of the simplest structure is provided, or a relatively easy manufacturing is possible.

In the light emitting device of the present invention, the edge of the element substrate and at least a part of the wall surface of the wall portion may be in close contact with each other.
According to this aspect, the above-described effect according to the present invention, that is, the moisture ingress suppressing effect is extremely effectively exhibited. This is because, according to the present embodiment, if water tries to reach the light emitting element, after passing through the first or second path, a gap between the edge of the closely adhered element substrate and the wall surface of the wall portion is provided. Because it must pass through.

Moreover, in the light-emitting device of this invention, you may comprise so that the said sealing plate and the said wall part may be integral.
According to this aspect, the effect according to the present invention, that is, the moisture ingress suppression effect is further effective as compared with the case where the sealing plate and the wall portion are constituted by separate members, for example. In such a case, for example, water may enter from the joint between the sealing plate and the wall, whereas in this aspect, both are “integral”. Because there is almost no.
The term “integral” as used in this aspect includes, for example, a case where the sealing plate and the wall are formed as a result of being integrally molded in the same mold.
In addition, as described above, the case where the “integral” property according to this aspect is ensured is preferable to the case where the sealing plate and the wall portion are formed of separate members. Does not actively eliminate such cases.

In the light emitting device of the present invention, the wall portion has a wall surface opening portion for projecting a part of the element substrate from a region surrounded by the wall surface to a region outside the wall portion. You may comprise.
According to this aspect, the element substrate is not completely enclosed within the space surrounded by the wall portion, but a part of the element substrate protrudes outward from the wall surface. The part can be suitably used, for example, for forming a terminal for supplying power to the light emitting element formed on the element substrate and other connection terminals. Of course, in the present invention, even when the entire element substrate is completely enclosed within the space, it is within the range. However, as in this embodiment, a part of the element substrate is exposed to the outside. As can be seen from the example of the connection terminal formation, for example, when the light-emitting device is incorporated in some other device as one component, it is quite convenient.

In this aspect, the wall surface opening and at least a part of the element substrate may be in close contact with each other.
According to this aspect, since the above-described wall surface opening portion and at least a part of the element substrate are in close contact with each other, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of an event in which water enters through a gap or the like between them. Can do.

Alternatively, in the aspect having the “wall surface opening portion”, the wall surface opening portion and at least a part of the element substrate may be bonded with an adhesive.
According to this aspect, since the above-described wall surface opening and at least a part of the element substrate are bonded to each other by the adhesive, the occurrence of an event that water enters through a gap or the like between them is caused in advance. Can be prevented. In this case, since the moisture admission suppressing effect of the “adhesive” itself is exhibited, the effect becomes more effective than the above.

Further, in an aspect having a “wall surface opening”, a part of the element substrate protruding from the wall surface opening is configured to have a terminal for supplying power to the light emitting element and other connection terminals. May be.
According to this aspect, as already described, the “part of the element substrate” exposed to the outside of the apparatus is effectively used.

In the light emitting device of the present invention, there is a first gap between the edge of the element substrate and at least a part of the wall surface of the wall portion, and on the surface of the cover plate and the first gap. A region corresponding to the region may further include a first adsorbent that adsorbs at least water.
According to this aspect, since the first gap exists, when there is water that temporarily passes through the first and second paths described above, the water is surrounded by the element substrate, the sealing plate, and the cover plate. There is a risk of allowing the water to be present in the space. However, in this aspect, since the first adsorbent is provided in a region corresponding to the region of the first gap, water as described above can be adsorbed by the first adsorbent.
Thus, in this aspect, the moisture ingress suppression effect according to the present invention described above and the moisture ingress suppression effect comparable to that of the present invention are exhibited. Further, in this aspect, as described above, the processing accuracy of each component is set to be relatively rough as compared with the case where the edge of the element substrate and the wall surface of the wall portion are “closely contacted”, for example. Therefore, it is possible to save the manufacturing effort and to achieve the cost reduction.
The “first” of the “first gap” in this aspect is merely a symbol for distinguishing from the “second gap” described later. The same applies to the “first adsorbent” and the “second adsorbent” described later.

In this aspect, the cover plate may be configured to have a recess in a region corresponding to the region of the first gap.
According to this aspect, the first adsorbent described above can be positioned in or in the “recessed portion” referred to in this aspect. Therefore, according to this aspect, the first adsorbent is preferably installed on the cover plate. Such an effect is apparent when assuming a comparison with the case where the first adsorbent is installed on a flat surface where the concave portion does not exist.

In this aspect, the first adsorbent is the adhesive that exists between the edge of the element substrate, the wall surface of the wall portion, and the surface of the second surface or the end portion and the surface of the cover plate. It may be configured to be in close contact with at least one of the above.
According to this aspect, since the first adsorbent and the edge of the element substrate are in close contact with each other, even if there is water that passes through the first and second paths described above, It is extremely difficult to pass through a gap between one adsorbent and the edge of the element substrate.
As described above, according to this aspect, the above-described moisture intrusion suppression effect according to the present invention is extremely effectively achieved.

In the light emitting device of the present invention, there is a second gap between the edge of the element substrate and at least a part of the wall surface of the wall portion, and the cover plate corresponds to a region of the second gap. The region may have a convex portion, and the convex portion may be configured to be in close contact with the second gap so as to enter the second gap.
According to this aspect, since the second gap exists, if there is water that temporarily passes through the first and second paths described above, it is surrounded by the element substrate, the sealing plate, and the cover plate. There is a risk of allowing the water to be present in the space. However, in this aspect, since the convex part which sticks in this 2nd clearance gap so that it may enter into the 2nd clearance gap exists, possibility that the above water will advance further is very small.
Thus, in this aspect, the moisture ingress suppression effect according to the present invention described above and the moisture ingress suppression effect comparable to that of the present invention are exhibited. Rather, in this aspect, considering that the water that has passed through the first and second paths is blocked by the so-called side surface of the convex portion, the moisture ingress suppressing effect is further increased as described above. I can't even say it will be more effective. Further, in this aspect, since the alignment between the cover plate, the element substrate, and the sealing plate can be performed based on the convex portion, the ease of manufacturing the light emitting device according to the present invention is enhanced.

In this aspect, a second adsorbent that adsorbs at least water may be further provided on the top surface of the convex portion.
According to this aspect, the moisture ingress suppression effect according to the present invention is more effectively achieved than the above-described aspect. This is because, as described above, even if the "convex part" is present, in addition to the very effective water intrusion suppression, in this aspect, on the top surface of the convex part, This is because, since the second adsorbent is provided, even if the water proceeds along the side surface of the convex portion, the water is adsorbed by the second adsorbent.

In the light emitting device of the present invention, the cover plate may be configured such that the outer shape when viewed in plan is substantially the same as that of the sealing plate.
According to this aspect, when the cover plate is attached to the sealing plate (or vice versa), alignment between the two can be performed without difficulty. This is because both have the same outer shape, and it is only necessary to align them so that their outer edges match. In this aspect, in this sense, the manufacturability is improved.
In the case of this aspect, the light-emitting device according to the present invention typically has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole, although it varies depending on the positioning of the wall portion with respect to the sealing plate or the arrangement form. It will be.

In the light emitting device of the present invention, the cover plate may be configured to have an opening in a region corresponding to the region where the light emitting element is formed.
According to this aspect, the light emitted from the light emitting element is suitably guided to the outside of the light emitting device. That is, since the cover plate according to this aspect has an opening in a region corresponding to the region where the light emitting element is formed, the light emitted from the light emitting element can be led out of the apparatus through the opening. Therefore, at that time, the light is not greatly attenuated.
In general, the “cover plate” does not necessarily have an “opening”. However, in that case, in order to guide the light emitted from the light emitting element to the outside of the apparatus, it is preferable that at least one of the cover plate or the sealing plate is made of a material having excellent translucency. .
Further, in a case where the cover plate does not have an “opening portion” and an “adhesive” is provided between the surface of the cover plate and the second surface, the adhesive corresponds to a formation region of the light emitting element. It is more preferable to adopt an embodiment in which the region is not applied. The reason is easily inferred from the matters described regarding the function of the “opening” described above.

Moreover, in order to solve the above-described problems, an electronic apparatus according to the present invention includes the various light-emitting devices described above.
Since the electronic device of the present invention includes the above-described various light-emitting devices, the light-emitting element is unlikely to receive moisture, and thus the light-emitting element can be used for a relatively long period of time ( = Long life.) In addition, since the concern about deterioration of characteristics due to moisture is significantly reduced, a higher quality image or the like can be displayed when the electronic device is an image display device or the like.

<First Embodiment>
Hereinafter, a first embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. In addition to FIGS. 1 to 6 referred to here, in each drawing referred to below, the ratio of the dimensions of each part may be appropriately different from the actual one. The same is true in the relationship between the drawings (for example, generally, even if the same element is shown in FIGS. A and B, the same “side” corresponding to each other is drawn with a different length. , Etc.).

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the light emitting device 10 according to the first embodiment includes an element substrate 7, a sealing plate 12, and a cover plate 19.
Of these, the element substrate 7 is a flat plate-like member having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view as shown in these drawings. The element substrate 7 is made of a light-transmitting material such as glass, quartz, or plastic.

On the element substrate 7, as shown in FIG. 3, an organic EL element 8, a drive element 9, a control circuit 9a, and the like are formed.
The organic EL element (light emitting element) 8 includes two electrodes facing each other, and a light emitting functional layer including at least an organic light emitting layer between the two electrodes (both not shown). From the viewpoint of FIG. 3, each of these layers has a structure that is laminated along a direction penetrating the paper surface in the drawing. A common line 16 is connected to one of the two electrodes, and a data line 11 is connected to the other electrode via a drive element 9.
The organic light emitting layer included in the light emitting functional layer is composed of an organic EL material that emits light by combining holes and electrons. In addition to the organic light emitting layer, the light emitting functional layer may include a part or all of an electron block layer, a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, an electron transport layer, an electron injection layer, and a hole block layer.

In the first embodiment, the organic EL elements 8 are linearly arranged so as to ride on a straight line along the longitudinal direction of the element substrate 7.
However, this arrangement mode is merely an example. For example, the organic EL elements 8 may be arranged in a staggered pattern across a straight line along the longitudinal direction of the element substrate 7 (the “staggered array” is an organic EL element in order from the end). 1, 2, 3,..., Odd numbers are arranged on the lower side in FIG. 3 with respect to the straight line, and even numbers are arranged on the upper side in FIG. 3 with reference to the straight line. Implications).

The drive element 9 includes a switching element such as a thin film transistor (TFT) or a thin film diode (TFD). The drive element 9 is interposed between the organic EL element 8 and the data line 11 and controls the presence / absence of energization from the data line 11 to the organic EL element 8.
The drive circuit 9 a controls ON / OFF of the switching element included in the drive element 9. When a TFT is employed as the switching element, the data line 11 is connected to the source region, and the control circuit 9a is connected to the gate electrode.
By the operation of the drive circuit 9a and the drive element 9, a current is supplied to or not from the one of the two electrodes constituting each of the plurality of organic EL elements 8 to the light emitting functional layer. The organic EL element 8 emits light or does not emit light.

1 to 6 (excluding FIGS. 3 and 5), in order to avoid complications, various elements such as the drive element 9, the drive circuit 9a, the data line 11, and the common line 16 described above are used. The elements are drawn very simplified. That is, in these drawings, a rectangular or rectangular parallelepiped element indicated by reference numeral 801 represents the whole of these various elements. Incidentally, the rectangular or rectangular parallelepiped elements indicated by reference numeral 801 in these drawings are drawn in particular to include the organic EL element 8 in addition to the various elements such as the drive element 9 described above. Hereinafter, this is simply referred to as “circuit element thin film 801”.
In FIG. 2, the element substrate 7 is not shown, but only the place where the circuit element thin film 801 is to be located in the entire light emitting device 10 is specifically shown.

For example, as shown in FIG. 1 and the like, the sealing plate 12 includes a plate-like member having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, like the element substrate 7. In the first embodiment, the area of the sealing plate 12 in plan view is substantially the same as that of the element substrate 7 described above.
However, the sealing plate 12 has a wall portion 12A as shown in FIG. As can be seen from FIGS. 1 to 6, the wall portion 12 </ b> A extends as if bordering the contour shape of the sealing plate 12 when viewed in plan. The wall portion 12A has a predetermined thickness tw1 (see FIG. 4). The area when the sealing plate 12 is viewed in plan is larger than that of the element substrate 7 by the thickness tw1 of the wall portion 12A (see FIG. 6 and the like).
With such a shape, the wall portion 12A exists so as to surround substantially the entire element substrate 7 or almost the entire contour shape thereof.

However, the wall portion 12A also has an opening (wall surface opening) 12H. As shown in FIGS. 1, 5, and 6, the opening 12 </ b> H is for projecting the terminal forming portion 7 a, which is a part of the element substrate 7, from the space surrounded by the wall portion 12 </ b> A toward the outside. belongs to. Particularly in the first embodiment, as shown relatively well in FIG. 5, the opening area of the opening 12H and the cross-sectional area of the element substrate 7 are substantially the same. The wall portion 12 </ b> A surrounds the entire contour shape except for the portion corresponding to the position where the opening 12 </ b> H is formed in the contour shape of the element substrate 7.
For example, as shown in FIG. 1 and the like, a connection terminal 13 is formed in the terminal forming portion 7a. The connection terminal 13 is, for example, a terminal for supplying power to the organic EL element 8, a terminal for supplying a data signal to the data line 11 constituting the circuit element thin film 801, or a driving element. 9 includes various connection terminals such as a terminal for supplying a control signal for 9.
In addition, illustration about the connection aspect of the connecting terminal 13, the organic EL element 8, etc. is abbreviate | omitted. In FIG. 5, the connection terminal 13 is not shown.

Such a sealing plate 12 is made of a light-transmitting material such as glass, quartz, or plastic. However, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the light L emitted from the organic EL element 8 is emitted toward the element substrate 7 side. It does not necessarily have to be made of a translucent material.
In relation to the material of the sealing plate 12, the above-described wall portion 12A is formed by, for example, the following various methods. That is, when the sealing plate 12 is glass, plastic, or the like, (i) the original shape is simply a rectangular parallelepiped original / sealing plate, so that the wall 12A remains, or (Ii) Perform casting or injection molding using a mold having a portion that should be the wall portion 12A in advance and a portion that is not so, and so on.
These are merely examples, but according to the above-described technique, the wall portion 12A is formed as a part of the sealing plate 12 or as a component thereof. Regardless of which method is used, the wall 12A and the sealing plate 12 have an integral relationship as described above in order to exhibit the sealing function by the sealing plate 12, which will be described later. Is preferred.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 6, the element substrate 7 and the sealing plate 12 described above are overlapped so as to face each other and to secure a space V having a certain volume therebetween. Is done. In addition, the space V here means the space enclosed by the sealing board 12 containing the element substrate 7 and wall part 12A, as shown in FIG. The space V is almost the same as the “space surrounded by the wall 12A” mentioned in the description of the opening 12H (therefore, in each case, the symbol “V” is used in each case, and Sometimes referred to as "space V").
More specifically, the element substrate 7 has the surface on which the circuit element thin film 801 is formed facing the sealing plate 12, and the sealing plate 12 is in the direction in which the wall portion 12A protrudes. Both substrates 7 and 12 are superposed so that there is.

In this case, a part of the wall surface 12Af of the wall portion 12A and the edge portion 7f of the element substrate 7 are in close contact with each other (see FIG. 4). In this case, the “close contact” is realized by adjusting the outer shape of the element substrate 7 to be substantially the same as the outer shape surrounded by the wall surface 12Af of the wall portion 12A. More specifically, for example, the fitting tolerance between them or the clearance is set appropriately.
Further, the end surface 12At (hereinafter, simply referred to as “end surface 12At”) of the wall portion 12A and the back surface 7r of the element substrate 7 are placed on the same plane.

Further, in this superposition, as shown in FIG. 5, a resin adhesive 52 is interposed between the opening end of the opening 12 </ b> H and the element substrate 7. Thereby, both are adhered. Incidentally, the region where the adhesive 52 should be present on the element substrate 7 is relatively well shown in FIG. 6 (see reference numeral “52a”). As a result, as described above, the terminal forming portion 7a which is a part of the element substrate 7 protrudes from the opening 12H toward the outside from the space V surrounded by the wall portion 12A. .
In the first embodiment, the adhesive 52 is present only in a portion where the upper surface of the element substrate 7 in FIG. 5 and the opening end of the opening 12H face each other in FIG. The adhesive may also be present at a portion where the edge 7f of the element substrate 7 and the opening end face each other.

The cover plate 19 is a plate-like member having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, like the element substrate 7 and the sealing plate 12 described above. In the first embodiment, the area of the cover plate 19 in plan view is the same as that of the sealing plate 12 (see FIG. 3). That is, the area related to the cover plate 19 is also slightly larger than that of the element substrate 7.
The cover plate 19 has an opening 19H as shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 4, or FIG.
As shown in these drawings, the opening 19H is formed in a region substantially corresponding to the region where the circuit element thin film 801 is formed. Further, the size thereof is almost equal to the size of the formation region of the circuit element thin film 801. Since the circuit element thin film 801 includes the organic EL element 8 as described above, the two matters just described are that the opening 19H is formed in a region corresponding to the formation region of the organic EL element 8, Further, it naturally includes that the formation region of the opening 19H is included in the formation region of the organic EL element 8 (the former size is smaller than that of the latter) (see also FIG. 3).
Due to the presence of the opening 19H, as shown in FIG. 4, the light L emitted from the organic EL element 8 can travel without encountering obstacles such as a substance that specifically attenuates the light L.

  Such a cover plate 19 is made of a light-transmitting material such as glass, quartz, or plastic. However, in the first embodiment, as described immediately above, since the opening 19H is formed, the cover plate 19 does not necessarily need to be made of a translucent material.

The cover plate 19 described above is bonded to the element substrate 7 and the sealing plate 12 described above. More specifically, it is as follows.
That is, first, as shown in FIG. 6 or FIG. 3, the first region R1 that borders the formation region of the opening 19H with a certain width among the surfaces constituting the cover plate 19 is the back surface of the element substrate 7. This is a region facing 7r. Further, when viewed from the position of the opening 19H, the second region R2 that borders the outer side of the first region R1 with a certain width is a region facing the end surface 12At of the sealing plate 12. Since both the back surface 7r and the end surface 12At are on the same plane as described above, both surfaces (7r and 12At) are the surfaces of the cover plate 19 (more precisely, The surface corresponding to the first region R1 and the surface corresponding to the second region R2).
An adhesive 51 is interposed between the back surface 7 r and the end surface 12 At and the surface of the cover plate 19. Thereby, the element substrate 7 and the cover plate 19 or the sealing plate 12 and the cover plate 19 are bonded to each other. The adhesive 51 is preferably made of a resin such as an ultraviolet curable resin or a thermosetting resin. The same applies to the adhesive 52 described above.

In addition to the above, the light emitting device 10 of the first embodiment includes the adsorbent 53. The adsorbent 53 has a substantially rectangular shape with a relatively small thickness as its overall shape. As shown in FIG. 4, the adsorbent 53 opposes the circuit element thin film 801 including the organic EL element 8 with the space V interposed therebetween. The area in the plan view is larger than the area of the formation region of the circuit element thin film 801, as is apparent from FIG.
The adsorbent 53 is suitable including, for example, an appropriate metal complex or an organometallic compound. Further, in order to arrange it in the state shown in the figure, for example, after applying a solution in which the organometallic compound or the like is dispersed to the corresponding position of the sealing plate 12 in an inert atmosphere, It is possible to use a technique such as drying.
Except for FIG. 4, the illustration of the adsorbent 53 is omitted in all of FIGS. 1 to 6.

  The size of the light emitting device 10 as a whole is, for example, 330-350 mm in length (length in the left-right direction in FIG. 3) and width (length in the vertical direction in FIG. 3). 10 to 30 mm and the thickness (the length in the vertical direction in FIG. 4) is preferably 1 to 10 mm, and the like. According to this specific example, the case where the size of the recording material (transfer medium) is “A3 size” can also be handled.

According to the light emitting device 10 according to the first embodiment as described above, the following operational effects are exhibited. Hereinafter, this will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9 in addition to the drawings described above.
(1) According to the light emitting device 10 according to the first embodiment, moisture, oxygen, or the like (hereinafter referred to as “water” or “moisture”) is entered into the space V defined by the element substrate 7 and the sealing plate 12. ) Is very unlikely to enter. This is because the light emitting device 10 has various features as described below or exhibits various functions.

(1-i) First, in the first embodiment, the back surface 7r of the element substrate 7 and the surface of the cover plate 19 are adhered and bonded together, and the end surface 12At of the sealing plate 12 and the surface on the cover plate 19 Further, since the edge 7f of the element substrate 7 and the wall surface 12Af of the wall 12A are in close contact with each other, the ingress of moisture into the space V is extremely effectively suppressed. .
This is because firstly, the area of the first region R1 or the area of the second region R2 can be made relatively large. For example, in the former case, the back surface 7r of the element substrate 7 faces the first region R1, which is a free surface in the sense that a necessary element such as the circuit element thin film 801 is not formed. Therefore, in principle, an area that covers the entire surface of the element substrate 7 can be secured (for this point, refer to FIG. 12 described later or FIG. 15 to FIG. 17). Alternatively, for the latter, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, if the thickness of the wall portion 12A is increased (as is clear from the figure, the thickness tw2 in FIG. 8 is greater than the thickness tw1). The area of the two regions R2 can be easily increased. In this case, there is no particular limitation on increasing the thickness in the first embodiment.

  Thus, the fact that the area of the first region R1 or the second region R2 can be made relatively large means that the cover plate 19 and the element substrate 7 or the cover plate 19 and the sealing plate 12 are larger. It means that it is bonded with the bonding area. If the bonding area can be made relatively large, as shown by the broken line arrow in FIG. 7, the water to reach the space V is the space where the surface of the back surface 7r and the first region R1 are in close contact, or the end surface. The space where the surfaces of 12At and the second region R2 are in close contact, ie, the first path KR1 and the second path KR2 in which the adhesive 51 is sealed, reaches the space V as long as it does not travel a considerable distance. I can't. Moreover, the degree of “adhesion” immediately above is considerably high because the back surface 7f and the end surface 12At are on the same plane (see FIG. 7 or FIG. 2).

(1-ii) Secondly, it is assumed above that water travels through the first route KR1 and the second route KR2. However, such an event is unlikely to occur in the first place. This is because the adhesive 51 is filled between the back surface 7r and the first region R1 or between the end surface 12At and the second region R2. Since the adhesive 51 itself exhibits a certain moisture ingress suppressing effect, an event that water advances through the first path KR1 and the second path KR2 is unlikely to occur.
(1-iii) Thirdly, even if there is water passing through the first path KR1 and the second path KR2, the further progress thereof is that the edge 7f of the element substrate 7 and the wall surface 12Af of the wall 12A. It is extremely difficult because of the close contact (see broken line arrows in FIG. 7).

(1-iv) Fourth, the sealing plate 12 and the wall portion 12A are preferably formed by integral molding or the like as described above, but in this case, when these are constituted by separate members, In comparison, the sealing function of the entire sealing plate 12 is enhanced. That is, with respect to the sealing plate 12, there is no so-called “joint” as seen between the back surface 7 r and the cover plate 19, so that water hardly enters from the sealing plate 12 side. I can't.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, the possibility of occurrence of an event that water enters the space V, in other words, an event that moisture enters the organic EL element 8 is extremely reduced.

Such an effect can be understood more clearly by, for example, comparison with FIG. 9 as a comparative example.
FIG. 9 shows an example of a conventional sealing structure. In this figure, the sealing plate 121 has a wall portion similar to the wall portion 12A of the first embodiment, but its end face faces the upper surface of the element substrate 7 in the drawing. The surface of these end portions and the surface of the element substrate 7 are bonded by an adhesive 511. The circuit element thin film 801 is formed on the element substrate 7 and the adsorbent 53 is provided so as to face the circuit element thin film 801 as in the first embodiment.
In the structure shown in FIG. 9, firstly, there is an extremely large restriction on securing the adhesion area between the element substrate 7 and the sealing plate 121 or the area where the adhesive 511 is applied. This is because this application region is set on the same surface as the formation surface of the circuit element thin film 801 in the element substrate 7 (this is the case of the “back surface 7r” in the first embodiment). to differ greatly.). Secondly, therefore, it is easy to invite water from the outside of the apparatus into the space V as indicated by the broken line arrow in the figure. This is a natural consequence of a decrease in the adhesion area compared to the case of the first embodiment.
From the above comparison, the superiority of the light emitting device 10 according to the first embodiment is confirmed again.

(2) Next, in the first embodiment, the effect that it is possible to reduce the size of the element substrate 7 is obtained from the comparison between the matters described in (1-i) above and FIG. That is, in the case of FIG. 9, the element substrate 7 needs to secure the area of the application region of the adhesive 511 in addition to securing the area of the formation region of the circuit element thin film 801. This inevitably becomes a factor of increasing the size of the element substrate 7. However, in the first embodiment, the adhesive 51 is applied to the “back surface 7 r” of the element substrate 7. Therefore, as described above, the area of the coating region can be basically secured freely.
From the above, in the first embodiment, as long as an area for forming the circuit element thin film 801 is ensured, the area of the application region of the adhesive 51 is reduced by considering factors such as adhesive strength. In accordance with the determination, the size of the element substrate 7 may be determined (extremely speaking, only the area for forming the circuit element thin film 801 may be sufficient).
Thus, in the first embodiment, the size of the element substrate 7 can be reduced. And, as is usually done, this makes it possible to effectively use the glass plate when a large number of element substrates 7 are cut out from a single glass plate.

(3) In the first embodiment, as described above, the opening 12H is formed in the wall portion 12A, and the terminal forming portion 7a of the element substrate 7 protrudes therefrom. Even when used as a head or the like (see <application example> described later), the control signal, power, and the like necessary for the light emitting device 10 are preferably supplied.
In addition, since the opening 12H and the element substrate 7 are in close contact (see FIG. 1 and the like) and are bonded by the adhesive 52 (see FIG. 5 and the like), moisture caused by this is removed. The occurrence of ingress is also suppressed.

(4) In the first embodiment, since the cover plate 19 has the opening 19H as described above, the light emitted from the organic EL element 8 included in the circuit element thin film 801 is not greatly attenuated, and the outside of the apparatus. It is led to. That is, in the light emitting device 10 according to the first embodiment, the light use efficiency is increased. Note that this point will be touched upon in the description of FIG. 12 described later or FIG. 15 to FIG.

(5) In the first embodiment, since the outer shape of the cover plate 19 in plan view is the same as that of the sealing plate 12 (see FIG. 3), the alignment between the two can be made relatively easily. Therefore, the manufacture of the light emitting device 10 of the first embodiment is relatively easy.

Second Embodiment
In the following, a second embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the second embodiment, portions that are characteristically changed compared to the first embodiment will be described in particular, and descriptions of points that are the same in both are omitted. Also, the same reference numerals are used in the drawings to indicate substantially the same elements.
The above points are the same in the third and subsequent embodiments described later.

  As can be seen from the comparison between FIG. 10 and FIG. 7 corresponding thereto, the light emitting device of the second embodiment has the following differences. That is, (i) the edge portion 7f of the element substrate 7 and the wall surface 12Af of the wall portion 12A are not in close contact with each other, and a gap (first gap) VS1 is formed, (ii) the cover plate 19-2 is It has a groove (concave part) 19-2G corresponding to the gap VS1, and (iii) the adsorbent 54-2 is loaded in the groove 19-2G. In the first embodiment, with the formation of the gap VS1 of (i) and the formation of the groove 19-2G of (ii), in the first embodiment, it is “continuous” between the back surface 7r and the end surface 12At. In the second embodiment, the adhesive 51 that has been described above is an adhesive 51-2 that is “divided into left and right” in the drawing so as to correspond to both sides (7r, 12At).

Among the matters described above, the fact that the groove 19-2G corresponds to the gap VS1 particularly in the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the width of the groove 19-2G (the length in the left-right direction in the drawing) and the gap Including that it is approximately equal to that of VS1. This is because the element substrate 7 and the sealing plate 12 are arranged so that the edge 7f and the wall surface 12Af are aligned with the lines on both banks defining the groove 19-2G (extending in the direction penetrating the paper surface in FIG. 10). Implying that The size of the element substrate 7 or the size or thickness of the sealing plate 12 or the wall portion 12A may be determined so as to enable such an arrangement.
Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the above-described adsorbent 54-2 is in close contact with the left and right adhesives 51-2 in the second embodiment, in particular. In addition, about the material etc. which comprise this adsorbent 54-2, it may be the same as that of the adsorbent 53 mentioned above.

Such a second embodiment also provides an effect that is not essentially different from the moisture ingress suppression effect produced by the first embodiment. More details are as follows.
That is, in the second embodiment, since the gap VS1 exists, if there is water that temporarily passes through the first and second paths KR1 and KR2, there is no consideration for the gap VS1. If it is not paid, the water may be allowed to exist in the space V. However, in the second embodiment, since the adsorbent 54-2 is provided so as to correspond to the gap VS <b> 1, water as described above can be adsorbed by the adsorbent 54-2 ( (Refer to the broken line in FIG. 10).
Such an effect becomes more effective in the second embodiment because the adsorbent 54-2 is in close contact with the adhesive 51-2. This is apparent from FIG. 10, and even if there is water that has passed through the first and second paths KR1 and KR2, the adsorbent 54-2 is present as if standing up. That is why.

Further, according to the second embodiment, the following unique effects are also achieved. That is, firstly, in the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the edge portion 7f of the element substrate 7 and the wall surface 12Af of the wall portion 12A are not brought into close contact with each other, but the gap VS1 is provided therebetween. Therefore, the machining accuracy of each part may be set to be relatively rough, so that the manufacturing effort can be saved and the cost can be reduced. The
Second, in the second embodiment, since the adsorbent 54-2 is filled in the groove 19-2 G or disposed so as to be contained therein, the adsorbent 54-2 is arranged. Is easily positioned in a region corresponding to the formation region of the gap VS1.

In addition, in connection with this 2nd Embodiment, in this invention, a structure as shown in FIG. 11 can also be employ | adopted. In FIG. 11, compared with FIG. 10, the cover plate 19-2 ′ is largely different in that there is no groove. Another difference is that the adsorbent 54-2 ′ does not adhere to the adhesive 51-2. Other elements, that is, the gap VS2 exists between the edge 7f and the wall surface 12Af, the adsorbent 54-2 ′ is disposed in the area corresponding to the formation area of the gap VS2, and the like are generally the same. (However, the gap VS2 is slightly different from the gap VS1 in that there are small differences.)
Even in such a case, it is obvious that the effects which are essentially different from those described above are exhibited. However, compared with the structure of FIG. 11, it is considered that the structure of FIG. However, in the case of FIG. 11 as well, it is not necessary to form the groove 19-2G as shown in FIG. 10 or the rough formation of the adsorbent 54-2 ′ (for example, the adsorbent 54-2 ′ is a region of the gap VS2. Therefore, there is a merit corresponding to that, for example, it is possible to form the image with a minimum restriction that it only needs to be positioned in the position.

<Third Embodiment>
Hereinafter, a third embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
As can be seen from the comparison between FIG. 12 and FIG. 4 corresponding thereto, the light emitting device of the third embodiment is greatly different in that the opening 19H is not formed. That is, in FIG. 12, the area where the opening 19H is formed in the first or second embodiment is an area occupied by glass or the like constituting the cover plate 19-3, and the area And the back surface 7r of the element substrate 7 are bonded through an adhesive 51-3. In short, in this case, the entire surface of the element substrate 7 is bonded to the cover plate 19-3.
The structure in FIG. 19 happens to be based on the structure of the second embodiment (that is, the structure including elements such as the groove 19-2G and the adsorbent 54-2), but the structure of the first embodiment is assumed. As a matter of course, it is possible to assume a structure in which the opening 19H does not exist.

In the third embodiment, the light L emitted from the organic EL element 8 included in the circuit element thin film 801 is transmitted through the element substrate 7, the adhesive 51-3, and the cover plate 19-3, and the device It will be led to the outside. In this case, it can be said that since the opening 19H does not exist, the light L is surely attenuated relative to the first and second embodiments.
However, in this third embodiment, as is apparent from FIG. 12, in the first and second embodiments, the existence of the “first route KR1” that is assumed as a route through which water may enter is no longer present. There is almost no need to worry. This is because the first route KR1 is a moisture ingress route whose existence significance is supported by the presence of the opening 19H, as can be seen from FIG. 7 or FIG. Therefore, in the third embodiment, only the possibility of the second route KR2 has to be considered as shown in FIG.

From the above, it is apparent that the third embodiment also provides an effect that is not essentially different from the moisture ingress suppression effect produced by the first embodiment.
Moreover, according to the above description, in the third embodiment, there is a possibility that a better moisture ingress suppression effect can be achieved than in the first embodiment.

<Fourth embodiment>
Hereinafter, a fourth embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
As can be seen from the comparison between FIG. 13 and FIG. 7 corresponding thereto, the light emitting device of the fourth embodiment has the following differences. That is, (i) the element substrate 7 and the wall surface 12Af of the wall portion 12A are not in close contact with each other, and a gap (second gap) VS3 is formed. (Ii) The cover plate 19-2 is in the gap VS3. It seems to have a corresponding protrusion (convex part) 19-4P. In the first embodiment, with the formation of the gap VS3 of (i) and the formation of the protrusion 19-4P of (ii), in the first embodiment, it is “continuous” between the back surface 7r and the end surface 12At. In the fourth embodiment, the adhesive 51 that has been described above is an adhesive 51-4 that is "divided into left and right" in the figure so as to correspond to both surfaces (7r, 12At).

  Among the matters described above, the protrusion 19-4P and the gap VS3 correspond to each other particularly in the fourth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the width of the protrusion 19-4P (the length in the horizontal direction in the drawing) and the gap. Including that it is approximately equal to that of VS3. In addition, this is the edge 7f and the wall surface 12Af on each of the two side surfaces constituting the groove 19-4P (extending in a direction penetrating the paper surface in FIG. 13. The surface itself is not shown as “surface”). It is implied that the element substrate 7 and the sealing plate 12 are arranged so that they are in close contact with each other. The size of the element substrate 7 or the size or thickness of the sealing plate 12 or the wall portion 12A may be determined so as to enable such an arrangement.

According to the fourth embodiment as described above, an effect that is not essentially different from the moisture ingress suppressing effect produced by the first embodiment is exhibited. More details are as follows.
That is, in the fourth embodiment, since the gap VS3 exists, if there is water that temporarily passes through the first and second paths KR1 and KR2, there is no consideration for the gap VS3. If it is not paid, the water may be allowed to exist in the space V. However, in the fourth embodiment, since the protrusion 19-4P exists as if to fill this gap VS3, the water as described above is blocked from further progress by the side surface of the protrusion 19-4P. (Refer to the broken line in FIG. 13 above). Rather, it cannot be said that this effect is even more effective than the first embodiment. From the comparison between FIG. 13 and FIG. 7, in FIG. 7, the moisture blocking effect due to the close contact between the edge 7 f and the wall surface 12 </ b> Af is expected, whereas in FIG. 13, the same effect (edge 7 f and protrusion 19 This is because, in addition to the close contact with the side surface of -4P or the close contact between the wall surface 12Af and the side surface of the protrusion 19-4P, it can be considered that the moisture blocking effect is obtained by the side surface of the protrusion 19-4P.

  Further, according to the fourth embodiment, the gap VS3 is formed between the edge 7f of the element substrate 7 and the wall surface 12Af of the wall portion 12A, instead of closely contacting the same as in the first embodiment. Since the processing accuracy of each part may be set to be relatively rough, it is possible to save the labor in manufacturing and reduce the cost. There is also a unique effect.

In addition, in connection with this 4th Embodiment, in this invention, a structure as shown in FIG. 14 can also be employ | adopted. 14 is different from FIG. 13 in that the adsorbent 54-4 is provided on the upper surface (the top surface) of the protrusion 19-4P in the drawing. The adsorbent 54-4 is in close contact with the edge portion 7f of the element substrate 7 or the wall surface 12Af of the wall portion 12A. The other points are almost the same as those in FIG. 13 (although there are small differences such as the height of the protrusion 19-4P (the length in the vertical direction in the figure) being smaller than that in FIG. 13). ).
Even in such a case, it is obvious that the effects which are essentially different from those described above are exhibited. Rather, in the case of FIG. 14, the moisture ingress suppression effect is more effectively achieved than in the case of FIG. 13. This is because the adsorbent 54-4 adsorbs the water even if water proceeds along the side surface of the protrusion 19-4P.

  It should be noted that by adjusting the thickness of the element substrate 7, the height of the protrusion 19-4P, or the thickness of the adhesive 51-4, etc., as shown in FIG. An appropriate level difference may be formed between the surface of the element substrate 7 (the surface on which the circuit element thin film 801 is formed). This is because the adsorbent 54-4 can be disposed so as to be accommodated in the concave portion based on the step. Thereby, the adsorbent 54-4 is easily positioned in a region corresponding to the formation region of the gap VS3. Note that this is not essentially different from the effect produced by the groove 19-2G of the second embodiment, as is apparent from the present description.

As mentioned above, although several embodiment based on this invention was described, the light-emitting device based on this invention is not limited to the form mentioned above, Various deformation | transformation are possible.
(1) In the first, second, and fourth embodiments described above, the cover plates 19, 19-2, and 19-4 have an opening 19H that is substantially equal to the size of the formation region of the circuit element thin film 801. However, the present invention is not limited to such a form.
In the first place, as described in the third embodiment, the opening 19H may be completely absent. However, as described above, it is not acceptable that the light L is attenuated to a certain extent. Inevitably (see FIG. 12 and its description). However, as described above, the existence of the opening 19H just brings about the possibility of the existence of the “first path KR1”, that is, slightly increases the possibility of moisture entering the space V. is there.
From the above, after all, it can be said that the opening 19H only needs to be formed at least in the portion corresponding to the planned path of light L, in other words, in the region corresponding to the region where the organic EL element 8 is formed. .

15 to 17 illustrate structures related to such a situation.
First, in FIG. 15, the formation of the organic EL element 8 in the circuit element thin film 801 is premised on the structure of the fourth embodiment (that is, a structure including elements such as the cover plate 19-4 having the protrusions 19-4P). A region L8 is illustrated (see also FIG. 3). The size of the opening 19H in the case of FIG. 15 is substantially equal to the size of the formation region of the circuit element thin film 801 (that is, FIG. 15 is the same as FIG. 13 or has undergone some change as viewed from FIG. Not.)
On the premise of this, in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17, the size of the opening 19H is reduced to a position approximately equal to the size of the formation region L8. That is, in FIGS. 16 and 17, 1 / of the length obtained by subtracting the width of the opening 19H (length in the horizontal direction in the drawing) from the width of the entire cover plate 19-4 (length in the horizontal direction in the drawing). 2 is “lc2”, which is larger than the same length “lc1” in FIG.

However, in FIG. 16, this change from the length lc1 to lc2 is the first region R1 indicated by the symbol N1 in the drawing (as described above, this is the region where the back surface 7r and the cover plate face each other). It is realized by changing the length of In this case, since the first route KR1 is longer than that in FIG. 15, it is found that it is more difficult for moisture to follow the route and reach the space V (in FIG. 15 to FIG. 17, it is complicated). In order to avoid this, the first route KR1 is not shown (see FIG. 13 and the like). In addition to this, the light emitted from the organic EL element 8 is not likely to be greatly attenuated as in the case of FIG.
In this way, the structure of FIG. 16 provides one of the best examples for enjoying the above-described two effects in a balanced manner.

On the other hand, in FIG. 17, the change from the length lc1 to lc2 is realized by changing the width of the protrusion 19-4P indicated by reference numeral N2 in the figure. In this case, the length of the first route KR1 is not different from the case of FIG. Therefore, the structure as shown in FIG. 17 seems to be less advantageous than the case of FIG.
However, as shown in FIG. 17, if the adsorbent 54-4 (see FIG. 14) described as a modification of the fourth embodiment is provided on the upper surface of the projection 19-4P in the drawing, such a structure is adopted. There are also benefits. That is, in such a case, more adsorbents 54-4 can be installed in the space V than in FIG. 15, so that the amount of moisture that reaches the organic EL element 8 is reduced. Because it can.
Further, as described as the modification of the first embodiment (FIG. 8), the thickness of the wall portion 12A can be basically freely determined, so that the wall portion is changed while changing the width of the protrusion 19-4P. If the thickness of 12A is also changed, the second path KR2 becomes longer, so an advantage still arises.
In FIG. 17, as can be seen from comparison with other FIGS. 15 and 16, the length of the element substrate 7 ′ in the left-right direction in the drawing is greatly reduced compared to that of the element substrate 7. . In the drawing, it is expressed that the length of the element substrate 7 ′ is shortened to the limit for securing the formation area of the circuit element thin film 801. In the present invention, such a form ultimately falls within the range.

In the above description, two methods for reducing the size of the opening 19H have been described. However, the main role of the opening 19H is to “lead out light without attenuation”. Unless “the size of the opening 19 </ b> H” or making it smaller, methods other than the above-described method for achieving the object can be considered. For example, on the premise of FIG. 12 of the third embodiment, only application of the adhesive 51-3 facing the organic EL element 8 is omitted, and so on. Even in such a case, since the light L is free from at least attenuation due to transmission through the adhesive 51-3, the attenuation is expected to be smaller than when the adhesive 51-3 is present. Is done.
In any case, the structure as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 or the structure according to other methods as described above is still within the scope of the present invention.
Note that FIGS. 15 to 17 have been described based on the fourth embodiment, but it goes without saying that the same applies to the first or second embodiment.

(2) In all the embodiments described above, all of the cover plates 19, 19-2, 19-3, 19-4 are basically the same except for the presence of the opening 19H, the groove 19-3G, the protrusion 19-4P, and the like. However, the present invention is not limited to such a form.

For example, the cover plate may have a bent shape as shown in FIG.
In FIG. 18, the end surface 12At of the wall portion 12A is located below the back surface 7r of the element substrate 7 in the figure. Therefore, a step is formed between the end surface 12At and the back surface 7r. As shown in FIG. 18, the cover plate 19-M1 has a crank-shaped cross-sectional shape that crosses over the step or covers the step. The adhesive 51 is also applied so as to straddle the step or cover the step.
According to such a structure, the second route KR ′ corresponding to the second route KR2 shown in FIG. 7 and the like is tortuous as shown in FIG. Therefore, in this case, the water that tries to reach the space V from the outside of the apparatus needs to pass through such a tortuous second path KR ′. Compared with FIG. Will be expected.

Alternatively, for example, the cover plate may have a bent shape as shown in FIG.
In FIG. 19, the end face 12At and the back face 7r are on the same plane as in the case of FIG. However, in FIG. 19, the cover plate 19-M2 not only covers the end surface 12At and the back surface 7r, but also covers the wall surface of the wall portion 12A that does not face the space V. It has a shape. The adhesive 51 is also applied so as to trace such an L shape.
According to such a structure, the second route KR ″ corresponding to the second route KR2 shown in FIG. 7 and the like is tortuous as shown in FIG. Therefore, also in this case, it is expected that the same effect as the case of FIG.

  In addition, although the form shown in these FIG.18 and FIG.19 happens to be drawn on the premise of 1st Embodiment, the cover board 19-2 (2nd Embodiment) which has the groove | channel 19-2G, and the opening part 19H are also included. Needless to say, the present invention can be similarly applied to any cover plate 19-3 (third embodiment) or a cover plate 19-4 having a projection 19-4P (fourth embodiment). Yes.

(3) The groove 19-2G of the second embodiment described above and the protrusion 19-4P of the fourth embodiment are not particularly mentioned in the above description, but are formed so as to trace the entire contour shape of the cover plate 19. Of course, depending on the case, it may be formed only in a part thereof. Furthermore, according to circumstances, the “cover plate” referred to in the present invention may have both the groove 19-2G and the protrusion 19-4P at different positions on the cover plate.
The same can be said for the close contact portion between the edge portion 7f and the wall surface 12Af, the placement position of the adsorbent 54-2 or 54-4, etc. (= the close contact portion or placement position is the element substrate 7). Or may be part of it.)

<Application example>
FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing a partial configuration of an image forming apparatus using the light emitting device 10 of the first embodiment as an optical head (light emitting device). As shown in the figure, the image forming apparatus includes a light emitting device 10, a converging lens array 15, and a photosensitive drum 110.

  Among these, the light emitting device 10 includes a plurality of organic EL elements (light emitting elements) arranged linearly. Each of these organic EL elements emits light downward in FIG. 20 (see the broken line in the figure). This light is incident on a converging lens array 15 to be described later.

The converging lens array 15 is disposed between the light emitting device 10 and the photosensitive drum 110. The converging lens array 15 includes a large number of gradient index lenses arranged in an array with each optical axis facing the light emitting device 10. Light emitted from each organic EL element of the light emitting device 10 reaches the outer surface of the photosensitive drum 110 after passing through each gradient index lens of the converging lens array 15.
As the converging lens array 15, specifically, for example, SLA (Selfoc Lens Array) available from Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd. can be used (Selfoc: SELFOC is a registered trademark of Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd.). ). If this is used, the light from the light emitting device 10 forms an erecting equal-magnification image on the photosensitive drum 110.

The photosensitive drum 110 has a substantially cylindrical shape. The central axis is provided with a rotation axis. The photosensitive drum 110 rotates about the rotation axis in the sub-scanning direction, which is the direction in which the recording material (transfer medium) is conveyed (see the arrow in the figure). Note that the extending direction of the rotation axis coincides with the main scanning direction.
The photosensitive drum 110 and the light emitting device 10 are controlled so that a predetermined relationship is established between the rotation timing of the photosensitive drum 110 and the light emission timing of each organic EL element of the light emitting device 10. The For example, along the main scanning direction, light emission / non-light emission of each organic EL element is controlled according to the brightness of one line of the image to be formed, and for one line along the sub scanning direction. The rotation of the photoconductive drum is controlled such that the photoconductive drum rotates by a predetermined angle after the completion of the photosensitivity process for the image. In this way, a latent image (electrostatic latent image) corresponding to a desired image is formed on the outer surface of the photosensitive drum 110.

1 is a perspective view of a light emitting device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is the perspective view which looked at the light-emitting device of FIG. 1 from the back side. It is a top view of the light-emitting device of FIG. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line AA ′ of FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is a BB ′ line view of FIG. 3. It is a perspective view which decomposes | disassembles and shows the light-emitting device of FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing, in an enlarged manner, a bonding portion between the cover plate and the element substrate and the wall portion of the sealing plate in FIG. 4. It is a figure which shows the one modification (the thickness tw2 of a wall part is large) on the basis of FIG. FIG. 5 is a view showing a comparative example (the end surface 12At of the wall portion is bonded to the “surface” of the element substrate) with respect to the light emitting device of FIG. FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the light emitting device according to the second embodiment (with a groove 19-2G) of the present invention, which has the same concept as in FIG. It is a figure which shows one modification (without a groove | channel) on the basis of FIG. FIG. 5 is a view having the same concept as in FIG. 4, and is a cross-sectional view of a light emitting device according to a third embodiment (without an opening 19 </ b> H) of the present invention. FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the light emitting device according to the fourth embodiment (with protrusions 19-4P) of the present invention, which is the same meaning as FIG. It is a figure which shows one modification (with adsorbent 54-4 on a protrusion) on the basis of FIG. FIG. 5 is a view having the same concept as in FIG. 4, and is a cross-sectional view of a light emitting device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the structure which reduces the magnitude | size of the opening part 19H on the basis of FIG. It is a figure which shows another example of the structure which reduces the magnitude | size of the opening part 19H on the basis of FIG. It is a figure of the same meaning as FIG. 7, Comprising: It is a figure which shows the modification (the 1) of embodiment of this invention. It is a figure of the same meaning as FIG. 7, Comprising: It is a figure which shows the modification (the 2) of embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a partial configuration of an image forming apparatus including the light emitting device of the present invention as an optical head.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Light-emitting device, 7, 7 '... Element board | substrate, 7f ... Edge part, 7r ... Back surface, 7a ... Terminal formation part, 13 ... Connection terminal, 12 ... Sealing board, 12A ... Wall Part, 12Af …… wall surface, 12At …… end face, 12H …… opening part, 19, 19-2, 19-2 ′, 19-3, 19-4, 19-M1, 19-M2 …… cover plate , 19H: Opening, 19-2G ... Groove, 19-4P ... Projection, 51, 51-2, 51-3, 51-4, 52 ... Adhesive, 53 ... Adsorbent, 54-2 , 54-2 ', 54-4 ... adsorbent, 8 ... organic EL element (light emitting element), 801 ... circuit element thin film, 9 ... drive element, 9a ... drive circuit, 11 ... data line, 16 ... Common line, R1 ... First region, R2 ... Second region, KR1 ... First route, KR2, KR2 ', KR2' '... Second route, ...... space, VS1, VS2, VS3 ...... gap (of the organic EL device 8) L8 ...... formation region

Claims (17)

An element substrate having a light emitting element formed on the first surface;
A sealing plate disposed to face the first surface;
The sealing plate is provided with a wall portion that surrounds all or part of the contour shape of the element substrate;
A cover plate disposed opposite to and in close contact with the second surface, which is the back surface of the first surface of the element substrate, and the end surface of the wall portion;
A light emitting device comprising: At least one of the second surface and the surface of the end portion and the surface of the cover plate are bonded by an adhesive;
The light-emitting device according to claim 1. The second surface and the end surface are on the same plane.
The light-emitting device according to claim 1 or 2. The edge of the element substrate and at least a part of the wall surface of the wall portion are in close contact with each other,
The light-emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The sealing plate and the wall are integral;
The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting device is a light emitting device. The wall portion is part of the wall surface,
Having a wall surface opening for projecting a part of the element substrate from a region surrounded by the wall surface to an external region;
The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting device is a light emitting device. The wall surface opening and at least a part of the element substrate are in close contact with each other.
The light-emitting device according to claim 6. The wall surface opening and at least a part of the element substrate are bonded by an adhesive.
The light emitting device according to claim 6, wherein the light emitting device is a light emitting device. A part of the element substrate protruding from the wall opening is
A terminal for supplying power to the light emitting element and other connection terminals;
The light emitting device according to claim 6, wherein the light emitting device is a light emitting device. There is a first gap between the edge of the element substrate and at least a part of the wall surface of the wall portion,
A first adsorbent that adsorbs at least water on the surface of the cover plate and in a region corresponding to the region of the first gap;
The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting device is a light emitting device. The cover plate has a recess in a region corresponding to the region of the first gap.
The light-emitting device according to claim 10. The first adsorbent is
Close contact with at least one of the edge of the element substrate, the wall surface of the wall portion, and the adhesive existing between the second surface or the end surface and the surface of the cover plate,
The light-emitting device according to claim 10 or 11, There is a second gap between the edge of the element substrate and at least a part of the wall surface of the wall portion,
The cover plate has a convex portion in a region corresponding to the region of the second gap,
The convex portion is in close contact with the second gap so as to enter the second gap.
The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting device is a light emitting device. A second adsorbent that adsorbs at least water on the top surface of the convex portion;
The light-emitting device according to claim 13. The cover plate is
The external shape when viewed in plan is substantially the same as that of the sealing plate,
The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting device is a light emitting device. The cover plate has an opening in a region corresponding to a region where the light emitting element is formed.
The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting device is a light emitting device. The light emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 16,
An electronic device comprising:

Images