JP2010027502A - Organic el display - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an organic EL display capable of largely reducing possibility that a transparent substrate may be damaged, and of thinning as a whole. <P>SOLUTION: The organic EL display 1 includes a transparent substrate 10, a first electrode pattern 14, an insulating pattern 16 formed with an inorganic material, a separator 18, an organic EL layer 20, a second electrode pattern 22, a protective layer 24 formed with an inorganic material, a resin layer 26, a protective member 28, a semiconductor chip 30 and a flexible print circuit board 32. The protective member 28 covers a major part of the transparent substrate 10 excluding a section where the semiconductor chip 30 and the flexible printed circuit board 21 are mounted. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a passive matrix drive type organic EL display device.

  An organic EL display device is configured by arranging a large number of organic EL elements in a lattice pattern. Here, the organic EL element generally has a light emitting layer sandwiched between a pair of electrodes (anode and cathode). The light emitting layer emits light when a voltage is applied between the electrodes. However, when moisture permeates and the electrode is oxidized or the light emitting layer and the electrode are separated, a portion (also referred to as a black spot or a dark spot) that does not emit light may be generated in the light emitting layer. Therefore, in the organic EL display device, a technique for preventing the generation of dark spots due to moisture infiltration is extremely important.

Therefore, conventionally, a glass substrate, an organic EL element in which an ITO electrode, an organic light emitting material layer, and a cathode are laminated on the glass substrate in this order, a sealing can arranged to cover the laminate, and a glass substrate And a sealing material that seals the inside of the space defined by the glass substrate and the sealing can, and a desiccant provided on the wall surface facing the space of the sealing can There is known an organic EL display device including the above (for example, see Patent Document 1 below). In this organic EL display device, the organic EL element is hermetically sealed with a glass substrate, a sealing can and a sealing agent, so that moisture hardly penetrates into the sealed space, and the desiccant in the sealed space. Therefore, even if moisture permeates into the sealed space, moisture absorption in the sealed space can be performed.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-148066

  In recent years, further reduction in thickness of organic EL display devices has been demanded. Accordingly, the glass substrate (transparent substrate) constituting the organic EL display device is also made thinner.

  However, since the strength of the glass substrate decreases as the glass substrate becomes thinner, there is a high risk of causing damage to the glass substrate. In particular, in a conventional organic EL display device, a semiconductor chip for driving the organic EL display device is generally mounted on a portion of a glass substrate where a sealing can is not provided. The chip mounting portion has mainly strength due to the glass substrate, and there is a very high possibility that the glass substrate will be damaged. Further, in the conventional organic EL display device, since the sealing can is provided on the glass substrate, it is necessary that the glass substrate has sufficient strength to support the sealing can. There was a limit.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an organic EL display device that can greatly reduce the risk of damage to a transparent substrate and can be thinned as a whole.

  An organic EL display device according to the present invention is a passive matrix driving type organic EL display device, and includes a transparent substrate, a plurality of first electrode patterns disposed on the transparent substrate so as to be spaced apart from each other, and a plurality of first electrode patterns. An insulating pattern disposed on the transparent substrate and the plurality of first electrode patterns so as to insulate the first electrode patterns from each other and to expose a predetermined portion of the surface of the plurality of first electrode patterns, and on the insulating pattern A plurality of separators arranged, a plurality of organic EL layers arranged on the plurality of first electrode patterns and the insulating pattern, and a plurality of second electrodes respectively arranged corresponding to the plurality of organic EL layers A protective layer covering the pattern, an inorganic material, and covering the insulating pattern, the plurality of separators, the plurality of organic EL layers, and the plurality of second electrode patterns; and a resin layer covering the protective layer A protective member disposed on the resin layer; a semiconductor chip mounted on a transparent substrate; and a flexible printed circuit board. The plurality of organic EL layers and the plurality of second electrode patterns include a plurality of first electrode patterns, It is surrounded by an insulating pattern and a protective layer, and the protective member covers most of the transparent substrate other than the portion where the semiconductor chip and the flexible printed circuit board are mounted.

  In the organic EL display device according to the present invention, the protective member covers most of the transparent substrate other than the portion where the semiconductor chip and the flexible printed circuit board are mounted. Therefore, the strength of the transparent substrate can be improved by the protective member. Moreover, since a sealing can is not required, the transparent substrate can be made thinner. As a result, it is possible to greatly reduce the risk of damage to the transparent substrate and to reduce the thickness as a whole. Furthermore, since the wiring pattern is covered with the protective member, it is possible to prevent the wiring pattern from being corroded due to contamination.

  The organic EL display device according to the present invention is a passive matrix driving type organic EL display device, and includes a transparent substrate and a plurality of first electrode patterns arranged on the transparent substrate so as to be separated from each other, An insulating pattern disposed on the transparent substrate and on the plurality of first electrode patterns so as to insulate the plurality of first electrode patterns from each other and expose a predetermined portion of the surfaces of the plurality of first electrode patterns; A plurality of separators disposed above, a plurality of organic EL layers disposed on the plurality of first electrode patterns and the insulating pattern, and a plurality of first layers disposed respectively corresponding to the plurality of organic EL layers. A protective layer covering the two-electrode pattern, an inorganic material, covering the insulating pattern, the plurality of separators, the plurality of organic EL layers, and the plurality of second electrode patterns; and a tree covering the protective layer A plurality of organic EL layers and a plurality of second electrode patterns including a plurality of organic EL layers and a plurality of second electrode patterns, the protective member disposed on the resin layer, and a semiconductor chip and a flexible printed circuit board mounted on the transparent substrate. Surrounded by the electrode pattern, insulating pattern and protective layer, the protective member covers most of the transparent substrate other than the portion where the semiconductor chip and the flexible printed circuit board are mounted via the resin layer. It is characterized by.

  In the organic EL display device according to the present invention, the protective member covers most of the transparent substrate other than the portion where the semiconductor chip and the flexible printed circuit board are mounted. Therefore, the strength of the transparent substrate can be improved by the protective member. Moreover, since a sealing can is not required, the transparent substrate can be made thinner. As a result, it is possible to greatly reduce the risk of damage to the transparent substrate and to reduce the thickness as a whole. Furthermore, since the wiring pattern is covered with the protective member, it is possible to prevent the wiring pattern from being corroded due to contamination.

  Preferably, the protective member is a glass plate, a ceramic plate, a metal plate, or a resin film.

  Preferably, the transparent substrate is an etching glass or a resin film.

  Preferably, the thickness from the transparent substrate to the protective member is 0.6 mm or less, and the thickness of the transparent substrate and the thickness of the protective member are substantially the same, or the thickness of the transparent substrate is greater than the thickness of the protective member. Also thick.

  Preferably, the thickness of the portion of the resin layer located other than above the separator is the surface height of the portion of the protective layer located above the separator and the thickness of the portion of the protective layer located other than above the separator. Greater than the difference from the surface height.

  Preferably, the Shore A hardness of the resin layer is 80 or more, or the Shore D hardness of the resin layer is 30 or more. When the Shore A hardness of the resin layer is less than 80 or the Shore D hardness of the resin layer is less than 30, the resin layer easily deforms with respect to the external force. Therefore, when an external force is applied to the organic EL display device, the organic EL The layer, the first protective film, the second protective film, etc. tend to be damaged.

  Preferably, the glass transition temperature of the resin layer is 90 ° C. or higher. Since the temperature range in the use environment of the organic EL display device is generally from −30 ° C. to 80 ° C., if the glass transition temperature of the resin is less than 90 ° C. (especially less than room temperature), the organic EL display device is organic due to shrinkage stress due to thermal shock. The EL layer, the first protective film, the second protective film, etc. tend to be damaged.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an organic EL display device that can greatly reduce the possibility of breakage of the transparent substrate and can be thinned as a whole.

  A preferred embodiment of an organic EL display device 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description, the same reference numerals are used for the same elements or elements having the same function, and a duplicate description is omitted. In the description, the word “upper” is sometimes used, which corresponds to the upper direction of the drawing. Furthermore, in the following description, the organic EL display device 1 having 3 × 3 pixels in the vertical and horizontal directions is described as an example. However, the number of pixels and the arrangement structure of the pixels are not limited thereto, and the organic EL display device 1 Of course, various pixel numbers or various pixel arrangement structures can be used depending on the application.

(Configuration of organic EL display device)
First, the configuration of the organic EL display device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. The organic EL display device 1 employs a so-called passive matrix driving method, and includes a transparent substrate 10, a plurality of wiring patterns 12, a plurality of first electrode patterns 14, an insulating pattern 16, a separator 18, and a plurality of separators. Organic EL layer 20, a plurality of second electrode patterns 22, a protective layer 24, a resin layer 26, a protective member 28, a semiconductor chip 30, and a flexible printed circuit (FPC) substrate 32. Prepare.

  The transparent substrate 10 has a square shape. Although it does not specifically limit as a material of the transparent substrate 10, For example, glass substrates, such as etching glass, a resin substrate, and a resin film are mentioned. The thickness of the transparent substrate 10 can be set to about 0.2 mm to 0.3 mm, for example.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of wiring patterns 12 are formed on the transparent substrate 10. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7 and the like, which will be described later, three wiring patterns 12A extend so as to physically and electrically connect the semiconductor chip 30 and each first electrode pattern 14. Three wiring patterns 12B extend so as to physically and electrically connect the semiconductor chip 30 and each second electrode pattern 22, and the five wiring patterns 12C include the semiconductor chip 30 and the flexible printed circuit. It extends so as to be electrically connected to the substrate 32.

  The wiring pattern 12 is not particularly limited, and can be constituted by, for example, an auxiliary electrode film, a barrier metal film, a transparent electrode film, or a laminate of two or more layers thereof.

  A plurality (three in the present embodiment) of first electrode patterns 14 are formed on the transparent substrate 10. As shown in FIG. 3, each first electrode pattern 14 is arranged on the transparent substrate 10 so as to extend in one direction and be substantially parallel to each other. Each first electrode pattern 14 is physically and electrically connected to each wiring pattern 12B, as shown in FIG.

  The first electrode pattern 14 is made of, for example, ITO. The thickness of the first electrode pattern 14 can be set to, for example, about 10 nm to 300 nm.

  The insulating pattern 16 is formed on the transparent substrate 10 and the first electrode pattern 14. As shown in FIG. 3, the insulating pattern 16 includes a plurality (four in the present embodiment) of first portions 16 a and a plurality (four in the present embodiment) of second portions 16 b. Yes.

  Each first portion 16a is disposed on the transparent substrate 10 and the first electrode pattern 14 so as to extend substantially orthogonal to each first electrode pattern 14 and to be substantially parallel to each other. Each second portion 16 b is disposed on the transparent substrate 10 and the first electrode pattern 14 so as to be positioned between adjacent first electrode patterns 14 among the first electrode patterns 14. Therefore, the insulating pattern 16 is configured to have a lattice shape by the first portions 16a and the second portions 16b.

  In the present embodiment, the insulating pattern 16 includes one of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, aluminum oxide, and a material obtained by adding hydrogen to these as a main component. The thickness of the insulating pattern 16 can be set to about 0.1 μm to 10 μm, for example.

The moisture permeability of the insulating pattern 16 is preferably 10 ⁻³ g / m ² · day or less. Here, if the moisture permeability is ^{10 -3 g / m 2 · day} , since the amount of water molecules in the water 1g is 6.02 × ¹⁰ 23/18 [molecules / g], unit time and per unit area The number of water molecules per hit is 3.87 × 10 ¹⁰ [pieces / cm ² · s]. Assuming that there are 100 organic EL layers 20 in which the number of organic molecules per unit area is 10 ¹⁴ [pieces / cm ² ], the time t until all organic molecules are destroyed is
t = 10 ¹⁴ × 100 / (3.87 × 10 ¹⁰ × 60 ² ) ≈71.8 [hours]
It becomes. That is, if the moisture permeability is 10 ⁻³ g / m ² · day or less, the dark spots in the organic EL layer 20 due to the penetration of moisture between the formation of the insulating pattern 16 and the formation of the protective layer 24. Can be suppressed for about 1-2 days. As a result, the organic EL display device 1 can be stably produced.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, a plurality of (four in the present embodiment) the separators 18 are formed on the first portions 16 a of the insulating pattern 16. Each separator 18 is disposed on each first portion 16a so as to extend in the longitudinal direction of the first portion 16a and to be substantially parallel to each other on each first portion 16a.

  The separator 18 is made of, for example, a photosensitive resin. The thickness of the separator 18 can be set to a height sufficient to separate the organic EL layer 20 and the second electrode pattern 22 (described in detail later), for example, about 1 μm to 20 μm. Also, the shape of the separator 18 is an overhang shape in which the organic EL layer 20 and the second electrode pattern 22 are separated (details will be described later), and there is a region where the second electrode pattern 22 does not adhere to the surface. I just need it.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, a plurality of organic EL layers 20 are formed on the first electrode patterns 14 and the insulating patterns 16 so as to be positioned between the adjacent separators 18 among the separators 18 ( In this embodiment, three) are arranged. Specifically, each organic EL layer 20 is located between adjacent first portions 16 a among the first portions 16 a of the insulating pattern 16. Both edges of each organic EL layer 20 parallel to the extending direction cover edges of each first portion 16a substantially parallel to the extending direction. Each organic EL layer 20 is disposed so as to cover the upper surface of each separator 18.

  Although the material of the organic EL layer 20 is not particularly limited, for example, a known material composed of a hole transport layer, a light emitting layer, and an electron transport layer can be used. The thickness of the organic EL layer 20 can be set to about 5 nm to 500 nm, for example.

  A plurality (three in the present embodiment) of second electrode patterns 22 are arranged on each organic EL layer 20 correspondingly. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the second electrode patterns 22 extend in one direction and are substantially parallel to each other. Both edges of each second electrode pattern 22 parallel to the extending direction are located in the vicinity of the edges of each organic EL layer 20 substantially parallel to the extending direction. Each second electrode pattern 22 is physically and electrically connected to each wiring pattern 12A as shown in FIG. Each second electrode pattern 22 is arranged so as to cover each organic EL layer 20 formed on the upper surface of each separator 18.

  The second electrode pattern 22 is made of, for example, Al. The thickness of the second electrode pattern 22 can be set to, for example, about 50 nm to 1 μm.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the protective layer 24 covers most of the transparent substrate 10 other than the portion where the semiconductor chip 30 and the flexible printed circuit board 32 are mounted. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the protective layer 24 mainly covers the wiring pattern 12, the insulating pattern 16, the separator 18, the organic EL layer 20, and the second electrode pattern 22. Therefore, each organic EL layer 20 and each second electrode pattern 22 are surrounded by each first electrode pattern 14, insulating pattern 16, and protective layer 24.

  The protective layer 24 includes a first protective film 24 a and a second protective film 24 b in the order closer to the transparent substrate 10. The protective film 24 (the first protective film 24a and the second protective film 24b) is made of an inorganic material.

  Specifically, in the present embodiment, the first protective film 24a includes, as a main component, any one of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, aluminum oxide, and a material in which hydrogen is added thereto. Composed. The thickness of the first protective film 24a can be set to, for example, about 0.1 μm to 3 μm. In the present embodiment, the second protective film 24b is made of an inorganic coating material such as SOG (Spin On Glass: a coating solution obtained by dissolving a silicon compound in an organic solvent such as alcohol) or polysilazane. The thickness of the second protective film 24b can be set to about 0.5 μm to 10 μm, for example.

  The first protective film 24a covers the surface of each member with a substantially uniform thickness (for example, about 0.1 μm to 3 μm). Therefore, a narrow portion N is formed in the vicinity of the portion of the first protective film 24a that covers the contact portion between the insulating pattern 16 and the separator 18, as shown in FIG. The second protective film 24b is disposed so as to enter the narrowed portion N. As described above, the protective layer 24 (the first protective film 24 a and the second protective film 24 b) is disposed between each organic EL layer 20 and each second electrode pattern 22 and each separator 18. The EL layer 20, each second electrode pattern 22, and each separator 18 are isolated by the protective layer 24.

  The resin layer 26 is formed on the protective layer 24 so as to cover most of the transparent substrate 10 other than the portion where the semiconductor chip 30 and the flexible printed circuit board 32 are mounted. The resin layer 26 is made of an adhesive resin such as an epoxy resin. The thickness d1 of the portion of the resin layer 26 positioned other than above each separator 18 is the surface height of the portion of the protective layer 24 positioned above each separator 18 and the thickness of each separator 18 of the protective layer 24. It is preferable to be larger than the difference d2 (for example, about 0.1 μm to 10 μm) from the surface height of the portion located other than above, and can be set to about 5 μm to 100 μm, for example.

  Here, the Shore A hardness of the resin layer 26 is preferably 80 or more, or the Shore D hardness of the resin layer 26 is preferably 30 or more. When the Shore A hardness of the resin layer 26 is less than 80 or the Shore D hardness of the resin layer 26 is less than 30, the resin layer 26 is easily deformed with respect to an external force, and thus an external force is applied to the organic EL display device 1. In addition, the organic EL layer 20, the protective layer 24 (the first protective film 24a and the second protective film 24b) and the like tend to be damaged.

  The glass transition temperature of the resin layer 26 is preferably 90 ° C. or higher. Since the temperature range in the use environment of the organic EL display device 1 is generally -30 ° C to 80 ° C, if the glass transition temperature of the resin layer 26 is less than 90 ° C (particularly less than room temperature), the shrinkage stress due to thermal shock is As a result, the organic EL layer 20, the first protective film 24a, the second protective film 24b, etc. tend to be damaged.

  The protection member 28 is disposed on the resin layer 26 so as to cover most of the transparent substrate 10 other than the portion where the semiconductor chip 30 and the flexible printed circuit board 32 are mounted. The protection member 28 is configured by, for example, a glass plate, a ceramic plate, a metal plate, or a resin film. The thickness of the protective member 28 is preferably substantially the same as the thickness of the transparent substrate 10 or thinner than the transparent substrate 10 (the transparent substrate 10 is thicker than the protective member 28). It can be set to about 0.05 μm to 0.2 μm. At this time, the thickness from the transparent substrate 10 to the protective member 28, that is, the thickness of the organic EL display device 1 is preferably 0.6 mm or less.

  The semiconductor chip 30 and the flexible printed circuit board 32 are mounted on the transparent substrate 10 as shown in FIGS. The semiconductor chip 30 controls light emission of a desired pixel by a passive matrix driving method based on a signal input via the flexible printed circuit board 32. The flexible printed circuit board 32 is a flexible external wiring unit.

(Method for manufacturing organic EL display device)
Next, a method for manufacturing the organic EL display device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 5 to 14.

  First, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the wiring patterns 12 (12 </ b> A to 12 </ b> C) and the first electrode pattern 14 are formed on the transparent substrate 10. Specifically, the wiring pattern 12 (12A to 12C) and the transparent electrode material to be the first electrode pattern 14 are formed on the entire surface of the transparent substrate 10 by sputtering and patterned by a photolithography method, whereby the wiring pattern 12 ( 12A to 12C) and the first electrode pattern 14 are formed.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, an insulating pattern 16 is formed. Specifically, each first portion 16 a extends substantially orthogonal to each first electrode pattern 14 and is substantially parallel to each other, and each second portion 16 b is adjacent to each other in each first electrode pattern 14. A film is formed using an inorganic material by an evaporation method such as plasma CVD or sputtering, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) method, or the like so as to be positioned between the one electrode patterns 14.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, each separator 18 is formed corresponding to each first portion 16 a of the insulating pattern 16. Specifically, each separator 18 is formed by a photolithography method using a resin material such as a photosensitive resin.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, an organic EL layer 20 and a second electrode pattern 22 are formed. Specifically, the organic EL layer 20 and the second electrode pattern 22 are respectively formed by a vapor deposition method using a known material that becomes the organic EL layer 20. At this time, each organic EL layer 20 is disposed between adjacent separators 18 among the respective separators 18 and is disposed so as to cover the upper surface of each separator 18. Each second electrode pattern 22 is arranged corresponding to each organic EL layer 20 and is arranged so as to cover each organic EL layer 20 formed on the upper surface of each separator 18.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, a protective layer 24 is formed to cover most of the transparent substrate 10 other than the portion where the semiconductor chip 30 and the flexible printed circuit board 32 are mounted. Specifically, the first protective film 24a is formed using an inorganic material by an evaporation method such as plasma CVD or sputtering with good step coverage, an atomic layer deposition method, or the like. Then, the second protective film 24b is formed by applying and curing an inorganic coating material on the first protective film 24a.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a resin layer 26 and a protective member 28 are provided. Specifically, a resin to be the resin layer 26 is applied to a predetermined region of the second protective film 24b, the protective member 28 is adhered to the resin, and then the resin is cured to form the resin layer 26. Then, the semiconductor chip 30 and the flexible printed circuit board 32 are mounted at predetermined positions on the transparent substrate 10. Thereby, the organic EL display device 1 is completed.

  In the present embodiment as described above, the protective layer 24 made of an inorganic material covers the insulating pattern 16, each separator 18, each organic EL layer 20, and each second electrode pattern 22. The EL layer 20 and the second electrode patterns 22 are surrounded by the first electrode patterns 14, the insulating patterns 16, and the protective layer 24, and the insulating patterns 16 are made of an inorganic material. That is, each organic EL layer 20, each second electrode pattern 22, and each separator 18 are isolated by the protective layer 24 that is an inorganic material and the insulating pattern 16 that is an inorganic material. Therefore, moisture hardly permeates between each organic EL layer 20 and each separator 18. As a result, even when the separator 18 has a defect, it is difficult for moisture to penetrate into the organic EL layer 20, so that dark spots due to moisture penetration hardly occur.

  In the present embodiment, the protective member 28 covers most of the transparent substrate 10 other than the portion where the semiconductor chip 30 and the flexible printed circuit board 32 are mounted. Therefore, the protection member 28 can improve the strength of most of the transparent substrate 10. Moreover, since the sealing can is not required, the transparent substrate 10 can be made thinner. As a result, it is possible to greatly reduce the possibility that the transparent substrate 10 is damaged and to reduce the thickness as a whole. Furthermore, since the wiring pattern 12 is covered with the protective member 28, it is possible to prevent the wiring pattern 12 from being corroded due to contamination.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the protective layer 24 includes the first protective film 24a and the second protective film 24b in the order closer to the transparent substrate 10, and the second protective film 24b is the first protective film 24a. Among these, it is arranged so as to enter the narrow portion N formed in the vicinity of the portion covering the contact portion between the insulating pattern 16 and the separator 18. Therefore, it is possible to further prevent moisture from entering.

  In the present embodiment, each wiring pattern 12 is disposed on the transparent substrate 10 and is electrically connected to correspond to each first electrode pattern 14 and each second electrode pattern 22. The protective layer 24 covers most of each wiring pattern 12. Therefore, for example, it is possible to prevent a short circuit between adjacent wiring patterns 12 among the wiring patterns 12.

  Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, as shown in FIG. 15, the insulating pattern 16 may be constituted by a resin layer 16A and an inorganic material layer 16B. Specifically, at least a portion of the insulating pattern 16 that is in contact with the protective layer 24 and the separator 18 is the inorganic material layer 16B, and the remaining portion is the resin layer 16A. Even in this case, each organic EL layer 20, each second electrode pattern 22, and each separator 18 are isolated by the inorganic material layer 16B among the protective layer 24 and the insulating pattern 16 that are inorganic materials. . Therefore, moisture hardly permeates between the organic EL layer 20 and the separator 18. As a result, even when the separator 18 has a defect, it is difficult for moisture to penetrate into the organic EL layer 20, so that dark spots due to moisture penetration hardly occur.

Here, the resin layer 16A can be formed by a photolithography method using a resin material such as a photosensitive resin. The inorganic material layer 16B is formed by plasma CVD using an inorganic material containing, as a main component, any one of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, aluminum oxide, and a material to which hydrogen is added. The film can be formed by vapor deposition such as sputtering or atomic layer deposition. The moisture permeability of the inorganic material layer 16B is preferably 10 ⁻³ g / m ² · day or less.

  As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the separator 18 may be constituted by a resin layer 18 </ b> A and an inorganic material layer 18 </ b> B. Specifically, in FIG. 16, at least a portion of the separator 18 that is in contact with the protective layer 24 and the insulating pattern 16 is the inorganic material layer 18 </ b> B, and the other remaining portion is the resin layer 18 </ b> A. ing. Moreover, in FIG. 17, the part which is exhibiting the function as what is called a spacer among the separators 18 is the inorganic material layer 16B, and the remaining part other than that is the resin layer 18A. Even in this case, each organic EL layer 20, each second electrode pattern 22, and each separator 18 are isolated by the inorganic material layer 18B among the protective layer 24 and the separator 18 that are inorganic materials. Therefore, moisture hardly permeates between the organic EL layer 20 and the separator 18. As a result, even when the separator 18 has a defect, it is difficult for moisture to penetrate into the organic EL layer 20, so that dark spots due to moisture penetration hardly occur.

Here, the resin layer 18A can be formed by a photolithography method using a resin material such as a photosensitive resin. The inorganic material layer 18B is formed by plasma CVD using an inorganic material containing, as a main component, any one of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, aluminum oxide, and a material to which hydrogen is added. The film can be formed by vapor deposition such as sputtering or atomic layer deposition. The moisture permeability of the inorganic material layer 18B is preferably 10 ⁻³ g / m ² · day or less.

  In the present embodiment, the protective layer 24 covers most of the transparent substrate 10 other than the portion where the semiconductor chip 30 and the flexible printed circuit board 32 are mounted. However, the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the protective layer 24 may mainly cover the insulating pattern 16, the separator 18, the organic EL layer 20, and the second electrode pattern 22, and only a part of the wiring pattern 12 may be covered by the protective layer 24.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the protective member 28 is a single plate-like body, but the semiconductor chip 30 and the flexible printed circuit board 32 of the transparent substrate 10 are mounted using a plurality of protective members. You may make it cover most other than a part.

  Here, the preferable hardness of the resin layer 26 was confirmed by a test. Hereinafter, description will be given based on Examples 1-1 to 1-6 and FIG.

(Example 1-1)
First, the ultraviolet curable epoxy resin was cured, and the Shore D hardness was measured in accordance with JIS K 7215 “Plastic Durometer Hardness Test Method”. In Example 1-1, the Shore D hardness was 78.

  Next, three organic EL display devices 1 in which the resin layer 26 is configured using the same ultraviolet curable epoxy resin were manufactured. And each organic EL display device 1 was subjected to a high-temperature and high-humidity storage test, a thermal shock test, and a pressure test.

  Here, the high temperature and high humidity storage test is to hold the organic EL display device 1 in an environment of 60 ° C. and 90% humidity for 500 hours. The thermal shock test is a thermal cycle (temperature change) in which the environment of the organic EL display device 1 is held at −40 ° C. for 30 minutes, then heated to 85 ° C., held for 30 minutes, and cooled to −40 ° C. again. Is repeated 100 times. In the pressure test, the organic EL display device 1 is placed on a support base having rigidity so that the protective member 28 faces downward, and a cylindrical bar having a diameter of 10 mm is used to center the organic EL display device 1. A load of 200 N is applied for 10 seconds from the transparent substrate 10 side.

(Examples 1-2 to 1-4)
The resin used is an ultraviolet curable acrylic resin, the Shore D hardness is 58, the Shore D hardness is 30 (Shore A hardness is 86), and the Shore A hardness is 74, as in Example 1-1. Each test was done about the organic electroluminescence display 1 concerning Examples 1-2 to 1-4.

(Examples 1-5 to 1-6)
The organic EL display device 1 according to Examples 1-5 to 1-6 is the same as Example 1-1 except that the resin used is a silicone resin and the Shore A hardness is 45 and the Shore A hardness is 13. Each test was conducted.

(Evaluation results)
After confirming the display of the organic EL display device 1 after each test, in the organic EL display device 1 according to Examples 1-1 to 1-3, the occurrence of a defect (dark spot) could not be confirmed. . Further, in the organic EL display device 1 according to Examples 1-4 to 1-6, a slight defect (dark spot) occurred. Therefore, it was confirmed that the Shore A hardness of the resin layer 26 is 80 or more, or the Shore D hardness of the resin layer 26 is preferably 30 or more.

  Subsequently, the preferable glass transition temperature (Tg) of the resin layer 26 was confirmed by a test. Hereinafter, description will be given based on Examples 2-1 to 2-8 and FIG.

  First, the ultraviolet curable epoxy resin was cured, and the glass transition temperature was measured from the peak value of loss tangent tan δ of a dynamic viscoelasticity test (DMA: Dynamic Mechanical Analysis). In Example 2-1, the glass transition temperature was 102 ° C.

  Next, three organic EL display devices 1 in which the resin layer 26 is configured using the same ultraviolet curable epoxy resin were manufactured. And each organic EL display device 1 was subjected to a high-temperature and high-humidity storage test, a thermal shock test, and a pressure test.

(Examples 2-2 to 2-3)
Each test was conducted on the organic EL display device 1 according to Examples 2-2 to 2-3 in the same manner as in Example 2-1, except that the glass transition temperatures were 110 ° C. and 132 ° C.

(Examples 2-4 to 2-7)
The resin used is an ultraviolet curable acrylic resin and the glass transition temperatures are 94 ° C., 72 ° C., 22 ° C., and −18 ° C., as in Example 2-1. Each test was performed on the organic EL display device 1 according to No. 7.

(Example 2-8)
Each test was performed on the organic EL display device 1 according to Example 2-8 in the same manner as in Example 2-1, except that the resin used was a silicone resin and the glass transition temperature was −54 ° C.

(Evaluation results)
When the display of the organic EL display device 1 was confirmed after the completion of each test, in the organic EL display device 1 according to Examples 2-1 to 2-4, the occurrence of a defect (dark spot) could not be confirmed. . Further, in the organic EL display device 1 according to Examples 2-5 to 2-8, a slight defect (dark spot) occurred. Therefore, it was confirmed that the glass transition temperature of the resin layer 26 is preferably 90 ° C. or higher.

FIG. 1 is a top view showing an organic EL display device according to the present embodiment. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a partially broken organic EL display device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the separator of the organic EL display device according to this embodiment. FIG. 5 is a top view showing one process of manufacturing the organic EL display device according to this embodiment. FIG. 6 is an end view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. FIG. 7 is a top view showing a step subsequent to FIG. 8 is an end view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. FIG. 9 is a top view showing a step subsequent to FIG. 10 is an end view taken along line XX of FIG. FIG. 11 is a top view showing a step subsequent to FIG. 12 is an end view taken along line XII-XII in FIG. FIG. 13 is a top view showing a step subsequent to FIG. 14 is an end view taken along line XIV-XIV in FIG. FIG. 15 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a separator in another example of the organic EL display device according to this embodiment. FIG. 16 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a separator in another example of the organic EL display device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 17 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a separator in another example of the organic EL display device according to this embodiment. FIG. 18 is a table showing conditions and evaluation results in Examples 1-1 to 1-6. FIG. 19 is a table showing conditions and evaluation results in Examples 2-1 to 2-8.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Organic EL display apparatus, 10 ... Transparent substrate, 12 ... Wiring pattern, 14 ... 1st electrode pattern, 16 ... Insulation pattern, 16a ... 1st part, 16b ... 2nd part, 18 ... Separator, 20 ... Organic EL Layer, 22 ... second electrode pattern, 24 ... protective layer, 24a ... first protective film, 24b ... second protective film, 26 ... resin layer, 28 ... protective member, 30 ... semiconductor chip, 32 ... flexible printed circuit board.

Claims (8)

A passive matrix driving organic EL display device,
A transparent substrate;
A plurality of first electrode patterns disposed on the transparent substrate so as to be separated from each other;
Insulating patterns disposed on the transparent substrate and on the plurality of first electrode patterns so as to insulate the plurality of first electrode patterns from each other and expose a predetermined portion of the surfaces of the plurality of first electrode patterns. When,
A plurality of separators disposed on the insulating pattern;
A plurality of organic EL layers disposed on the plurality of first electrode patterns and the insulating pattern;
A plurality of second electrode patterns respectively correspondingly disposed on the plurality of organic EL layers;
A protective layer made of an inorganic material and covering the insulating pattern, the plurality of separators, the plurality of organic EL layers, and the plurality of second electrode patterns;
A resin layer covering the protective layer;
A protective member disposed on the resin layer;
A semiconductor chip and a flexible printed circuit board mounted on the transparent substrate;
The plurality of organic EL layers and the plurality of second electrode patterns are surrounded by the plurality of first electrode patterns, the insulating pattern, and the protective layer,
The organic EL display device, wherein the protective member covers most of the transparent substrate other than a portion where the semiconductor chip and the flexible printed circuit board are mounted. A passive matrix driving organic EL display device,
A transparent substrate;
A plurality of first electrode patterns disposed on the transparent substrate so as to be separated from each other;
Insulating patterns disposed on the transparent substrate and on the plurality of first electrode patterns so as to insulate the plurality of first electrode patterns from each other and expose a predetermined portion of the surfaces of the plurality of first electrode patterns. When,
A plurality of separators disposed on the insulating pattern;
A plurality of organic EL layers disposed on the plurality of first electrode patterns and the insulating pattern;
A plurality of second electrode patterns respectively correspondingly disposed on the plurality of organic EL layers;
A protective layer made of an inorganic material and covering the insulating pattern, the plurality of separators, the plurality of organic EL layers, and the plurality of second electrode patterns;
A resin layer covering the protective layer;
A protective member disposed on the resin layer;
A semiconductor chip and a flexible printed circuit board mounted on the transparent substrate;
The plurality of organic EL layers and the plurality of second electrode patterns are surrounded by the plurality of first electrode patterns, the insulating pattern, and the protective layer,
The organic EL display device, wherein the protective member covers most of the transparent substrate other than a portion where the semiconductor chip and the flexible printed circuit board are mounted.   The organic EL display device according to claim 1, wherein the protective member is a glass plate, a ceramic plate, a metal plate, or a resin film.   The organic EL display device according to claim 1, wherein the transparent substrate is an etching glass or a resin film.   The thickness from the transparent substrate to the protection member is 0.6 mm or less, and the thickness of the transparent substrate and the thickness of the protection member are substantially the same, or the thickness of the transparent substrate is the protection member The organic EL display device according to claim 1, wherein the organic EL display device is thicker than the thickness of the organic EL display device.   The thickness of the resin layer other than above the separator is such that the thickness of the portion of the protective layer located above the separator and the thickness of the protective layer other than above the separator. The organic EL display device according to claim 1, wherein the organic EL display device is larger than a difference from a surface height of a portion to be processed.   The organic EL display device according to claim 1, wherein the resin layer has a Shore A hardness of 80 or more, or the resin layer has a Shore D hardness of 30 or more.   The organic EL display device according to claim 1, wherein a glass transition temperature of the resin layer is 90 ° C. or higher.

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