JP2011124152A - Method for manufacturing organic electroluminescence display apparatus and the organic electroluminescence display apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for manufacturing an organic electroluminescence display apparatus that can eliminate short-circuiting between a positive electrode and a negative electrode in a panel state, and to provide the organic electroluminescence display apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: The method is used for manufacturing the organic EL display apparatus 1. The method includes a step of starting irradiating an organic layer 30 close to a section where the positive electrode 11 and the negative electrode 16 are short-circuited by a laser 25 in pixel 2; and a step of eliminating short-circuiting, by forming a space 26 filled with vapor between the positive electrode 11 and the negative electrode 16 that are short-circuited, by using the vapor generated by at least the vaporization of a part of the organic layer 30 irradiated with the laser 25. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an organic electroluminescence display device and an organic electroluminescence display device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an organic EL display device having an organic electroluminescence (hereinafter referred to as organic EL) element in which an organic layer is interposed between an anode (anode) and a cathode (cathode), There is a method of repairing (resolving) a short-circuited portion by irradiating the short-circuited portion with a laser when a conductive foreign material adheres or enters and the anode and the cathode are short-circuited (see, for example, Patent Document 1). ).

  In Patent Document 1, in an organic EL display device, conductive foreign matter adhering to an organic EL element is detected, and laser irradiation is performed on an organic layer in a peripheral region of the foreign matter, whereby the anode of the organic EL element to which the foreign matter is attached is disclosed. The organic layer between the cathode and the cathode is insulated to form a high resistance region, thereby eliminating the short circuit between the anode and the cathode caused by foreign matter.

JP 2004-227852 A

  FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a general organic EL display device 200 in the prior art. As shown in the figure, the organic EL display device 200 includes an anode 211, a hole injection layer 212, a light emitting layer 213, a partition wall 214, an electron injection layer 215, a cathode 216, on a planarizing film 210. , Thin film sealing 217, sealing resin 219, and transparent glass 218. Here, the hole injection layer 212, the light emitting layer 213, and the electron injection layer 215 are collectively referred to as an organic layer 230. A configuration including the anode 211, the organic layer 230, and the cathode 216 is a basic configuration of the organic EL element. With such a configuration, when an appropriate voltage is applied between the anode 211 and the cathode 216, holes are injected from the anode 211 side and electrons are injected from the cathode 216 side into the light emitting layer 213, respectively. By the energy generated by recombination of the injected holes and electrons in the light emitting layer 213, the light emitting material of the light emitting layer 213 is excited and emits light.

  Here, FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the organic EL display device 200 in which the foreign material 220 is mixed between the anode 211 and the cathode 216. As shown in FIG. 15, in the manufacturing process of the organic EL display device 200, a foreign material 220 is mixed between the anode 211 and the cathode 216, and the anode 211 and the cathode 216 may be short-circuited. When the anode 211 and the cathode 216 are short-circuited, the potential difference between the anode 211 and the cathode 216 disappears, and the drive current does not flow to the organic EL element, so that the pixel 202 becomes a dark spot pixel. Therefore, in order to eliminate the short circuit between the anode 211 and the cathode 216, a method of irradiating the organic EL element with a laser is used.

  Here, as in Patent Document 1, in the method of insulating the organic layer 230 around the foreign material 220 by laser irradiation to eliminate the short circuit between the anode 211 and the cathode 216, the organic layer 230 around the foreign material 220 is insulated. Therefore, it is effective for eliminating a short circuit when the size of the foreign material 220 is less than the thickness of the organic layer 230, but when the size of the foreign material 220 is greater than or equal to the thickness of the organic layer 230, There is a problem that it is difficult to eliminate the short circuit between the anode 211 and the cathode 216 by the above method.

  Further, even if the foreign material 220 is removed from the organic EL element to eliminate the short circuit between the anode 211 and the cathode 216, the foreign material 220, the anode 211, and the cathode 216 are placed in a sealed space sandwiched between the thin film sealing 217 and the transparent glass 218. Therefore, in the panel state, the short circuit between the anode 211 and the cathode 216 cannot be eliminated, and foreign matters cannot be excluded unless the sealed space is destroyed, for example, the panel is disassembled after manufacturing.

  A method of destroying the foreign material 220 by directly irradiating the foreign material 220 with a laser is also conceivable. However, the foreign material 220 irradiated with the laser absorbs the energy of the laser and vibrates, and the anode 211 and the cathode 216 of the organic EL element. May break down, or the light emitting layer 213 and the cathode 216 may be exposed to oxygen or water vapor from the broken portion to deteriorate (oxidize) and damage the entire panel.

  An object of this invention is to provide the manufacturing method and display apparatus of an organic electroluminescent display apparatus which can eliminate the short circuit of an anode and a cathode in a panel state in view of the said problem.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a method of manufacturing an organic electroluminescence display device according to an aspect of the present invention includes: irradiating the organic layer near the portion where the anode and the cathode are short-circuited in the pixel. A step of starting, forming a space filled with the gas in the short-circuited portion by a gas generated by vaporizing a part of the organic layer irradiated with the laser, and eliminating the short-circuit. It is characterized by including.

  According to the method for manufacturing an organic electroluminescence display device and the organic electroluminescence display device according to the present invention, it is possible to eliminate a short circuit between the anode and the cathode in the panel state.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an organic EL display device in Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a short-circuited organic EL display device. It is a flowchart which shows the process of eliminating the short circuit of an organic electroluminescence display. It is a top view of the organic electroluminescence display which shows the irradiation position of a laser. It is sectional drawing which shows the process of eliminating the short circuit of an organic electroluminescence display. It is sectional drawing which shows the process of eliminating the short circuit of an organic electroluminescence display. It is a SEM photograph of the section of a short-circuited organic EL display. It is a SEM photograph of the section of an organic electroluminescence display where a short circuit was canceled. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an organic EL display device according to a modification of the first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an organic EL display device in a second embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the process of eliminating the short circuit of an organic electroluminescence display. It is sectional drawing which shows the process of eliminating the short circuit of an organic electroluminescence display. It is an external view of a television system provided with the organic EL display device of the present invention. It is a section schematic diagram of an organic EL display for explaining a subject of the present invention. It is a section schematic diagram of an organic EL display for explaining a subject of the present invention.

  The method of manufacturing an organic electroluminescence display device according to claim 1 is a method of manufacturing an organic electroluminescence display device including a pixel including an anode, an organic layer including a light emitting layer, and a cathode. Generated by starting laser irradiation of the organic layer in the vicinity of a portion where the anode and the cathode are short-circuited in the pixel, and evaporating at least a part of the organic layer irradiated with the laser Forming a space filled with the gas between the short-circuited anode and the cathode, and eliminating the short-circuit.

  According to this embodiment, only the organic layer in the vicinity of the short-circuited portion is vaporized, and the space is formed by separating the short-circuited portion (short contact) by the vaporized gas pressure, thereby damaging the anode and the cathode. And short circuit can be eliminated. Thereby, a voltage is applied to the organic layer between the anode and the cathode, and light emission of the pixel including the anode, the organic layer, and the cathode is recovered. Moreover, since a short circuit is eliminated by irradiating the surface of the organic EL display device with a laser, the short circuit can be easily eliminated in a panel state without disassembling the organic EL display device after manufacture. Since the dark spot defect of the pixel short-circuited in the panel state can be eliminated, the yield of the organic EL display device can be improved.

  The method for manufacturing an organic electroluminescence display device according to claim 2 is the method for manufacturing an organic electroluminescence display device according to claim 1, wherein the short-circuited portion is connected to the anode via a conductive foreign matter. The cathode is short-circuited.

  According to this aspect, even when the size of the foreign matter is larger than the distance between the anode and the cathode, a short circuit between the anode and the cathode due to the foreign matter can be eliminated.

  The method of manufacturing an organic electroluminescence display device according to an aspect of claim 3 further includes a step of detecting the conductive foreign matter in the method of manufacturing an organic electroluminescence display device according to claim 2, The laser is irradiated to the organic layer around the alien substance.

  When a foreign object is irradiated with a laser, the foreign object absorbs the laser energy and vibrates, possibly causing damage to the pixel including the organic EL element. However, according to this aspect, the laser is applied to the periphery of the foreign object. Short circuit can be eliminated without causing damage.

  The method for manufacturing an organic electroluminescence display device according to claim 4 is the method for manufacturing an organic electroluminescence display device according to claim 1, wherein the anode and the cathode are in direct contact with each other at the short-circuited portion. Are short-circuited.

  According to this aspect, even when the anode and the cathode are in direct contact and short-circuited due to the formation of pinholes in the process of forming the display device, the organic layer near the short-circuited portion is irradiated with laser. By vaporizing, a space is formed between the anode and the cathode by the gas generated by the vaporization, whereby the anode and the cathode can be separated to eliminate the short circuit.

  The method for producing an organic electroluminescence display device according to an aspect of the present invention is the method for producing an organic electroluminescence display device according to claim 1, wherein the organic layer includes an electron injection layer or an electron transport layer.

  According to this aspect, since the electron injection layer or the electron transport layer provided between the anode and the cathode is vaporized by irradiating the laser, the repair of the short-circuited portion can be easily performed without newly providing a layer for vaporization. It can be carried out.

  The method of manufacturing an organic electroluminescence display device according to claim 6 is the method of manufacturing an organic electroluminescence display device according to claim 1, wherein the laser is a YAG laser having an output energy of 15 to 35 μJ. It is.

  According to this aspect, since the output energy of the YAG laser used is 15 μJ or more, the organic layer is surely vaporized, and since the output energy of the YAG laser is 35 μJ or less, the thin film sealing is not broken. Short circuit can be eliminated.

  The method for producing an organic electroluminescence display device according to an aspect of the present invention is the method for producing an organic electroluminescence display device according to claim 1, wherein the laser is an ultrashort pulse laser.

  According to this aspect, since the ultrashort pulse laser to be used has a wavelength of about 1.5 μm and can pass through the color filter, a short circuit can be eliminated through the color filter.

  The organic electroluminescence display device according to claim 8 is an organic electroluminescence display device including a pixel including an anode, an organic layer including a light emitting layer, and a cathode, wherein the anode is disposed in the pixel. The organic layer near the portion where the cathode is short-circuited is irradiated with laser, and the gas generated by vaporizing at least part of the organic layer causes the short-circuit between the anode and the cathode to be short-circuited. A space filled with the gas is formed, and the short circuit is eliminated.

  According to this aspect, only the organic layer near the short-circuited portion is vaporized to form a space, thereby providing an organic EL display device in which the short-circuit is eliminated without damaging the anode and the cathode.

  Hereinafter, an organic EL display device manufacturing method and an organic EL display device according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference symbols throughout all the drawings, and redundant description thereof is omitted.

(Embodiment 1)
Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an organic EL display device 1 manufactured by the method for manufacturing an organic EL display device according to the present embodiment. The organic EL display device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is an organic functional device including an organic EL element having an anode, a cathode, and an organic light emitting layer sandwiched between the two electrodes.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the organic EL display device 1 includes an anode 11, a hole injection layer 12, a light emitting layer 13, a partition wall 14, an electron injection layer 15, and a cathode 16 on a planarizing film 10. , A thin film seal 17, a sealing resin 19, and a transparent glass 18.

  For example, the planarization film 10 is made of an insulating organic material, and is formed on a substrate including, for example, a driving thin film transistor (TFT).

  The anode 11 is an anode to which holes are supplied, that is, current flows from an external circuit. For example, ITO (Indium Tin Oxide), which is a transparent electrode, is laminated on the planarizing film 10. . The anode 11 may have a two-layer structure made of, for example, ITO and a silver alloy APC.

  The hole injection layer 12 is a layer mainly composed of a hole injecting material. The hole injecting material is a material having a function of injecting holes injected from the anode 11 side into the light emitting layer 13 stably or by assisting the generation of holes. For example, PEDOT (polyethylene) Compounds such as dioxythiophene) and aniline are used.

  The light emitting layer 13 is a layer that emits light when a voltage is applied between the anode 11 and the cathode 16. For example, α-NPD (Bis [N- (1-naphthyl) -N-phenyl] benzidine), As the upper layer, Alq3 (tris- (8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum) is laminated.

  The electron injection layer 15 is a layer mainly composed of an electron injecting material. The electron injecting material is a material having a function of injecting electrons injected from the cathode 16 into the light emitting layer 13 in a stable manner or assisting the generation of electrons. For example, polyphenylene vinylene (PPV) is used. Is done.

  The cathode 16 is a cathode to which electrons are supplied, that is, a current flows out to an external circuit, and is made of, for example, a material such as Al, Ag, or Mg.

  The partition wall 14 is a wall for separating the light emitting layer 13 into a plurality of light emitting regions, and is made of, for example, a photosensitive resin.

  The thin film sealing 17 is made of, for example, silicon nitride and has a function of blocking the light emitting layer 13 and the cathode 16 from water vapor and oxygen. This is to prevent the light emitting layer 13 itself or the cathode 16 from being deteriorated (oxidized) by being exposed to water vapor or oxygen.

  The sealing resin 19 is an acrylic or epoxy resin, and has a function of bonding the layer formed integrally from the planarization film 10 to the thin film sealing 17 formed on the substrate and the transparent glass 18. Have

  The transparent glass 18 is a substrate that protects the light emitting surface of the light emitting panel, and is, for example, a transparent alkali-free glass having a thickness of 0.5 mm.

  The configuration of the anode 11, the light emitting layer 13, and the cathode 16 described above is a basic configuration of the organic EL element. With such a configuration, when an appropriate voltage is applied between the anode 11 and the cathode 16, the anode 11 side To holes and electrons from the cathode 16 side are respectively injected into the light emitting layer 13. By the energy generated by recombination of these injected holes and electrons in the light emitting layer 13, the light emitting material of the light emitting layer 13 is excited and emits light.

  The materials of the hole injection layer 12 and the electron injection layer 15 are not limited in the present invention, and a well-known organic material or inorganic material is used.

  In addition, as a configuration of the organic EL display device 1, there may be a hole transport layer between the hole injection layer 12 and the light emitting layer 13, or an electron transport layer between the electron injection layer 15 and the light emitting layer 13. There may be. The hole transport layer is a layer mainly composed of a material having a hole transport property. The hole transporting material has both the property of having an electron donor property and being easily converted to a cation (hole) and the property of transmitting the generated holes by intermolecular charge transfer reaction. It is a material that has suitability for up to charge transport. The electron transport layer is a layer mainly composed of an electron transport material. The electron transporting material has both the property of being an electron acceptor and easily becoming an anion, and the property of transmitting the generated electrons by a charge transfer reaction between molecules, and for charge transport from the cathode 16 to the light emitting layer 13. It is a material that has appropriateness to it.

  The organic EL display device 1 further includes a color filter that adjusts red, green, and blue colors on the lower surface of the transparent glass 18 so as to cover each light emitting region separated by the partition wall 14. Also good.

  In the present invention, the hole injection layer 12, the light emitting layer 13, and the electron injection layer 15 are collectively referred to as an organic layer 30. In addition, when the hole transport layer and the electron transport layer are included, these layers are also included in the organic layer 30. As an example, the thickness of the organic layer 30 is 100 to 200 nm. Further, the planarization film 10, the anode 11, the organic layer 30, the cathode 16, the thin film sealing 17, and the transparent glass 18 that are disposed in the light emitting region separated by the partition wall 14 are referred to as pixels 2.

  Furthermore, in the organic EL display device 1 shown in FIG. 1, in the manufacturing process, conductive foreign matter 20 is mixed between the anode 11 and the cathode 16, and the anode 11 and the cathode 16 are short-circuited via the foreign matter 20. ing. Then, by forming a space 26 around the foreign material 20, the anode 11 and the cathode 16 short-circuited by the foreign material 20 are separated from each other, thereby eliminating the short circuit. The repair process for the short-circuited portion will be described later.

  Next, a method for manufacturing the organic EL display device 1 will be described.

  First, the formation process of an organic EL element is demonstrated. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the formed organic EL element, and shows a cross-sectional structure of the short-circuited organic EL display device. First, a planarizing film 10 made of an insulating organic material is formed on a substrate including a TFT, and then an anode 11 is formed on the planarizing film 10.

  The anode 11 is formed, for example, by depositing 300 nm of ITO on the planarizing film 10 by a sputtering method, and then performing a patterning process by photolithography and wet etching.

  The hole injection layer 12 is formed on the anode 11 by, for example, dissolving PEDOT in a solvent made of xylene and spin-coating this PEDOT solution.

  Next, α-NPD and Alq3 are stacked on the hole injection layer 12 by, for example, a vacuum deposition method, and the light emitting layer 13 is formed.

  Next, the electron injection layer 15 is formed on the light emitting layer 13 by, for example, dissolving polyphenylene vinylene (PPV) in a solvent made of, for example, xylene or chloroform and performing spin coating.

  Subsequently, the cathode 16 is formed by laminating 100 nm of Al on the electron injection layer 15 by sputtering, for example, without exposing the substrate on which the electron injection layer 15 is formed to the atmosphere.

  By the manufacturing process as described above, an organic EL element having a function as a light emitting element is formed. A partition 14 made of a surface photosensitive resin is formed at a predetermined position between the step of forming the hole injection layer 12 and the step of forming the light emitting layer 13.

Next, 500 nm of silicon nitride is laminated on the cathode 16 by, for example, plasma CVD to form a thin film seal 17. Since the thin film seal 17 is formed in contact with the surface of the cathode 16, it is particularly preferable that the necessary conditions as a protective film are tightened, and a non-oxygen-based inorganic material represented by the above-described silicon nitride is preferable. . Further, for example, an oxygen-based inorganic material such as silicon oxide (Si _x O _y ) or silicon oxynitride (Si _x O _y N _z ), or a structure in which a plurality of these inorganic materials are formed may be used. Further, the forming method is not limited to the plasma CVD method, and may be other methods such as a sputtering method using argon plasma.

  Next, a sealing resin 19 is applied to the surface of the thin film sealing 17. Thereafter, the transparent glass 18 is disposed on the applied sealing resin 19. Here, when a color filter is disposed in the organic EL display device 1, a color filter is formed in advance on the main surface of the transparent glass 18, and the coated seal is applied with the surface on which the color filter is formed facing downward. A transparent glass 18 is disposed on the resin 19.

  Finally, the transparent glass 18 is pressed downward from the upper surface side, heat or energy rays are applied to cure the sealing resin 19, and the transparent glass 18 and the thin film sealing 17 are bonded.

  By such a forming method, the organic EL display device 1 shown in FIG. 2 is formed.

  In addition, the formation process of the anode 11, the hole injection layer 12, the light emitting layer 13, the electron injection layer 15, and the cathode 16 is not limited by this invention.

  FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the organic EL display device 1 in which conductive foreign matter 20 is mixed between the anode 11 and the cathode 16 and the anode 11 and the cathode 16 are short-circuited through the foreign matter 20 in the manufacturing process. Show. As the foreign material 20, for example, ITO, which is the material of the anode 11, is deposited on the anode 11 after the formation of the anode 11, and then the hole injection layer 12, the light emitting layer 13, the electron injection layer 15, and the cathode 16 are laminated. It was because it was done. Since the anode 11 and the cathode 16 are short-circuited by the foreign matter 20, the organic EL element does not emit light in this pixel 2 and becomes a dark spot pixel.

  Next, in the organic EL display device 1 in which the anode 11 and the cathode 16 are short-circuited by the foreign matter 20 described above, a repair process for the short-circuited portion will be described. FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of the short repair process.

  Repair of the short-circuited portion is performed by irradiating the organic layer 30 including the hole injection layer 12, the light emitting layer 13, and the electron injection layer 15 with a laser. Specifically, a portion short-circuited by the foreign matter 20 or the mixed foreign matter 20 itself is detected (step S10), and the transparent glass 18 is formed on the organic layer 30 in the vicinity of the short-circuited portion in the pixel 2 or around the foreign matter 20. Laser irradiation is started from the side (step S11). Then, a part of the organic layer 30 irradiated with the laser is vaporized (step S12), and the gas generated by the vaporization forms a space 26 filled with gas in the short-circuited portion, thereby eliminating the short-circuit (step S13). ).

  To detect the short-circuited part or the foreign object 20, by inputting a luminance signal voltage corresponding to the intermediate luminance gradation to each pixel 2, a pixel having a lower luminance than that of a normal pixel is visually detected. Note that the detection of the short-circuited part or the foreign material 20 is not limited to the above-described method. For example, the current value flowing between the anode 11 and the cathode 16 of the organic EL element is measured and detected based on the magnitude of the current value. May be. In this case, when a forward bias voltage is applied, a current value equivalent to that of a normal pixel is obtained, and when a reverse bias voltage is applied, a portion where leakage light emission is observed is determined to be a short-circuited portion or a portion where foreign matter 20 is mixed. May be.

  FIG. 4 is a top view of the organic EL display device 1 and shows a laser irradiation region on the foreign material 20. In the figure, a region 22 is a laser irradiation position. 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views showing a process of eliminating the short circuit of the organic EL display device 1. FIG.

  After the detection of the foreign object 20, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the laser is applied to a region 22 having a length of about 1 μm set in parallel at equal intervals, for example, 1 μm away from the foreign object. 25 is irradiated. The focal point of the laser 25 is set in accordance with, for example, the electron injection layer 15 of the organic layer 30. If the organic layer 30 includes an electron transport layer, the focus of the laser 25 may be set on the electron transport layer.

  As the type of the laser 25 to be irradiated, for example, a YAG laser having an output energy of 15 to 35 μJ and a pulse width of several tens of nm is used. The type of the laser 25 is not limited to the above-described example. For example, an ultrashort pulse laser having a pulse width of 10 ps or less may be used, or a laser having a wavelength that is easily absorbed by the organic layer 30 may be selected. Further, the output energy of the laser 25 is not limited to the above range, and any output energy may be used as long as the organic layer 30 is vaporized and the thin film sealing 17 is not broken.

  In addition, a region 23 illustrated in FIG. 4 indicates a range of the organic layer 30 that is affected by the laser irradiated to the region 22. The thermal energy of the laser irradiated to the region 22 spreads in a range (region 23) around the region 22, for example, about 1 μm away from the position irradiated with the laser, and the organic layer 30 that has risen to a temperature higher than the melting point is liquefied. Is further vaporized to generate gas. This gas forms a space 26 filled with gas around the foreign matter 20, and the short circuit between the anode 11 and the cathode 16 is eliminated. The generation of gas is not limited to the state change in which the organic layer 30 is liquefied and further vaporized, but depending on the type of material forming the organic layer 30, vaporization by sublimation of the organic layer 30 and vaporization by decomposition of the organic layer 30. It may be.

  FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the organic EL display device 1 after the organic layer 30 is vaporized by irradiation with the laser 25. As shown in the figure, the cathode 16 and the thin film seal 17 short-circuited with the anode 11 by the foreign matter 20 are pushed up and deformed by the pressure of the gas generated by vaporization. That is, a space 26 filled with gas is formed between the foreign matter 20 and the cathode 16, the short-circuited portion between the foreign matter 20 and the cathode 16 is separated, and the short circuit is eliminated. Thereby, the light emission of the pixel 2 is recovered.

  7 and 8 show cross-sectional photographs obtained by observing the cross section of the organic EL display device 1 with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). FIG. 7 shows a step before the short circuit is eliminated by laser irradiation. The organic electroluminescence display 1 after the process of eliminating a short circuit by laser irradiation is shown. The organic EL display device 1 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is different for the convenience of observation.

  In the cross-sectional photograph of the organic EL display device 1 before laser irradiation shown in FIG. 7, it is observed that the anode 11 and the cathode 16 are short-circuited by the foreign matter 20 mixed between the anode 11 and the cathode 16. On the other hand, in the cross-sectional photograph of the organic EL display device 1 after laser irradiation shown in FIG. 8, although the foreign material 20 is mixed between the anode 11 and the cathode 16, the cathode 16 and the thin film sealing 17 are pushed up and deformed. It has been observed that a space 26 is formed between the foreign material 20 and the cathode 16. By this space 26, the short circuit between the anode 11 and the cathode 16 is eliminated.

  In the organic EL display device 1 shown in FIG. 7, the size of the foreign material 20 is, for example, a diameter of about 600 nm and a height of about 300 nm. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the cathode 16 and the thin film seal 17 are pushed up by 300 to 400 nm as an example by irradiation with a laser 25. From the SEM observation photograph shown in FIG. 8, it is considered that the pushed-up cathode 16 and thin film seal 17 are maintained in their shapes once deformed.

  The space 26 is not limited to between the foreign material 20 and the cathode 16, and may be formed between the anode 11 and the foreign material 20 as long as the short circuit between the anode 11 and the cathode 16 is eliminated. Further, the region 22 irradiated with the laser is not limited to the two parallel regions provided so as to sandwich the foreign material 20 as described above, and may be provided linearly on one side of the foreign material 20, for example. It may be provided so as to surround 20. Further, the focal point of the laser 25 may be set not only on the electron injection layer 15 but also on the light emitting layer 13 and the hole injection layer 12.

(Modification of Embodiment 1)
Next, a modification of the first embodiment will be described. In this modification, the irradiation area of the laser irradiated on the organic EL display device 1 is different from that in the first embodiment.

  FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the organic EL display device 1 in the present modification, and shows a cross-sectional view of the organic EL display device 1 when the portion where the anode 11 and the cathode 16 are short-circuited is irradiated with the laser 35.

  As shown in FIG. 9, in the present modification, a laser 35 is irradiated on the organic layer 30 in a predetermined region including the foreign material 20. When the foreign matter 20 is irradiated with the laser 35, the foreign matter 20 absorbs the energy of the laser 35 and vibrates to cause damage to the pixels 2. However, the focus of the laser 35 is set on the organic layer 30 around the foreign matter 20. By this, it can suppress that the energy of a laser is absorbed by the foreign material 20, and the organic layer 30 around the foreign material 20 can be vaporized.

  Accordingly, the cathode 16 and the thin film seal 17 are pushed up and deformed by the gas generated by the vaporization, and a space 36 is formed between the foreign matter 20 and the cathode 16. Thereby, the short circuit between the anode 11 and the cathode 16 is eliminated, and the light emission of the pixel 2 is recovered.

  Note that the type, wavelength, and output energy of the laser 35 can be changed in any manner as long as the organic layer 30 is vaporized and the thin film sealing 17 is not broken, as in the first embodiment. Good.

(Embodiment 2)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The present embodiment is different from the above-described first embodiment in that the shorted portion is repaired in the organic EL display device in which the anode and the cathode are directly short-circuited.

  FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the organic EL display device 100 in the present embodiment. Similar to the organic EL display device 1 shown in the first embodiment, the organic EL display device 100 shown in FIG. , A partition wall 114, an electron injection layer 115, a cathode 116, a thin film sealing 117, a sealing resin 119, and a transparent glass 118. Since each structure is the same as that of Embodiment 1, description is abbreviate | omitted. Note that the hole injection layer 112, the light emitting layer 113, and the electron injection layer 115 are collectively referred to as an organic layer 130 in this embodiment as in Embodiment 1. In the case where a hole transport layer and an electron transport layer are provided, these layers are also included in the organic layer 130. Further, the planarization film 110, the anode 111, the organic layer 130, the cathode 116, the thin film sealing 117, and the transparent glass 118 arranged in the light emitting region separated by the partition wall 114 are referred to as a pixel 102.

  In FIG. 10, the anode 111 and the cathode 116 are directly contacted and short-circuited at the short-circuit portion 120. This is because, for example, a pinhole is formed at the position of the short-circuited portion 120 in the formation process of the organic layer 130, and then a material constituting the cathode 116 is introduced into the pinhole in the formation process of the cathode 116 to form the cathode 116. Therefore, such a short circuit has occurred.

  Next, the process of repairing the short circuit location 120 where the anode 111 and the cathode 116 are short-circuited will be described.

  The repair of the short-circuit portion 120 is performed by irradiating the organic layer 130 in the vicinity of the short-circuit portion 120 with the laser 125 as in the first embodiment. Specifically, a laser 125 is irradiated from the transparent glass 18 side to the organic layer 130 in the vicinity of the short-circuited portion 120 in the pixel 102 to vaporize a part of the organic layer 130, and the pressure of the gas generated by the vaporization As a result, the cathode 116 and the thin film seal 117 are pushed up to form a space 126 filled with gas in the short-circuited portion 120, and the anode 111 and the cathode 116 are separated from each other. As the type of the laser 125 to be irradiated, for example, a YAG laser having an output energy of 15 to 35 μJ and a pulse width of several tens of nm is used.

  FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 are cross-sectional views showing a repair process of the short-circuited portion 120 of the organic EL display device.

  FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the organic EL display device 100 when the laser 125 is irradiated. The laser 125 irradiates the organic layer 130 in a predetermined region including the short-circuit portion 120. Further, the thermal energy of the irradiated laser spreads over a predetermined range around the region irradiated with the laser 125. For example, the organic layer 130 that has risen to a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point is liquefied and further vaporized to generate gas. .

  With this gas, as shown in FIG. 12, a space 126 is formed in a predetermined region including the short-circuit portion 120, and the short circuit between the anode 111 and the cathode 116 is eliminated by this space 126, and the light emission of the organic EL element is recovered. Is done. Note that the generation of gas is not limited to the state change in which the organic layer 130 is further liquefied by being liquefied, but vaporization by sublimation of the organic layer 130 and vaporization by decomposition of the organic layer 130 depending on the type of material forming the organic layer 130. It may be.

  Note that, similarly to the first embodiment, the laser 125 may be irradiated in parallel on both sides at equal intervals across the short-circuit portion 120. Moreover, you may provide the process of detecting the short circuit location 120 before the repair process of the short circuit location 120. FIG.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various improvements and modifications may be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  For example, the type of laser is not limited to the above example, and for example, an ultrashort pulse laser having a pulse width of 10 ps or less may be used. Further, the output energy of the laser is not limited to the above range, and any output energy may be used as long as the organic layer is vaporized and the thin film sealing is not broken.

  Further, the planarization film, anode, hole injection layer, light emitting layer, partition wall, electron injection layer, cathode, thin film sealing, sealing resin, and transparent glass, which are the configurations of the organic EL display device, are described in the above embodiments. The material, the configuration, and the forming method are not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. For example, a hole transport layer may be provided between the hole injection layer and the light emitting layer, or an electron transport layer may be provided between the electron injection layer and the light emitting layer. Moreover, the structure provided with the color filter which performs the color adjustment of red, green, and blue on the lower surface of transparent glass so that each light emission area | region isolate | separated by the partition may be covered may be sufficient. Further, the vaporization of the organic layer is not limited to the state change in which the organic layer is liquefied and further vaporized, but may be vaporization by sublimation of the organic layer, vaporization by decomposition of the organic layer, and the like. Regardless, the type of material forming the organic layer may be changed.

  Further, the laser irradiation position is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may not be provided in parallel on both sides of the foreign object or the short-circuited part. For example, the laser irradiation position may be provided linearly on one side of the foreign object or the short-circuited part. Alternatively, it may be provided so as to surround a foreign object or a short-circuited portion.

  In addition, various modifications that are conceivable by those skilled in the art and forms constructed by combining components in different embodiments are also within the scope of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the present invention. included. For example, a thin flat TV system including the organic EL display device according to the present invention as shown in FIG. 13 is also included in the present invention.

  The method for producing an organic EL display device and the organic EL display device according to the present invention are particularly useful in technical fields such as a flat-screen television and a personal computer display that require a large screen and high resolution.

1, 100, 200 Organic EL display device 2, 102, 202 Pixel 11, 111, 211 Anode 12, 112, 212 Hole injection layer (organic layer)
13, 113, 213 Light emitting layer (organic layer)
15, 115, 215 Electron injection layer (organic layer)
16, 116, 216 Cathode 20, 220 Foreign matter 25, 35, 125 Laser 26, 36, 126 Space 30, 130, 230 Organic layer 120 Short-circuited point

Claims (8)

An organic electroluminescence display device comprising a pixel including an anode, an organic layer including a light emitting layer, and a cathode,
Starting the laser irradiation of the organic layer in the vicinity of the portion where the anode and the cathode are short-circuited in the pixel;
The gas generated by vaporizing at least a part of the organic layer irradiated with the laser forms a space filled with the gas between the shorted anode and the cathode, and the short circuit is eliminated. The manufacturing method of the organic electroluminescent display apparatus including the process to do. 2. The method of manufacturing an organic electroluminescence display device according to claim 1, wherein the shorted portion is a short circuit between the anode and the cathode via a conductive foreign substance. Further, the method includes a step of detecting the conductive foreign matter,
The method of manufacturing an organic electroluminescence display device according to claim 2, wherein the organic layer around the conductive foreign matter is irradiated with the laser. The method for manufacturing an organic electroluminescence display device according to claim 1, wherein the short-circuited portion is short-circuited by direct contact between the anode and the cathode. The method of manufacturing an organic electroluminescence display device according to claim 1, wherein the organic layer includes an electron injection layer or an electron transport layer. The method of manufacturing an organic electroluminescence display device according to claim 1, wherein the laser is a YAG laser having an output energy of 15 to 35 μJ. The method of manufacturing an organic electroluminescence display device according to claim 1, wherein the laser is an ultrashort pulse laser. An organic electroluminescence display device comprising a pixel including an anode, an organic layer including a light emitting layer, and a cathode,
In the pixel, the organic layer near the portion where the anode and the cathode are short-circuited is irradiated with laser, and the short-circuited anode and the gas are generated by vaporizing at least a part of the organic layer. An organic electroluminescence display device in which a space filled with the gas is formed between the cathode and the short circuit is eliminated.