JP2016119201A - Light-emitting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve, in a light-emitting device having a partition, adhesion between the partition and a base while restricting a light-non-emission area from broadening.SOLUTION: A plurality of first electrodes 110 are formed on a base plate 100 and are aligned in a first direction (X direction in Fig. 1). A plurality of second electrodes 130 are formed on a base plate 100, aligned in a second direction (Y direction in Fig. 1) different from the first direction, and intersecting the first electrode 110. The organic layer 120 is located between the first electrode 110 and an organic layer 120. A partition 170 is located between the plurality of second electrodes 130. The partition 170 has a plurality of first portions and second portions. Each first portion is located in an area overlapping the first electrode 110. Each second portion is located between the plurality of first portions. The planar shape of each of the second portions differs from the planar shape of each of the first portions.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a light emitting device.

  In recent years, development of a light emitting device using an organic EL element, for example, a display device has been advanced. This display device has a configuration in which an organic layer is disposed at intersections of a plurality of first electrodes extending in a first direction and a plurality of second electrodes extending in a second direction. An insulating film is provided between the first electrode and the second electrode. An opening is formed in a portion of the insulating film that overlaps the intersection of the first electrode and the second electrode. The organic layer described above is provided in this opening. An insulating partition is provided between the plurality of second electrodes (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Note that Patent Document 1 describes that the organic layer may be deteriorated due to outgas from the insulating film. Patent Document 1 describes that an inorganic material such as SiO _x , SiN _x , or SiN _x O _y is used for the insulating film in order to suppress this outgas. Further, Patent Document 1 describes that the surface of the insulating film is covered with an inorganic material such as Si in order to improve the adhesion between the insulating film and the partition.

Patent Document 2 describes that the organic layer may be deteriorated due to outgas from the partition walls. Patent Document 2 describes that a partition wall is covered with an oxide or nitride such as SiO ₂ , SiN, Si ₂ N ₃ , or SiN ₄ .

JP 2009-259644 A JP 2008-130410 A

  A region where the partition is formed in the light emitting device is a non-light emitting region. For this reason, it is preferable that the partition wall is narrow. On the other hand, when the partition wall is narrowed, the adhesion between the partition wall and the base is reduced.

  An example of the problem to be solved by the present invention is to increase the adhesion between the partition wall and the base while suppressing the non-light emitting region from becoming thick.

The invention according to claim 1 is a substrate;
A plurality of first electrodes formed on the substrate and arranged in a first direction;
A plurality of second electrodes formed on the substrate, arranged in a second direction different from the first direction, and intersecting the first electrode;
An organic layer positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode;
A partition located between the plurality of second electrodes;
With
The partition is
A plurality of first portions located in a region overlapping the first electrode;
A second portion located between the plurality of first portions;
Have
The planar shape of the second part is a light emitting device different from the planar shape of the first part.

It is a top view which shows the structure of the light-emitting device which concerns on embodiment. It is the figure which removed the 2nd electrode and the organic layer from FIG. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. It is BB sectional drawing of FIG. It is CC sectional drawing of FIG. It is the figure which expanded the area | region enclosed with the dotted line (alpha) of FIG. It is a top view which shows the 1st modification of FIG. It is a top view which shows the 2nd modification of FIG. It is a top view which shows the 3rd modification of FIG. It is a top view which shows the 4th modification of FIG. It is a top view which shows the structure of the light-emitting device which concerns on a modification. It is the figure which remove | excluded the insulating layer, the 2nd electrode, and the organic layer from FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In all the drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same components, and the description will be omitted as appropriate.

  FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a configuration of a light emitting device 10 according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram in which the second electrode 130 and the organic layer 120 are removed from FIG. 1. However, in FIG. 2, the second electrode 130 and the organic layer 120 are indicated by dotted lines for the sake of explanation. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of FIG.

  The light emitting device 10 according to this embodiment includes a substrate 100, a plurality of first electrodes 110, a plurality of second electrodes 130, an organic layer 120, and a partition wall 170. The plurality of first electrodes 110 are formed on the substrate 100 and are arranged in the first direction (the X direction in FIGS. 1 and 2). The plurality of second electrodes 130 are formed on the substrate 100, arranged in a second direction (Y direction in FIGS. 1 and 2) different from the first direction, and intersect the first electrode 110. ing. The organic layer 120 is located between the first electrode 110 and the organic layer 120. The partition wall 170 is located between the plurality of second electrodes 130. Specifically, the partition wall 170 has a plurality of first portions 172 and second portions 174. The first portion 172 is located in a region overlapping the first electrode 110, and the second portion 174 is located between the plurality of first portions 172. The planar shape of the second portion 174 is different from the planar shape of the first portion 172. Details will be described below.

  In the example shown in the figure, the light emitting device 10 is a display device, and includes a substrate 100, a first electrode 110, a plurality of first terminals 112, a plurality of second terminals 132, a light emitting unit 140, a plurality of openings 152, and a plurality of openings. 154, a plurality of lead wires 114, the organic layer 120, the second electrode 130, a plurality of lead wires 134, and a plurality of partition walls 170.

The substrate 100 is made of a material such as glass or resin. The substrate 100 is, for example, a polygon such as a rectangle. The substrate 100 may have flexibility. In the case where the substrate 100 has flexibility, the thickness of the substrate 100 is, for example, not less than 10 μm and not more than 1000 μm. In particular, when the substrate 100 is glass, the thickness of the substrate 100 is, for example, 200 μm or less. When the substrate 100 is a resin, the substrate 100 is formed using, for example, PEN (polyethylene naphthalate), PES (polyethersulfone), PET (polyethylene terephthalate), or polyimide. When the substrate 100 is a resin, an inorganic barrier film such as SiN _x or SiON is formed on at least one surface (preferably both surfaces) of the substrate 100 in order to suppress moisture from permeating the substrate 100. .

  A light emitting unit 140 is formed on the substrate 100. The light emitting unit 140 has an organic EL element. This organic EL element has a configuration in which a first electrode 110, an organic layer 120, and a second electrode 130 are laminated in this order.

  The first electrode 110 is a transparent electrode having optical transparency. The transparent conductive material constituting the transparent electrode is a metal-containing material, for example, a metal oxide such as ITO (Indium Tin Oxide), IZO (Indium Zinc Oxide), IWZO (Indium Tungsten Zinc Oxide), or ZnO (Zinc Oxide). is there. The thickness of the first electrode 110 is, for example, not less than 10 nm and not more than 500 nm. The first electrode 110 is formed using, for example, a sputtering method or a vapor deposition method. The first electrode 110 may be a carbon nanotube or a conductive organic material such as PEDOT / PSS.

  The organic layer 120 has a light emitting layer. The organic layer 120 has a configuration in which, for example, a hole injection layer, a light emitting layer, and an electron injection layer are stacked. A hole transport layer may be formed between the hole injection layer and the light emitting layer. In addition, an electron transport layer may be formed between the light emitting layer and the electron injection layer. The organic layer 120 may be formed by a vapor deposition method. In addition, at least one layer of the organic layer 120, for example, a layer in contact with the first electrode 110, may be formed by a coating method such as an inkjet method, a printing method, or a spray method. In this case, the remaining layers of the organic layer 120 are formed by vapor deposition. Moreover, all the layers of the organic layer 120 may be formed using the apply | coating method. The organic layer 120 is formed between adjacent partition walls 170. However, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the organic layer 120 is not formed in a portion where the second electrode 130 and the extraction wiring 134 are connected.

  The second electrode 130 is made of, for example, a metal selected from the first group consisting of Al, Au, Ag, Pt, Mg, Sn, Zn, and In, or an alloy of a metal selected from the first group. Contains a metal layer. In this case, the second electrode 130 has a light shielding property. The thickness of the second electrode 130 is, for example, not less than 10 nm and not more than 500 nm. However, the second electrode 130 may be formed using the material exemplified as the material of the first electrode 110. The second electrode 130 is formed using, for example, a sputtering method or a vapor deposition method. Similarly to the organic layer 120, the second electrode 130 is also formed between adjacent partition walls 170.

  As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, the light emitting device 10 includes a plurality of first electrodes 110. Each of the plurality of first electrodes 110 extends in a line shape in the second direction (Y direction in FIG. 1). In addition, the light emitting device 10 has a plurality of second electrodes 130. The second electrode 130 extends in the first direction (X direction in FIG. 1). The light emitting unit 140 is formed at the intersection of the first electrode 110 and the second electrode 130.

  In the example shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, each layer constituting the organic layer 120 shows a case where it protrudes outside the region where the first electrode 110 and the second electrode 130 overlap. The organic layer 120 may be formed continuously between the adjacent light emitting units 140 in the direction in which the partition 170 extends, or may not be formed continuously.

  A partition wall 170 is formed between the adjacent second electrodes 130. The partition wall 170 extends in parallel with the second electrode 130, that is, in the first direction. In the example shown in this figure, the base of the partition 170 is the first electrode 110 and the substrate 100. The partition 170 is, for example, a photosensitive resin such as a polyimide resin, and is formed in a desired pattern by being exposed and developed. The partition wall 170 may be made of a resin other than a polyimide resin, for example, an inorganic material such as an epoxy resin, an acrylic resin, or silicon dioxide.

  The partition wall 170 has a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape (reverse trapezoidal shape). That is, the width of the upper surface of the partition wall 170 is larger than the width of the lower surface of the partition wall 170. Therefore, if the partition wall 170 is formed before the second electrode 130, the second electrode 130 is formed on one surface side of the substrate 100 by using an evaporation method or a sputtering method. Can be formed collectively. The partition wall 170 also has a function of dividing the organic layer 120.

  The light emitting device 10 also has a first terminal 112 and a second terminal 132. The first terminal 112 is connected to the first electrode 110 via the lead wiring 114, and the second terminal 132 is connected to the second electrode 130 via the lead wiring 134. In the example shown in the drawing, the lead-out wiring 114 is integrated with the first electrode 110, and the lead-out wiring 134 has the same layer as the first electrode 110. The first terminal 112 is an end portion of the lead wire 114, and the second terminal 132 is an end portion of the lead wire 134.

  A conductor layer 160 may be formed on the lead wires 114 and 134. The conductor layer 160 is made of a material having a lower resistance than that of the lead wiring 114, for example, a metal. The conductor layer 160 may have a multilayer structure. In this case, the conductor layer 160 includes, for example, a first conductive layer that is a metal layer such as Mo or Mo alloy, a second conductive layer that is a metal layer such as Al or Al alloy, and a metal layer such as Mo or Mo alloy. The third conductive layer is stacked in this order. The thickness of the second conductive layer is, for example, not less than 50 nm and not more than 1000 nm. Preferably, it is 200 nm or more and 600 nm or less, and more preferably 100 nm or less. The first conductive layer and the third conductive layer are thinner than the second conductive layer, for example, 30 nm or less, preferably 25 nm or less. Note that the conductor layer 160 may or may not be formed on the first terminal 112 and the second terminal 132.

  A conductive member such as an FPC (flexible printed circuit board) is connected to the first terminal 112 and the second terminal 132. In the example shown in this drawing, the first terminal 112 and the second terminal 132 are arranged along the same side of the substrate 100. For this reason, when FPC is used as the conductive member, the first terminal 112 and the second terminal 132 can be connected to one FPC.

  The light emitting device 10 may further include a sealing member. The sealing member is formed using, for example, a metal such as glass or aluminum, or a resin, and has a polygonal shape or a circular shape similar to that of the substrate 100 and has a shape in which a concave portion is provided at the center. The edge of the sealing member is fixed to the substrate 100 with an adhesive. Thereby, the space surrounded by the sealing member and the substrate 100 is sealed. And the light emission part 140 is located in this sealed space. The sealing member may be a film formed by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) method, a film formed by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method, a base material for creating a space to be sealed, or the like.

  The light emitting device 10 may further have a desiccant. For example, in the case of so-called hollow sealing, the desiccant is disposed on the surface of the sealing member facing the substrate 100 in the space sealed by the sealing member. In the case of a so-called solid sealing structure in which a liquid filling layer or the like is sealed in a portion sealed by a sealing member, drying is performed by including a desiccant in the liquid filling layer or arranging a drying layer. A structure having an agent can be obtained.

  Further, an insulating layer, a semiconductor layer, and an insulating layer may be stacked in this order between the light emitting unit 140 of the light emitting device 10 and the substrate 100. This stacked structure includes a plurality of thin film transistors (TFTs) and wirings connected to them. The plurality of TFTs are formed on different lead lines 114 in the circuit diagram.

  FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a region surrounded by a dotted line α in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the partition wall 170 has a first portion 172 and a second portion 174. The first portion 172 is a region overlapping the first electrode 110, and the second portion 174 is a portion connecting the adjacent first portions 172. However, at least one end of the first portion 172 may be located outside the region overlapping the first electrode 110. In this case, the second portion 174 is shortened.

  As described above, the planar shape of the second portion 174 is different from the planar shape of the first portion 172. Specifically, the second portion 174 has a shape that increases the adhesion to the base compared to the first portion 172, for example, a shape that increases the area of the lower surface. In the example shown in this drawing, the planar shape of the first portion 172 is a rectangle, and the width W1 (in other words, the length of the short side of the rectangle) is not less than 5 μm and not more than 30 μm. In this way, the width of the non-light emitting region located between the adjacent light emitting units 140 can be reduced. In other words, the planar shape can also be referred to as a shape of a contact surface between the partition 170 and a layer in contact with the partition 170 such as the partition 170 and the first electrode 110 or the partition 170 and a base of the partition 170. It can also be said that the shape of the cross section of the partition wall 170 is.

  On the other hand, the maximum value W2 of the width of the second portion 174 is larger than the width W1 of the first portion 172. W2 is 5 times or more of W1, for example. W2 is preferably 10 times or less. However, it is preferable that W2 does not exceed 1/2 of the pixel pitch in the second direction. This is to prevent the second portions 174 of the parallel partition walls 170 from being connected to each other and the second electrode 130 being divided in the middle.

  In the example shown in the figure, the planar shape of the second portion 174 is substantially hexagonal, and two opposite sides of the substantially hexagonal shape extend in the first direction (X direction in the figure). In other words, the two opposite sides described above are substantially parallel to the direction in which the first portion 172 extends. The remaining four sides of the second portion 174 extend obliquely from the first portion 172. In other words, the width of the end portion of the second portion 174 becomes wider as the distance from the first portion 172 increases. In this case, even when the formation position of the second portion 174 is shifted in the first direction and the end of the second portion 174 overlaps the light emitting portion 140, the light emitting region of the light emitting portion 140 becomes narrow. Can be suppressed.

  FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a first modification of FIG. In the example shown in the figure, the planar shape of the second portion 174 is a circle, an ellipse, or a shape in which a circle is divided into two semicircles and a rectangle having the same width as the first portion 172 is disposed between them. .

  FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a second modification of FIG. In the example shown in the figure, the planar shape of the second portion 174 is a rectangle or a square. Two sides facing each other are substantially parallel to the direction in which the partition wall 170 extends.

  FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a third modification of FIG. In the example shown in the figure, the planar shape of the second portion 174 is a rectangle or a square. However, one of the diagonal lines connects the adjacent first portions 172. In other words, the second portion 174 has a configuration in which two triangles are arranged in directions in which one side faces each other, and a rectangle having the same width as the first portion 172 is arranged between the two triangles.

  FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a fourth modification of FIG. In the example shown in the figure, the second portion 174 has a shape in which a plurality of convex portions 175 protruding in the second direction are provided in a rectangle having the same width as the first portion 172. The plurality of convex portions 175 are provided on both side surfaces of the second portion 174. In addition, the convex part 175 (For example, convex part 175 located above the 1st part 172 in FIG. 10) located in the 1st side surface of the 2nd part 174, and the convex part located in the 2nd side surface of the 2nd part 174 The portions 175 (for example, the convex portions 175 located below the first portion 172 in FIG. 10) may be at the same position or different from each other in the direction in which the partition wall 170 extends.

  Next, a method for manufacturing the light emitting device 10 will be described. First, a conductive film to be the first electrode 110, the first terminal 112, the second terminal 132, and the lead wirings 114 and 134 is formed on the substrate 100 by using, for example, a sputtering method. Next, the conductive film is formed into a predetermined pattern using, for example, a photolithography method. Thereby, the 1st electrode 110, the 1st terminal 112, the 2nd terminal 132, and the extraction wirings 114 and 134 are formed.

  Next, a conductive film to be the conductor layer 160 is formed in a region including the lead wiring 114 and the lead wiring 134. Next, the conductive film is formed into a predetermined pattern using, for example, a photolithography method. Thereby, the conductor layer 160 is formed.

  Next, a photosensitive insulating film to be the partition wall 170 is formed on the substrate 100 by using, for example, a coating method. Next, the insulating film is exposed and developed. Next, a baking process is performed. Thereby, the partition 170 is formed. In this step, a first portion 172 and a second portion 174 are formed in the partition wall 170.

  Next, the organic layer 120 is formed using, for example, a coating method or a vapor deposition method. Next, the second electrode 130 is formed using, for example, a vapor deposition method or a sputtering method. At this time, since the partition 170 serves as a mask, the organic layer 120 and the second electrode 130 have the shapes described above. Note that when the organic layer 120 is formed by an inkjet method, the organic layer 120 is applied only to a region between the partition walls 170. Thereafter, the light emitting unit 140 is sealed using a sealing member (not shown).

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the shape of the portion (second portion 174) located between the first electrodes 110 in the partition wall 170 is different from the shape of the portion (first portion 172) overlapping the first electrode 110. . For this reason, the adhesiveness of the 2nd part 174 and a foundation | substrate can be improved. In particular, when the base of the second portion 174 is the substrate 100, the adhesion between the second portion 174 and the substrate 100 tends to be lower than the adhesion between the first portion 172 and the first electrode 110. In the present embodiment, the adhesiveness between the second portion 174 and the substrate 100 can be improved by changing the shape of the second portion 174.

  Further, since the second portion 174 does not overlap the light emitting portion 140 in the direction in which the partition wall 170 extends, the light emitting portion 140 does not become narrow even if the second portion 174 is thickened.

(Modification)
The light emitting device 10 according to the modification has the same configuration as that of the light emitting device 10 according to the embodiment, except that the insulating layer 150 is provided.

  FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a configuration of a light emitting device 10 according to a modification. FIG. 12 is a view obtained by removing the insulating layer 150, the second electrode 130, and the organic layer 120 from FIG.

  The insulating layer 150 is formed between the first electrode 110 and the second electrode 130. Specifically, the insulating layer 150 is formed of, for example, an inorganic material such as silicon oxide, or a photosensitive organic material such as polyimide, and as illustrated in FIG. 11, a region on and between the plurality of first electrodes 110. Is formed.

  A plurality of openings 152 and a plurality of openings 154 are formed in the insulating layer 150. The opening 152 is located at the intersection of the first electrode 110 and the second electrode 130 in plan view. Specifically, the plurality of openings 152 are arranged in the direction in which the first electrode 110 extends (Y direction in FIG. 11). The plurality of openings 152 are also arranged in the extending direction of the second electrode 130 (X direction in FIG. 11). For this reason, the plurality of openings 152 are arranged to form a matrix. An organic layer 120 is formed in a region overlapping with the opening 152. For this reason, the light emitting part 140 is located in each of the regions overlapping with the opening 152.

  The opening 154 is located in a region overlapping with one end side of each of the plurality of second electrodes 130 in plan view. The openings 154 are arranged along one side of the matrix formed by the openings 152. When viewed in a direction along this one side (for example, the Y direction in FIG. 1, ie, the direction along the first electrode 110), the openings 154 are arranged at a predetermined interval. A part of the lead wiring 134 is exposed from the opening 154. The lead wiring 134 is connected to the second electrode 130 through the opening 154.

  The base of the partition wall 170 is an insulating layer 150.

  The manufacturing method of the light emitting device 10 according to this modification is the same as the manufacturing method of the light emitting device 10 according to the embodiment except that the insulating layer 150 is formed after the first electrode 110 is formed and before the partition wall 170 is formed. It is the same as the method. When the insulating layer 150 is formed of an inorganic material, the insulating layer 150 is formed using, for example, a vapor deposition method. The openings 152 and 154 are formed by forming a resist pattern on the insulating layer 150 and then etching the insulating layer 150 using the resist pattern as a mask. When the insulating layer 150 is formed of a photosensitive resin material, the insulating layer 150 is formed using, for example, a coating method. Next, the openings 152 and 154 are formed by exposing and developing the insulating layer 150.

  Also according to this modification, the partition 170 has the second portion 174, and thus the adhesion between the insulating layer 150 which is the base of the partition 170 and the partition 170 can be improved. In particular, when the insulating layer 150 is formed of an inorganic material, the adhesion between the partition 170, which is an organic material, and the insulating layer 150 is likely to deteriorate. However, according to the present modification, the separation of the partition 170 from the insulating layer 150 can be suppressed. . In addition, when the insulating layer 150 is formed using an inorganic material, generation of outgas from the insulating layer 150 can be suppressed as compared with the case where the insulating layer 150 is formed using a resin. For this reason, the durability of the light emitting device 10 is improved.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment and the Example were described with reference to drawings, these are illustrations of this invention and can also employ | adopt various structures other than the above.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Light-emitting device 100 Board | substrate 110 1st electrode 120 Organic layer 130 2nd electrode 140 Light-emitting part 150 Insulating layer 152 Opening 154 Opening 160 Conductive layer 170 Partition 172 1st part 174 2nd part 175 Convex part

Claims (5)

A substrate,
A plurality of first electrodes formed on the substrate and arranged in a first direction;
A plurality of second electrodes formed on the substrate, arranged in a second direction different from the first direction, and intersecting the first electrode;
An organic layer positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode;
A partition located between the plurality of second electrodes;
With
The partition is
A plurality of first portions located in a region overlapping the first electrode;
A second portion located between the plurality of first portions;
Have
The planar shape of the second part is a light emitting device different from the planar shape of the first part. The light-emitting device according to claim 1.
The light emitting device according to the second direction, wherein a width of the second portion is larger than a width of the first portion. The light-emitting device according to claim 2.
The planar shape of the second part is a substantially hexagonal shape, and two opposing sides of the substantially hexagonal shape extend in the first direction. The light emitting device according to claim 2 or 3,
The width of the thickest portion of the second portion is a light emitting device that is five times or more the width of the first portion. In the light-emitting device as described in any one of Claims 1-4,
An insulating layer located between the first electrode and the second electrode in the thickness direction;
The insulating layer has an opening in a region overlapping an intersection of the first electrode and the second electrode;
The organic layer is located in the opening;
The partition is a light emitting device formed on the insulating layer.

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