JP2016162485A - Organic electroluminescence device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an organic EL device having a long lifetime that is configured by sealing an organic electroluminescence (organic EL) element with gas barrier film and has high gas barrier performance at a joint portion for sealing.SOLUTION: An organic electroluminescent device includes an element substrate, an organic EL element formed on the element substrate, and a gas barrier film which is joined to the element substrate so as to cover the organic EL element. The gas barrier film has one or more pairs of the combination of an underlying organic layer and an inorganic layer. The surface of the gas barrier film is a surface of the inorganic layer, and the gas barrier film is joined to the element substrate so that the inorganic layer faces the element substrate. The joint is carried out by the reaction between a first reaction layer formed on the element substrate and a second reaction layer which is formed on the gas barrier film and can be joined to the first reaction layer. The distance between the element substrate and the organic layer nearest to the element substrate at the joint portion is equal to 100 nm or less.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an organic electroluminescence device formed by sealing an organic electroluminescence element with a gas barrier film.

  Organic electroluminescence elements (organic EL elements) are vulnerable to moisture. Therefore, an organic electroluminescence device (organic EL device) using an organic EL element has a configuration in which the organic EL element is sealed with a bonding portion 18 material in order to provide gas barrier properties.

Sealing of the organic EL element for imparting gas barrier properties is usually performed using glass. However, glass is heavy and has low impact resistance.
On the other hand, for the purpose of reducing the weight and improving the impact resistance, it has been studied to seal the organic EL element with a plastic film having a gas barrier layer, that is, a gas barrier film. Moreover, a flexible organic EL device can be obtained by forming an organic EL element on a flexible substrate and sealing the organic EL element with a gas barrier film.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an organic EL device in which an organic EL element is sealed with a first substrate, a second substrate, and a joint, and a gas barrier film is used as the first substrate and the second substrate. An organic EL device is described in which a bonding portion is formed by a reaction between a reactive functional group on the surface of a first substrate and a reactive functional group on the surface of a second substrate. .

Further, Patent Document 2 includes an organic EL element, a pair of gas barrier films that sandwich the organic EL element and are in contact with each other at an end, and a barrier member, and a region in which the pair of gas barrier films are in contact with each other The organic EL element is described in which a recess is provided and the barrier member covers the end face of the gas barrier film and the portion where the recess is provided.
Further, the barrier member is bonded with an adhesive such as an epoxy resin while being bonded to the gas barrier film by pressure bonding or the like.

Furthermore, Patent Document 3 describes an organic EL device in which an organic EL element is sealed by sandwiching an organic EL element between two gas barrier films and bonding the periphery of the gas barrier film with heat fusion or an adhesive. Has been.
As the adhesive, a polyurethane-based adhesive having an epoxy group, an amino group, or a hydroxyl group is preferably used.

JP 2013-218805 A JP 2010-205503 A JP 2003-327718 A

  In the production of an organic EL device or the like, sealing with such a gas barrier film is generally performed using an adhesive as disclosed in Patent Document 3. Here, in order to prevent the deterioration of the organic EL element, a high gas barrier property is required not only for the gas barrier film but also for the bonding portion for sealing.

That is, even if the organic EL element is sealed with the gas barrier film, if the water enters from the adhesive layer that becomes a bonding portion for sealing, the organic EL element is deteriorated by the moisture. In particular, when the gas barrier performance of the gas barrier film is high, the water entering through the joint is overwhelmingly larger than the water entering through the gas barrier film, and the organic EL element deteriorates due to the water entering through the joint. End up.
There is also a method of using an adhesive having a high gas barrier property for sealing an organic EL element with a gas barrier film. However, many adhesives having a high gas barrier property are hardened by light or heat, which deteriorates the flexibility of the organic EL device.

On the other hand, as shown in Patent Document 1, bonding for sealing an organic EL element with a gas barrier film is performed by molecular bonding based on a reaction between compounds existing on the surface of the gas barrier film. Since it can be made extremely thin, the intrusion of moisture from the joint can be suppressed.
However, according to the study of the present inventor, the conventional molecular bonding has insufficient adhesive force, and the gas barrier film floats or peels off at the bonded portion, so that the organic EL element is properly sealed with the gas barrier film. I can not do it.

  An object of the present invention is to solve such problems of the prior art, and in an organic EL device in which an organic EL element is sealed with a gas barrier film, the organic EL element can be reliably sealed. Another object of the present invention is to provide a long-life organic EL device that prevents the intrusion of moisture from the joint.

In order to solve this problem, an organic electronics luminescence device of the present invention includes an element substrate, an organic electroluminescence element formed on the element substrate, an organic electroluminescence element that covers the organic electroluminescence element and is bonded to the element substrate. A gas barrier film that seals the luminescence element;
The gas barrier film has one or more combinations of an inorganic layer and an organic layer serving as an underlayer of the inorganic layer on the support, the surface is of the inorganic layer, and the surface inorganic layer is bonded to the element substrate. And
Bonding between the element substrate and the gas barrier film is performed by a reaction between a first reaction layer provided on the element substrate and a second reaction layer bonded to the first reaction layer provided on the gas barrier film,
Provided is an organic electroluminescence device characterized in that the distance between the organic layer closest to the element substrate and the element substrate is 100 nm or less at the junction between the element substrate and the gas barrier film.

In such an organic electroluminescence device of the present invention, the surface roughness Ra of the surface on which the organic layer and the inorganic layer of the support are formed is preferably 30 nm or less.
The thickness of the organic layer formed on the surface of the support is preferably 0.1 μm or more.
Moreover, it is preferable that the edge part of a gas barrier film is covered with an adhesive agent.
Moreover, it is preferable that surface roughness Ra of the formation surface of the organic electroluminescent element of an element substrate is 5 nm or less.
Moreover, it is preferable that the width | variety of a junction part is 0.5-5 mm.
Moreover, it is preferable that the thickness of an inorganic layer is 10-45 nm.
In addition, the element substrate is a gas barrier film having an inorganic layer on the surface and having one or more combinations of an inorganic layer and an organic layer serving as a base of the inorganic layer on the support, and organic electroluminescence is formed on the inorganic layer on the surface. An element is preferably formed.
Further, the first reaction layer contains a silane coupling agent, the second reaction layer contains a silane coupling agent that reacts with the silane coupling agent contained in the first reaction layer, and the silane cup of the first reaction layer It is preferable that the element substrate and the gas barrier film are bonded to each other by a reaction between the ring agent and the silane coupling agent of the second reaction layer.

  According to the present invention as described above, in the organic EL device in which the organic electroluminescence element is sealed with the gas barrier film, the organic EL element can be reliably sealed, and the intrusion of moisture from the joint portion is also prevented. Thus, a long-life organic electroluminescence device can be obtained.

It is a figure which shows notionally an example of the organic electroluminescent apparatus of this invention. It is a figure which shows notionally another example of the organic electroluminescent apparatus of this invention. It is a figure which shows notionally an example of the gas barrier film used for the organic electroluminescent apparatus of this invention.

  Hereinafter, the organic electroluminescence device of the present invention will be described in detail on the basis of preferred examples shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 conceptually shows an example of the organic electroluminescence device of the present invention. In the following description, organic electroluminescence is also referred to as organic EL.
The organic EL device of the present invention is obtained by sealing an organic EL element with a gas barrier film.

The organic EL device 10 shown in FIG. 1 basically includes an element substrate 12, an organic EL element 14, and a gas barrier film 16. The organic EL device 10 laminates the element substrate 12 and the gas barrier film 16 so as to cover the organic EL element 14, and adheres the element substrate 12 and the gas barrier film 16 to each other at the periphery of the gas barrier film 16 by the joint portion 18. Thus, the organic EL element 14 is sealed with the gas barrier film 16.
Although illustration is omitted, a first reaction layer is provided on the element substrate 12 at the joint 18 between the element substrate 12 and the gas barrier film 16 for sealing the organic EL element 14. A second reaction layer is provided that is coupled to the first reaction layer. The joint 18 is formed by a reaction between the first reaction layer and the second reaction layer.

As the element substrate 12, various known sheet-like materials and film-like materials used as a substrate for forming various organic EL elements such as an organic EL display and organic EL lighting can be used.
As an example of the element substrate 12, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene, polyamide, polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate, polyacrylonitrile, polyimide, polyacrylate, Films and sheets made of various resin materials (polymer materials) such as polymethacrylate, polycarbonate (PC), cycloolefin polymer (COP), cycloolefin copolymer (COC), triacetylcellulose (TAC), transparent polyimide, etc. Examples include a shape, a glass plate, a thin glass, and a metal plate.

As the element substrate 12, a gas barrier film 16, which will be described later, can also be suitably used. By using the gas barrier film 16 as the element substrate 12, it is possible to prevent moisture from entering from the element substrate 12 side and obtain the organic EL device 10 having a longer life.
When the gas barrier film 16 is used as the element substrate 12, the formation surface of the organic EL element 14 may be the inorganic layer 28 or the support 24, but it is possible to suitably prevent moisture from entering the organic EL element 14. In this respect, it is preferable to form the organic EL element 14 in the inorganic layer 28.

The thickness of the element substrate 12 may be appropriately set according to the type and size of the organic EL device 10.
Here, it is preferable that the thickness of the element substrate 12 is set to a thickness that can provide necessary flexibility in accordance with a forming material or the like in that the organic EL device 10 having flexibility can be realized.

Moreover, the adhesive force in the joining part 18 mentioned later becomes so high that the formation surface of the organic EL element 14 of the element substrate 12, ie, the joining surface with the gas barrier film 16, is flat.
Considering this point, the surface of the element substrate 12 on which the organic EL element 14 is formed preferably has a surface roughness Ra (arithmetic average roughness Ra) of 5 nm or less, and more preferably 1 nm or less.
By setting the surface roughness Ra of the formation surface of the organic EL element 14 of the element substrate 12 to 5 nm or less, the adhesive force at the joint 18 can be further increased.
In the present invention, the surface roughness Ra may be measured according to JIS B 0601 (2001).

  The organic EL element 14 formed on such an element substrate 12 includes a transparent electrode layer (TFT (thin film transistor)), a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, a light emitting layer, a hole blocking layer, an electron transport layer, an electron injection layer, It is a well-known organic EL element (organic EL device) that constitutes an organic EL device (OLED) such as an organic EL display or organic EL illumination having a cathode or the like.

In the organic EL device 10 of the present invention, the gas barrier film 16 that seals the organic EL element 14 includes one or more combinations of an inorganic layer and an organic layer serving as a base layer of the inorganic layer on a support. And the surface is an inorganic layer. In other words, the surface is the uppermost layer in the stack from the support.
The gas barrier film 16 seals the organic EL element 14 by covering the organic EL element 14 with the inorganic layer on the surface facing the element substrate 12 and being bonded to the element substrate 12.

FIG. 3 conceptually shows an example of the gas barrier film. Hereinafter, the gas barrier film is also referred to as a barrier film. The barrier film 16 shown in FIG. 3 is formed by laminating an organic layer 26, an inorganic layer 28, an organic layer 26, and an inorganic layer 28 in this order on a support 24. It is a thing. A gas barrier layer is formed by the alternately stacked organic layers 26 and inorganic layers 28.

In addition, although the barrier film shown in FIG. 3 has two combinations of the organic layer 26 and the inorganic layer 28 used as a foundation | substrate, this invention is not limited to this. That is, the barrier film used in the present invention may have only one combination of the organic layer 26 and the inorganic layer 28, or may have three or more combinations of the organic layer 26 and the inorganic layer 28.
The greater the number of combinations of the organic layer 26 and the inorganic layer 28, the higher the gas barrier property. On the other hand, the greater the number of combinations of the organic layer 26 and the inorganic layer 28, the thicker the barrier film and the lower the transparency and flexibility. Accordingly, the number of combinations of the organic layer 26 and the inorganic layer 28 may be appropriately set according to required gas barrier properties, flexibility, optical characteristics, and the like.
However, regardless of the layer configuration, the barrier film used in the present invention has the inorganic layer 28 on the surface.

In the barrier film 16, the support 24 supports the organic layer 26 and the inorganic layer 28.
As the support 24, various known sheet-like materials that are used as a support for a barrier film can be used.
Specifically, as the support 24, PET, PEN, PE, PP, polystyrene, polyamide, polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate, polyacrylonitrile, polyimide, polyacrylate, polymethacrylate, PC, COP, COC, TAC, transparent polyimide The film-like thing and sheet-like thing which consist of various resin materials (polymer material), such as these, are illustrated suitably.

The support 24 preferably has a surface roughness Ra of the formation surface of the organic layer 26 and the inorganic layer 28 of 30 nm or less, more preferably 20 nm or less, and particularly preferably 10 nm or less.
As will be described in detail later, in the organic EL device 10 of the present invention, the barrier film 16 has an organic layer 26 that serves as a base layer for the inorganic layer 28. The organic layer 26 has a very high surface flatness. By forming the inorganic layer 28 on the organic layer 26 having a high surface flatness, the surface flatness of the inorganic layer 28 on the surface can be increased. The organic EL device 10 of the present invention seals the organic EL element 14 by using the inorganic layer 28 having a high surface flatness having the underlying organic layer 26 as a bonding surface between the barrier film 16 and the element substrate 12. A high adhesive force is realized in the bonding portion 18 bonded by molecular bonding by the reaction between the first reaction layer formed on the element substrate 12 and the second reaction layer formed on the barrier film 16.
Here, the higher the surface flatness of the inorganic layer 28 is, the higher the adhesive strength of the joint 18 is. The surface flatness of the inorganic layer 28 increases as the surface flatness of the organic layer 26 increases. Further, in order to increase the surface flatness of the organic layer 26, it is preferable that the surface flatness of the support 24 is high.
That is, by setting the surface roughness Ra of the formation surface of the organic layer 26 and the inorganic layer 28 of the support 24 to 30 nm or less, even when the organic layer 26 is thin, the surface flatness of the inorganic layer 28 on the surface is more stable. And the adhesive strength of the joint 18 can be further increased.

What is necessary is just to set the thickness of the support body 24 suitably according to the use etc. of the organic EL apparatus 10. FIG. Specifically, the thickness of the support 24 is preferably 20 to 120 μm.
By setting the thickness of the support 24 to 20 μm or more, the mechanical strength of the organic EL device 10 that can suppress curling caused by forming the barrier film 16 (an organic layer 26 and an inorganic layer 28 described later) can be secured. Etc. are preferable.
In addition, by setting the thickness of the support 24 to 120 μm or less, the flexibility of the organic EL device 10 can be improved, the organic EL device 10 can be reduced in weight, and the organic EL device can be made thinner. Is preferable.

  In addition, on at least one surface of the support 24, various kinds of protective layers, adhesive layers, light reflection layers, antireflection layers, light shielding layers, planarization layers, buffer layers, stress relaxation layers, etc. A layer (film) for obtaining a function may be formed.

  On one surface of the support 24, organic layers 26 and inorganic layers 28 constituting a barrier layer are alternately laminated. That is, the barrier film 16 used in the present invention has an organic-inorganic laminated structure.

The organic layer 26 is a layer made of an organic material, and is obtained by crosslinking (polymerizing) the organic material that becomes the organic layer 26.
The organic layer 26 functions as a base layer for properly forming the inorganic layer 28 that exhibits barrier properties. By having such a base organic layer 26, the formation surface of the inorganic layer 28 can be flattened and made uniform, and a state suitable for the formation of the inorganic layer 28 can be achieved. The barrier film 16 having an organic-inorganic laminate structure in which the underlying organic layer 26 and the inorganic layer 28 are laminated can thereby form an appropriate inorganic layer 28 on the entire surface without any gaps. Expresses barrier properties.
Moreover, in this invention, when the barrier film 16 has the organic layer 26, the flatness of the inorganic layer 28 used as the surface, ie, a joint surface with the element substrate 12, can be made high, and the adhesive force of the junction part 18 can be made high. This will be described in detail later.

Various known organic materials can be used as the material for forming the organic layer 26.
Specifically, polyester, acrylic resin, methacrylic resin, methacrylic acid-maleic acid copolymer, polystyrene, transparent fluororesin, polyimide, fluorinated polyimide, polyamide, polyamideimide, polyetherimide, cellulose acylate, polyurethane, poly Ether ether ketone, polycarbonate, alicyclic polyolefin, polyarylate, polyethersulfone, polysulfone, fluorene ring modified polycarbonate, alicyclic modified polycarbonate, fluorene ring modified polyester, acryloyl compound, thermoplastic resin, or polysiloxane, etc. An organic silicon compound film is preferably exemplified. A plurality of these may be used in combination.

  Among these, the organic layer 26 composed of a polymer of a radical polymerizable compound and / or a cationic polymerizable compound having an ether group as a functional group is preferable in terms of excellent glass transition temperature and strength.

In particular, in addition to the above strength, acrylic resins having a glass transition temperature of 120 ° C. or higher, mainly composed of acrylate and / or methacrylate monomers or oligomer polymers, such as high transparency and excellent optical properties, etc. The methacrylic resin is preferably exemplified as the organic layer 26.
Among them, in particular, dipropylene glycol di (meth) acrylate (DPGDA), 1,9-nonanediol di (meth) acrylate (A-NOD-N), 1,6 hexanediol diacrylate (A-HD-N), Bifunctional or higher acrylate and / or methacrylate monomers such as trimethylolpropane tri (meth) acrylate (TMPTA), (modified) bisphenol A di (meth) acrylate, dipentaerythritol hexa (meth) acrylate (DPHA), etc. An acrylic resin and a methacrylic resin mainly composed of a polymer are preferably exemplified. It is also preferable to use a plurality of these acrylic resins and methacrylic resins.

  By forming the organic layer 26 with an acrylic resin or a methacrylic resin, particularly an acrylic resin or a methacrylic resin having a bifunctional or higher functionality, the inorganic layer 28 can be formed on the base having a solid skeleton, so that the denser and higher barrier property The inorganic layer 28 can be formed.

The thickness of the organic layer 26 may be appropriately set according to the thickness of the target barrier film 16, the number of combinations of the underlying organic layer 26 and the inorganic layer 28, the type of the inorganic layer 28, and the like.
Specifically, the thickness of the organic layer 26, in particular, the thickness of the organic layer 26 formed on the surface of the support 24 is preferably 0.1 μm or more, and more preferably 0.5 μm or more. As described above, the higher the surface flatness of the organic layer 26, the higher the adhesive force at the joint 18. By setting the thickness of the organic layer 26 to 0.1 μm or more, the unevenness on the surface of the support 24 is suitably filled, and the organic layer 26 having high surface flatness can be obtained. Moreover, since the organic layer 26 functions as a suitable stress buffer layer by setting the thickness of the organic layer 26 to 0.1 μm or more, the inorganic layer 28 can be prevented from cracking when the organic EL device 10 is bent. .
Further, the thickness of the organic layer 26 is preferably 3 μm or less, and more preferably 1.5 μm or less. By setting the thickness of the organic layer 26 to 3 μm or less, it is possible to suitably prevent the deterioration of the organic EL element 14 due to moisture release from the organic layer 26.

The organic layer 26 may be formed by a known method corresponding to the material for forming the organic layer 26.
In general, the organic layer 26 is a coating composition (paint) containing an organic solvent, a polymerizable compound (monomer, dimer, trimer, oligomer, polymer, etc.) that becomes the organic layer 26, a surfactant, a silane coupling agent, and the like. The coating solution is applied, dried, and then polymerized (crosslinked) with a polymerizable compound by ultraviolet irradiation or the like as necessary. Further, by using a coating method, the organic layer 26 having a very high surface flatness can be formed by a so-called leveling effect.

In the barrier film 16, the inorganic layer 28 mainly exhibits a barrier property.
Various materials can be used as the material for forming the inorganic layer 28, which are made of an inorganic material that exhibits barrier properties.
Specifically, metal oxides such as aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, tantalum oxide, zirconium oxide, titanium oxide, and indium tin oxide (ITO); metal nitrides such as aluminum nitride; metal carbides such as aluminum carbide; silicon oxide, Silicon oxides such as silicon oxynitride, silicon oxycarbide, silicon oxynitride carbide; silicon nitrides such as silicon nitride and silicon nitride carbide; silicon carbides such as silicon carbide; hydrides thereof; mixtures of two or more of these; and Inorganic compounds such as these hydrogen-containing materials are preferably exemplified.
In particular, silicon nitride, silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, and aluminum oxide are preferably used because they are highly transparent and can exhibit excellent barrier properties. Among these, silicon nitride is particularly preferable because it has high transparency in addition to excellent barrier properties.

The thickness of the inorganic layer 28 may be set as appropriate according to the required barrier properties, the desired thickness of the barrier film 16, the number of combinations of the underlying organic layer 26 and the inorganic layer 28, and the like.
Specifically, the thickness of the inorganic layer 28 is preferably 10 nm or more, and more preferably 15 nm or more. By setting the thickness of the inorganic layer 28 to 10 nm or more, good gas barrier properties can be obtained.
The thickness of the inorganic layer 28 is preferably 45 nm or less, and more preferably 35 nm or less. By setting the thickness of the inorganic layer 28 to 45 nm or less, the inorganic layer 28 can be prevented from cracking when the organic EL device 10 is bent. In addition, as described above, the higher the surface flatness of the inorganic layer 28, the stronger the adhesive force of the joint portion 18. However, by setting the thickness of the inorganic layer 28 to 45 nm or less, the high surface of the organic layer 26 can be obtained. Following the flatness, the surface flatness of the inorganic layer 28 can be increased.

The inorganic layer 28 may be formed by a known method depending on the material for forming the inorganic layer 28.
In general, the inorganic layer 28 is formed by a vapor deposition method (vapor deposition method) such as plasma CVD, sputtering, or vacuum deposition.

The organic EL device 10 of the present invention uses the barrier film 16 having one or more combinations of an organic layer 26 and an inorganic layer 28 as a base, and the surface of the surface is the inorganic layer 28, and the inorganic layer 28 is formed on the element substrate 12. The organic EL element 14 formed on the element substrate 12 is sealed.
Moreover, the organic EL device 10 of the present invention includes bonding the element substrate 12 and the barrier film 16 at the joint 18 for sealing the organic EL element 14 with a first reaction layer provided on the element substrate 12, It is carried out by molecular bonding by reaction with the second reaction layer bonded to the first reaction layer provided on the barrier film 16 (surface inorganic layer 28).
Furthermore, in the organic EL device 10 of the present invention, the distance between the surface of the organic layer 26 closest to the element substrate 12 and the element substrate 12 in the bonding portion 18 is 100 nm or less.

  The present invention has a sufficient adhesive force in the joint portion 18 by having such a configuration, and further prevents the intrusion of moisture from the joint portion 18 by making the thickness of the joint portion 18 extremely thin. Thus, a long-life organic EL device 10 in which deterioration of the organic EL element 14 due to moisture is suppressed is realized.

As described above, sealing of the organic EL element with the barrier film is usually performed by adhering the barrier film to the element substrate with an adhesive. However, in this sealing method, moisture enters through the adhesive layer, and the organic EL element is deteriorated by the moisture.
On the other hand, as shown in Patent Document 1, in molecular bonding using a bond by reaction between compounds existing on the bonding surface of a member that seals an organic EL element, the thickness of the bonding portion is extremely thin. It is possible to prevent deterioration of the organic EL element due to moisture entering from the joining portion without moisture entering from the joining portion.

Here, according to the study of the present inventor, when the organic EL element formed on the element substrate is sealed with the barrier film, in order to obtain sufficient adhesive force by molecular bonding at the bonding portion, the bonding of the barrier film It is important that the flatness of the surface is high.
That is, molecular bonding is performed by reacting and bonding a compound present on the surface of the element substrate such as a silane coupling agent and a compound present on the surface of the barrier film. For this reason, when the surface flatness of the barrier film is low, the adhesion between the bonding surfaces is insufficient, the reaction between the compounds on the bonding surfaces is not sufficiently performed, and further, even if the reaction is performed, the dissociation easily occurs. As a result, sufficient adhesive strength cannot be obtained.
As described above, since the inorganic layer is generally formed by a vapor deposition method, it follows the unevenness of the film formation surface. Therefore, in the barrier film having only the inorganic layer as described in Patent Document 1, the surface of the inorganic layer follows the unevenness of the support, and thus the surface of the barrier film cannot be made sufficiently flat. For this reason, the adhesion between the barrier film and the element substrate at the joint is insufficient, the adhesive force due to molecular bonding is low, and the gas barrier film floats and peels off at the joint, and the organic EL element is sealed with the gas barrier film. Cannot be performed properly.
Although a certain level of flatness can be secured by increasing the thickness of the inorganic layer, the flatness of the inorganic layer is still not sufficient, and the inorganic layer becomes brittle and the flexibility is lost. There is also a problem of end.

On the other hand, in the organic EL device 10 of the present invention, the barrier film 16 has the organic layer 26 that is the base of the inorganic layer 28. That is, the inorganic layer 28 is formed on the organic layer 26.
As described above, the organic layer 26 is generally formed by a coating method. The organic layer 26 formed by the coating method fills the unevenness of the surface of the support 24 and has a very flat (smooth) surface due to the leveling effect of the coating composition. As previously described, since the inorganic layer 28 is generally formed by a vapor deposition method, it follows the surface shape of the organic layer 26. As a result, in the present invention, the surface of the inorganic layer 28, that is, the surface of the barrier film 16 follows the high surface flatness of the organic layer 26 and has a very high flatness.
Therefore, the organic EL device 10 of the present invention sufficiently adheres the first reaction layer of the element substrate 12 and the second reaction layer of the barrier film 16 due to the high surface flatness of the barrier film 16 so that both reaction layers are bonded. The compound to be formed can be fully reacted and bound. As a result, the element substrate 12 and the barrier film 16 can be bonded with high adhesive force by molecular bonding at the bonding portion 18. In addition, since the junction 18 in molecular bonding by reaction between the compounds on the surface is extremely thin, it is possible to prevent moisture from entering from the junction 18.
Furthermore, the organic layer 26 is richer in flexibility than the inorganic layer 28. Therefore, when the impact is received from the outside or the organic EL device 10 is bent, the stress received by the joint portion 18 is relieved, and the element substrate 12 and the barrier film 16 can be prevented from peeling off at the joint portion 18.

As the first reaction layer of the element substrate 12 that forms the bonding portion 18 and the second reaction layer of the barrier film 16, various layers containing compounds that react and bond with each other can be used.
That is, the compound forming the first reaction layer and the second reaction layer reacts with the compound in the other reaction layer by heat treatment, light irradiation treatment such as ultraviolet rays, electron beam irradiation treatment, and the like, preferably a covalent bond. Any compound can be used.
Examples include compounds having a vinyl group, epoxy group, styryl group, acrylic group, methacryl group, amino group, ureido group, mercapto group, sulfide group, isocyanate group, carboxy group, aldehyde group, and the like.

The combination of the compounds forming the first reaction layer and the second reaction layer is not particularly limited as long as it is a combination of compounds capable of forming a bond with each other. In order to form the element substrate 12 and the barrier film 16 and the bond. It can be determined appropriately in consideration of the processing method and conditions.
In the present invention, a combination of a compound having an amino group and a compound having an epoxy group is preferable as the combination of the compounds forming the first reaction layer and the second reaction layer because of high reactivity. The compound forming the first reaction layer may have an amino group, the compound forming the second reaction layer may have an epoxy group, the compound forming the first reaction layer may have an epoxy group, and the second The compound forming the reaction layer may have an amino group.

In order to suitably form the first reaction layer on the element substrate 12, the compound constituting the first reaction layer has a part that binds to the surface of the element substrate 12 in addition to the part that binds to the compound of the second reaction layer. It is preferable. In addition, this compound is more preferably a compound having a part that binds to the compound of the second reaction layer at one end and a part that binds to the surface of the element substrate 12 at the other end. preferable. Moreover, although the compound which comprises a 1st reaction layer may be 2 or more types, it is preferable that it is 1 type.
On the other hand, in order to suitably form the second reaction layer on the barrier film 16 (the inorganic layer 28 on the surface), the compound constituting the second reaction layer is added to the portion that binds to the compound of the first reaction layer, and the barrier film. It is preferable to have the site | part couple | bonded with 16 surfaces. In addition, this compound is more preferably a compound having a part that binds to the compound of the first reaction layer at one end and a part that binds to the surface of the barrier film 16 at the other end. preferable. Moreover, although the compound which comprises a 2nd reaction layer may be 2 or more types, it is preferable that it is 1 type.

  As a preferred example, a first reaction layer made of a compound having a portion bonded to the compound of the second reaction layer at one end and a portion bonded to the surface of the element substrate 12 at the other end. Formed on the element substrate 12. In addition, the second reaction layer made of a compound having a site that binds to the compound of the first reaction layer at one end and a site that binds to the surface of the barrier film 16 at the other end is a barrier film. 16 to form. Then, the bonding portion 18 can be formed by directly reacting and bonding the compound forming the first reaction layer of the element substrate 12 and the compound forming the second reaction layer of the barrier film 16.

As the compound that forms the first reaction layer and the compound that forms the second reaction layer, a silane coupling agent that reacts with a compound that forms the other reaction layer at one end and has a siloxane bond (Si—O) at the other end Is preferably used.
Specific examples of the silane coupling agent include those having a vinyl group such as vinyltrimethoxysilane and vinyltriethoxysilane; 2- (3,4-epoxycyclohexyl) ethyltrimethoxysilane, 3-glycidoxypropyl Having an epoxy group such as methyldimethoxysilane, 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-glycidoxypropylmethyldiethoxysilane, 3-glycidoxypropyltriethoxysilane; p-styryltrimethoxysilane, etc. Having a styryl group; a methacryl group such as 3-methacryloxypropylmethyldimethoxysilane, 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-methacryloxypropylmethyldiethoxysilane, 3-methacryloxypropyltriethoxysilane Having an acrylic group such as 3-acryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane; N-2- (aminoethyl) -3-aminopropylmethyldimethoxysilane, N-2- (aminoethyl) -3-aminopropyltri Methoxysilane, N-2- (aminoethyl) -3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, 3-triethoxysilyl-N- (1,3-dimethyl) Having an amino group such as -butylidene) propylamine, N-phenyl-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, N- (vinylbenzyl) -2-aminoethyl-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane; 3-ureidopropyltri Having a ureido group such as ethoxysilane; 3-mer Those having a mercapto group such as ptopropylmethyldimethoxysilane and 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane; those having a sulfide group such as bis (triethoxysilylpropyl) tetrasulfide; and isocyanate groups such as 3-isocyanatopropyltriethoxysilane Examples thereof include those having a carboxy group, those having an aldehyde group, and the like.

  The combination of the compound forming the first reaction layer and the compound forming the second reaction layer includes a silane coupling agent having an amino group at one end and a siloxane bond at the other end, and an epoxy group at one end. A combination with a silane coupling agent having a siloxane bond at the other end is preferable. In particular, since the integration density of the silane coupling agent is increased on the surface of the element substrate 12 and the surface of the barrier film 16, N-2- (aminoethyl) -3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane and 3-glycidoxypropyl A combination of trimethoxysilane is more preferable.

There is no particular limitation on the method of forming the first reaction layer on the element substrate 12 and the method of forming the second reaction layer on the barrier film 16.
For example, a method of forming the first reaction layer and the second reaction layer by bonding the compound constituting the first reaction layer to the element substrate and bonding the compound constituting the second reaction layer to the surface of the barrier film 16. Is exemplified. Especially, it is preferable to form a reaction layer in the area | region used as the junction part 18 of the element substrate 12 and the barrier film 16 by common film-forming methods, such as the apply | coating method, the immersion method, and the vapor deposition method.
The first reaction layer and the second reaction layer may basically be formed only in the region to be the bonding portion 18 of the element substrate 12 and the barrier film 16, that is, the bonding surface. One reaction layer and / or a second reaction layer may be formed.

  As described above, in the organic EL device 10 of the present invention, the distance between the surface of the organic layer 26 closest to the element substrate 12 and the element substrate 12 at the junction 18 is 100 nm or less. In other words, the sum of the film thickness of the inorganic layer 28 in the bonding part 18 and the film thickness of the bonding part 18 is 100 nm or less.

The thinner the joint 18 is, the more moisture can be prevented from entering from the joint 18. Further, as the thickness of the inorganic layer 28 having the organic layer 26 as a base increases, the followability to the surface of the organic layer 26 decreases, that is, the flatness of the surface decreases.
Therefore, when the distance between the surface of the organic layer 26 closest to the element substrate 12 and the element substrate 12 in the bonding portion 18 exceeds 100 nm, the bonding portion is too thick and moisture easily enters and / or inorganic. The flatness of the layer 28 is deteriorated and the adhesive strength at the joint 18 is lowered, and the organic EL device 10 having the intended life cannot be obtained. Furthermore, when the distance between the surface of the organic layer 26 closest to the element substrate 12 and the element substrate 12 exceeds 100 nm, the flexibility of the organic EL device 10 is also reduced.
In consideration of this point, the distance between the surface of the organic layer 26 closest to the element substrate 12 and the element substrate 12 in the joint 18 is preferably 75 nm or less, and more preferably 50 nm or less.

In the organic EL device 10 of the present invention, the width w of the bonding portion 18 is the size of the organic EL device 10, the type of compound forming the first reaction layer and the second reaction layer (compound binding force), and the element substrate 12. Depending on the forming material, the forming material of the inorganic layer 28, etc., the width w at which a sufficient adhesive force can be obtained at the joint 18 may be set as appropriate.
Specifically, the width w of the joint portion 18 is preferably 0.5 mm or more, and more preferably 1 mm or more. By setting the width w of the joint portion 18 to 0.5 mm or more, the adhesive force of the joint portion 18 can be further increased.
Further, the width w of the joint portion 18 is preferably 5 mm or less, and more preferably 2 mm or less. By setting the width w of the bonding portion 18 to 5 mm or less, it is possible to ensure a wide effective surface of the organic EL device 10 such as a display surface and a light emitting surface.

In the organic EL device 10 of the present invention, the space formed by the element substrate 12 and the barrier film 16 may be filled with a liquid that does not affect the organic EL element 14 as necessary.
By having such a configuration, in the organic EL device 10 having flexibility, it is possible to prevent the organic EL element 14 from being damaged when it is bent.

In the organic EL device 10 of the present invention, the organic EL element 14 and the gas barrier film 16 may be bonded. In this case, the organic EL element 14 preferably has an inorganic film such as silicon nitride or aluminum oxide formed by sputtering, plasma CVD or the like on the cathode.
As long as the adhesion between the organic EL element 14 and the gas barrier film 16 does not affect the performance of the organic EL device 10 or the organic EL element 14, various known methods such as a method using an adhesive can be used. is there. In particular, a reaction layer that reacts with the second reaction layer of the gas barrier film 16 similar to the first reaction layer of the element substrate 12 is provided on the surface facing the gas barrier film 16 of the organic EL element 14, and the reaction layer of the organic EL element 14 is provided. It is preferable that the organic EL element 14 and the gas barrier film 16 are bonded together by a reaction between the gas barrier film 16 and the second reaction layer. The reaction layer provided on the organic EL element 14 may be formed of the same reaction layer as the first reaction layer of the element substrate 12 as long as it reacts with the second reaction layer of the gas barrier film 16. May be.
When the organic EL element 14 and the gas barrier film 16 are bonded, the bonding between the two may be the entire surface of the organic EL element 14 or a part thereof.

FIG. 2 shows another example of the organic EL device of the present invention.
The organic EL device 30 shown in FIG. 2 further includes an end seal 32 that covers the end portion of the barrier film 16 and adheres the element substrate 12 and the barrier film 16 to the organic EL device 10 shown in FIG. Is.
By receiving such an end seal 32 as well, the molecular bonding at the bonding portion 18 can be more reliably maintained, the intrusion of moisture can be prevented, and the organic EL device 30 having a longer life can be obtained. In the organic EL device 30 of the present invention, the organic layer 26 is exposed at the end of the barrier film 16. Therefore, since the end seal 32 is bonded to the barrier film with a high adhesive force, the molecular bonding in the bonding section 18 can be more reliably maintained in this respect as well.

For example, the end seal 32 may be formed using an adhesive capable of bonding the barrier film 16 and the element substrate 12. Further, by forming the end seal 32 with a material having a high gas barrier property, it is possible to suitably suppress the deterioration of the organic EL element 14 due to moisture, and to obtain the organic EL device 30 having a longer life.
Examples of the material for forming the end seal 32 include a tape-like material such as an aluminum foil tape, and a liquid curable adhesive such as epoxy or acrylic.

The width of the end seal 32 that abuts against the barrier film 16 and the width that abuts against the element substrate 12 can be appropriately set to a width that can maintain molecular bonding in the bonding portion 18 in accordance with the material for forming the end seal. Good.
In the organic EL device 30, when the light extraction surface from the organic EL element 14 is on the gas barrier film 16 side, in order to widen the effective surface of the organic EL device 30, the end seal 32 is a joint portion. It is preferable to form so as not to reach the inner side than 18.
Further, the end seal 32 may be formed so as to cover at least a part of the end of the barrier film 16, but is preferably formed so as to cover the entire circumference of the end of the barrier film 16.

  The organic EL device of the present invention has been described in detail above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described example, and various improvements and modifications may be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Of course.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to specific examples of the present invention.

[Example 1]
<Preparation of barrier film>
A PET film (A4300, manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd.) was prepared as the support 24.
It was 7.6 nm when surface roughness Ra of the support body 24 was measured in the range of 10 * 10 micrometer using atomic force microscope (made by SII nanotechnology company).

TMPTA (manufactured by Daicel Celltech), silane coupling agent (KBM-5103, manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) and polymerizable acidic compound (KARAMER PM-21, manufactured by Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.) in a mass ratio of 14.1: 3. A composition was prepared by mixing at 5: 1.
18.6 g of this composition, 1.4 g of an ultraviolet polymerization initiator (Lamberti, ESACURE KTO46), and 180 g of 2-butanone were mixed to prepare a coating material for forming the organic layer 26.

The prepared paint was applied to the surface of the prepared support 24 (PET film). The coating was applied using a wire bar so that the coating thickness was 5 μm.
After applying the paint, the paint was dried by allowing it to stand at room temperature.
Next, the composition of the coating was cured by irradiating with ultraviolet rays from a high-pressure mercury lamp (integrated irradiation amount: about 1 J / cm ² ) in a chamber in which the oxygen concentration was 0.1% by a nitrogen substitution method. Thereby, the organic layer 26 having a thickness of 1000 nm ± 50 nm was formed on the surface of the support 24.

A silicon nitride film having a thickness of 35 nm was formed on the organic layer 26 as the inorganic layer 28.
The inorganic layer 28 (silicon nitride film) was formed using a general CCP (capacitively coupled plasma method) -CVD apparatus. As source gases, silane gas (flow rate 160 sccm), ammonia gas (flow rate 370 sccm), hydrogen gas (flow rate 590 sccm), and nitrogen gas (flow rate 240 sccm) were used. The film forming pressure was 40 Pa. The power supply was a high frequency power supply with a frequency of 13.56 MHz, and the plasma excitation power was 2.5 kW.
Thereby, the barrier film which has one set of the combination of the organic layer 26 and the inorganic layer 28 which has the organic layer 26 on the support body 24 and has the inorganic layer 28 on it was produced.

<Formation of first reaction layer>
As the element substrate 12, the previously produced barrier film was cut into a square shape. When the surface roughness Ra of the inorganic layer 28 on the surface of the element substrate 12 was measured in the same manner as described above, it was 0.64 nm.
A laminate film (SAN-A-KAKEN Co., Ltd., PAC-3-50THK) was cut into a square shape and masked so as to cover only the element forming portion of the element substrate 12. The surface of this element substrate 12 was spin-coated with a silane coupling agent (KBE-402, manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) diluted with pure water to a concentration of 2 w% and dried in an oven at 115 ° C. for 1 hour. After drying, the mask was peeled off. Thereby, the element substrate 12 on which the first reaction layer was formed was prepared.

<Production of organic EL element>
On the surface of the element substrate 12 (inorganic layer 28) on which the first reaction layer was formed, Al was vacuum-deposited to a thickness of 60 nm to form an anode. The formed anode surface by vacuum vapor deposition apparatus, a MoO ₃ layer was formed at a 2nm thickness of the hole injecting layer, further, a hole transport layer in this order on the surface of the MoO ₃ layer (α-NPD: Bis [N -(1-naphthyl) -N-phenyl] benzidine) is 29 nm, CBP (4,4′-Bis (carbazol-9-yl) biphenyl) is the host material and 5% Ir (ppy) ₃ (Tris (2- The light emitting layer doped with (phenylpyridinato) iridium) is 20 nm, the hole blocking layer is a BAlq (Bis- (2-methyl-8-quinolinolato) -4- (phenyl-phenolate) -aluminium (III)) layer, 10 nm, and electron transport Alq3 (Tris (8-hydroxy-quinolinato) aluminum) layers were deposited to a thickness of 20 nm as layers to form organic electroluminescent layers.
Subsequently, LiF was deposited on the surface of the obtained organic light emitting layer in a thickness of 0.5 nm, Al was deposited in a thickness of 1.5 nm, and Ag was deposited in this order to form a transparent electrode (cathode). The organic EL element 14 was formed on the surface of 12.

<Formation of second reaction layer>
The barrier film was cut into a square shape so that one side was 4 mm larger than the laminate film used when forming the first reaction layer.
The entire surface of the barrier film was spin-coated with a silane coupling agent (Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., KBE-903) diluted to a concentration of 2 w% with pure water, and dried in an oven at 115 ° C. for 1 hour to produce the second reaction. A layer was formed.

<Production of Organic EL Device 10>
The formation surface of the organic EL element 14 and the inorganic layer 28 on the surface of the barrier film face each other, and a barrier film was bonded onto the element substrate 12 so as to cover the organic EL element. At this time, the joining portion 18 having a width w of 2 mm is formed by bonding the element substrate 12 and the center of the barrier film together.
Next, the first reaction layer and the second reaction layer are pressed and left in an oven at 80 ° C. for 2 hours to react the first reaction layer and the second reaction layer, so that the element substrate 12 and the barrier film are reacted. And combined. As a result, the element substrate 12 and the barrier film were bonded by the bonding portion 18 to produce an organic EL device in which the organic EL element 14 was sealed with the barrier film.

  In addition, after performing the performance evaluation shown below, the cross section of the junction part 18 was image | photographed with the scanning electron microscope, and the distance of the element substrate 12 and the organic layer 26 nearest to the element substrate 12 was measured. As a result, the distance between the element substrate 12 and the organic layer 26 closest to the element substrate 12 was 48 nm.

[Example 2]
In the production of the barrier film, the organic layer 26 is similarly formed on the inorganic layer 28, and the inorganic layer 28 is similarly formed on the organic layer 26, thereby combining the organic layer 26 and the inorganic layer. A barrier film 16 as shown in FIG.
The organic EL device 10 shown in FIG. 1 was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that this barrier film 16 was used as the element substrate 12 and the organic EL element 14 was sealed with the barrier film 16.
In addition, when the surface roughness Ra of the barrier film 16 was measured similarly to Example 1, the surface roughness Ra was 0.47 nm. That is, in this example, the surface roughness Ra of the element substrate 12 is 0.47 nm.
Further, similarly to Example 1, the distance between the element substrate 12 and the organic layer 26 closest to the element substrate 12 was measured and found to be 41 nm.

[Example 3]
FIG. 2 shows the same as in Example 2 except that the end seal 32 covering the entire circumference of the end portion of the barrier film 16 and straddling the end portion of the barrier film 16 and the element substrate 12 was formed. An organic EL device 30 was manufactured.
The end seal 32 is coated with an epoxy-based adhesive (manufactured by Nagase ChemteX, XNR5516Z) along the end of the barrier film 16 to protect the element surface with aluminum foil, and the integrated irradiation amount is 6000 mJ / cm ^2. It was formed by irradiating and curing ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 356 nm.

[Comparative Example 1]
A barrier film similar to that of Example 1 was produced except that the organic layer 26 was not provided. That is, this barrier film has only one inorganic layer 28 on the support 24. In addition, when the surface roughness Ra of the barrier film 16 was measured similarly to Example 1, the surface roughness Ra was 5.3 nm. That is, in this example, the surface roughness Ra of the element substrate 12 is 5.3 nm.
An organic EL device was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that this barrier film was used.

[Comparative Example 2]
An organic EL device was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the element substrate 12 and the barrier film were bonded with an epoxy adhesive (manufactured by Nagase ChemteX Corporation, XNR5516Z). Bonding is performed by applying an adhesive along the bonding portion 18, laminating the element substrate 12 and the barrier film, and irradiating with ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 356 nm so that the integrated irradiation amount becomes 6000 mJ / cm ^2. This was done by curing the agent.
Similarly to Example 1, when the distance between the element substrate 12 and the organic layer 26 closest to the element substrate 12 was measured, it was 510 nm.

[Performance evaluation]
<Joint strength>
A first reaction layer was formed on the entire surface of the element substrate 12, a second reaction layer was formed on the entire surface of the barrier film, and the devices were bonded together without manufacturing the device. Then, it left still for 2 hours in 80 degreeC oven, and accelerated | stimulated reaction. This was set in a tensile tester (manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation, Autograph AG-Xplus), and the peel strength in the 180 ° direction was measured.
In Example 3, the bonding strength was measured as follows. That is, the first reaction layer was formed on the entire surface of the element substrate 12. On the other hand, the barrier film was cut out so that the end portion was 2 mm smaller than the element substrate 12, and a second reaction layer was formed on the entire surface. Next, without forming an element, the element substrate and the barrier film were bonded together, and then left in an oven at 80 ° C. for 2 hours to promote the reaction. Further, an epoxy adhesive was applied along the three edge portions of the barrier film, and an edge seal was formed by irradiating and curing ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 356 nm so that the integrated irradiation amount was 6000 mJ / cm ² . This was peeled off from one side where the end seal was not performed, and the peel strength at this time was measured.
In Comparative Example 2, an epoxy adhesive is applied to the entire surface of the element substrate 12, the element substrate 12 and the barrier film are laminated, and ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 356 nm are applied so that the integrated irradiation amount is 6000 mJ / cm ^2. It bonded together by irradiating and hardening an adhesive agent.

<Element durability>
The produced organic EL device was left in an environment of 60 ° C. and a relative humidity of 90% for 100 hours.
The organic EL device after being allowed to stand is made to emit light by applying a voltage of 7 V using a Keithley SMU2400 type source measure unit, and the light emitting surface is observed using a microscope, and the total area of dark spots with respect to the light emitting surface. Evaluated.
“A” when the total area of the dark spots is less than 10%
A dark spot with a total area of 10-50% "B"
A case where the total area of the dark spots exceeded 50% was evaluated as “C”.

<Bending strength>
A first reaction layer was formed on the entire surface of the element substrate 12, a second reaction layer was formed on the entire surface of the barrier film, and the devices were bonded together without manufacturing the device. Then, it left still for 2 hours in 80 degreeC oven, and accelerated | stimulated reaction.
In Example 3, similarly to the bonding strength, the first reaction layer is formed on the entire surface of the element substrate 12, and the barrier film is cut out so that the end portion is 2 mm smaller than the element substrate 12. The element substrate and the barrier film were bonded together without forming the element. Then, it left still for 2 hours in 80 degreeC oven, and accelerated | stimulated reaction. Furthermore, an epoxy adhesive was applied along the four edges of the barrier film, and an edge seal was formed by irradiating with an ultraviolet ray having a wavelength of 356 nm and curing so that the integrated dose was 6000 mJ / cm ² .
In Comparative Example 2, an epoxy adhesive is applied to the entire surface of the element substrate 12, the element substrate 12 and the barrier film are laminated, and ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 356 nm are applied so that the integrated irradiation amount is 6000 mJ / cm ^2. It bonded together by irradiating and hardening an adhesive agent.
The bending strength was measured with a mandrel bending tester according to JIS-K5600-5-1. The results show the maximum mandrel diameter at which peeling occurs. Moreover, peeling was confirmed visually.
The above results are shown in the following table.

As shown in the above table, according to the present invention, the element substrate 12 and the barrier film 16 are bonded to each other at a bonding portion 18 with a high bonding force by molecular bonding, and the lifetime is long and also flexible. An excellent organic EL device can be obtained.
On the other hand, Comparative Example 1 using a barrier film having no organic layer as the element substrate has a high surface roughness Ra of the element substrate, and due to this, the adhesive force of the joint is insufficient. Separation between the element substrate 12 and the barrier film 16 occurs at the joint 18 and sufficient element durability cannot be obtained.
Further, the element substrate 12 and the barrier film 16 are bonded with an epoxy adhesive, and the comparative example 2 in which the distance between the element substrate 12 and the organic layer 26 closest to the element substrate 12 is too long is It was thought that the organic EL element 14 was deteriorated due to moisture intrusion, and sufficient element durability was not obtained. In addition, since the thickness of the adhesive is smaller than that of bonding using a normal adhesive, bonding strength and bending strength are also insufficient.
From the above results, the effects of the present invention are clear.

  It can be suitably used for organic EL displays and organic EL lighting.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10,30 Organic EL (organic electroluminescence) apparatus 12 Element substrate 14 Organic EL (organic electroluminescence) element 16 (Gas) barrier film 18 Junction part 24 Support body 26 Organic layer 28 Inorganic layer 32 End seal

Claims (9)

An element substrate, an organic electroluminescence element formed on the element substrate, and a gas barrier film that covers the organic electroluminescence element and is bonded to the element substrate to seal the organic electroluminescence element;
The gas barrier film has one or more combinations of an inorganic layer and an organic layer serving as a base of the inorganic layer on a support, the surface of the gas barrier film is an inorganic layer, and the surface of the inorganic layer is the element substrate. To be joined
Bonding between the element substrate and the gas barrier film is performed by a reaction between a first reaction layer provided on the element substrate and a second reaction layer bonded to the first reaction layer provided on the gas barrier film;
The organic electroluminescence device according to claim 1, wherein a distance between the organic layer closest to the element substrate and the element substrate is 100 nm or less at a joint portion between the element substrate and the gas barrier film.   The organic electroluminescence device according to claim 1, wherein the surface roughness Ra of the organic layer and inorganic layer forming surface of the support is 30 nm or less.   The organic electroluminescence device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the organic layer formed on the surface of the support has a thickness of 0.1 µm or more.   The organic electroluminescent device according to claim 1, wherein an end portion of the gas barrier film is covered with an adhesive.   The organic electroluminescence device according to claim 1, wherein the surface roughness Ra of the formation surface of the organic electroluminescence element of the element substrate is 5 nm or less.   The organic electroluminescence device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a width of the joint portion is 0.5 to 5 mm.   The organic electroluminescence device according to claim 1, wherein the inorganic layer has a thickness of 10 to 45 nm. The element substrate has one or more combinations of an inorganic layer and an organic layer serving as a base of the inorganic layer on a support, and the surface is a gas barrier film having an inorganic layer,
The organic electroluminescence device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the organic electroluminescence element is formed on the inorganic layer on the surface. The first reaction layer contains a silane coupling agent, the second reaction layer contains a silane coupling agent that reacts with the silane coupling agent contained in the first reaction layer,
The joining of the said element substrate and a gas barrier film is performed by reaction with the silane coupling agent of a said 1st reaction layer, and the silane coupling agent of a 2nd reaction layer of any one of Claims 1-8. Organic electroluminescence device.