JP3556990B2 - Fine patterning method of organic electroluminescence device and device obtained therefrom - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Industrial applications]
The present invention relates to a method for finely patterning an electroluminescence (hereinafter abbreviated as EL) device and a finely patterned EL device. More specifically, the present invention provides a method for finely patterning an EL element in a non-contact manner by using a laser ablation method, particularly, a metal-based electrode (cathode) / organic compound layer / transparent electrode (anode) / substrate. In patterning the organic EL device having the above configuration, the laser ablation method can efficiently perform sharp microscopic processing on the metal-based electrode with less thermal damage to the periphery of the processing edge without damaging the transparent electrode. The present invention relates to a method for forming an organic EL element into a fine pattern and an EL element finely patterned by the laser ablation processing method.
[0002]
[Prior art]
EL devices using electroluminescence emit light with high visibility due to self-emission, and have characteristics such as excellent impact resistance because they are completely solid devices. Therefore, their use as light emitting devices in various display devices attracts attention. Have been.
This EL element includes an inorganic EL element using an inorganic compound as a light emitting material and an organic EL element using an organic compound. Among these, the organic EL element is used because the applied voltage can be significantly reduced. Practical research is being actively conducted on the next-generation display element.
The organic EL element includes an organic compound layer including at least a light emitting layer and a pair of electrodes sandwiching the organic compound layer. Specifically, the organic EL element has a basic structure of anode / light emitting layer / cathode. Which are provided with a hole injection / transport layer or an electron injection / transport layer as appropriate, for example, anode / hole injection / transport layer / light emitting layer / cathode, or anode / hole injection / transport layer / light emitting layer / electron injection / transport layer One having a configuration such as a / cathode is known. The hole injection transport layer has a function of transmitting holes injected from the anode to the light emitting layer, and the electron injection transport layer has a function of transmitting electrons injected from the cathode to the light emitting layer. I have. By interposing the hole injecting and transporting layer between the light emitting layer and the anode, many holes are injected into the light emitting layer at a lower electric field, and further injected into the light emitting layer from the cathode or the electron injecting and transporting layer. It is known that the collected electrons accumulate at the interface between the hole injection / transport layer and the light emitting layer because the hole injection / transport layer does not transport the electrons, thereby increasing the luminous efficiency.
[0003]
By the way, in order to use an EL element as a display element, electrode patterning is indispensable, and finely patterned electrodes need to operate normally in order to perform delicate display. To this end, (1) a sufficiently fine electrode pattern and the width of the insulated portion are narrow, (2) the edge portion of the electrode has a sharp shape, and (3) a finely processed portion. Is completely insulated, (4) that the micro-machined electrode portion does not short-circuit, (5) that the performance of the micro-machined electrode is not impaired, and (6) that is removed during micro-machining. An important requirement is to not affect the underlying part other than the part necessary for the above.
[0004]
As a method of patterning the display EL element, a method of patterning the electrode at the same time as forming the electrode and a method of forming the EL element and then performing fine processing on the electrode can be considered.
As the former method, for example, a mask evaporation method in which an electrode is patterned by using a mask when an electrode is formed by a method such as evaporation is known. However, in this method, in order to produce an extremely fine pattern, particularly one having a size of several tens of μm or less, there is a problem such as a wraparound of a deposited metal, and when performing fine patterning, a mask setting for an underlying deposited layer is required. Positional accuracy is important, and therefore, a high-level mask setting mechanism is required in the vapor deposition apparatus, and there is a problem that operability is deteriorated and productivity is reduced. Therefore, it is difficult to obtain a high-definition display pattern of several tens of μm by this mask vapor deposition method.
[0005]
On the other hand, as the latter method, a patterning method using a photolithography technique is known as a typical one. However, this method is complicated because it is created through a number of steps such as resist coating, baking, exposure, development, etching, and resist stripping. In addition, in the steps of resist coating and development, electrodes are made of other materials. Thus, although a fine pattern can be obtained, the charge injection efficiency is reduced due to the deterioration of the electrode material or the like, and there is an essential problem that the device cannot be used as an EL element.
Further, as a fine processing method, a method using cutting with a drill is also known, and is used for fine hole processing of a printed circuit board. However, this method is not suitable for processing a cathode made of a metal thin film that is not so strong in terms of strength, and the electrode processing accuracy is insufficient, and cutting chips generated at the time of cutting cause a short circuit of the electrode. In addition, there is a problem in that not only the cathode and the light emitting layer but also the underlying anode are affected by the processing and the wire may be disconnected.
[0006]
As a method for solving such a problem, various methods for performing fine processing using a non-contact beam have been proposed. For example, JP-A-5-3077 and JP-A-3078 propose a technique for cutting a metal film used in an EL element. However, although this technique is capable of cutting, it is not efficient due to problems in operability and causes thermal damage to the periphery, and is not practical as a micromachining process. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-105885 proposes a method of irradiating a metal conductive film or a combination of a light-transmitting conductive film and a metal conductive film with a linear laser pulse beam to optically process the electrodes. Have been. However, in this method, it is difficult to cause laser ablation because the material to be applied does not have a large light absorption, and fine processing is performed by a thermal process. There is a problem such that the influence of is large. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 1-130494, 4-255592, 5-290971 and 5-196949 also disclose a fine processing technique using a non-contact beam. However, none of these techniques utilize the laser ablation phenomenon and are not necessarily satisfactory methods.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention improves on the drawbacks of the conventional EL element patterning method, and makes the electrodes of the EL element non-contact and does not cause much thermal damage to the periphery of the processing edge and the base. Efficient sharp micromachining, and finely machined electrodes can operate normallyOrganicEL element patterning methodAnd device obtained therebyThe purpose is to provide.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present inventors have conducted intensive studies to achieve the above object, and as a result, it has been found that the object can be achieved by using a laser ablation method for fine patterning of an EL element, and in particular, a metal-based electrode. In an organic EL device having a constitution of (cathode) / organic compound layer / transparent electrode (anode) / substrate, a laser beam is radiated from the metal-based electrode side at a specific intensity so that most of the laser energy is converted to the cathode. Is absorbed only by the metal-based material and the organic compound, and at this time, the laser-ablation phenomenon causes only the metal-based material and the organic compound to be scattered at the same time, without damaging the periphery of the processing edge and the transparent electrode, It has been found that sharp fine processing can be performed efficiently. The present invention has been completed based on such findings.
That is, the present invention uses a laser ablation processing method in forming an organic EL element into a fine pattern.Simultaneously scatter the organic compound layer and the metal-based electrode laminated on the organic compound layer.A method for finely patterning an organic EL device, comprising:From the side of the metal-based electrode laminated on the organic compound layer, the laser output per unit area is 10 to 220 mJ / cm. ^Two A laser beam is irradiated so that the organic compound layer and the metal-based electrode are simultaneously scattered due to a laser ablation phenomenon occurring at this time.An object of the present invention is to provide a finely patterned organic EL device.
[0009]
In addition, a preferred mode for carrying out the present invention is that an organic EL element having a configuration of a metal-based electrode (cathode) / organic compound layer / transparent electrode (anode) / substrate has a unit area per unit area from the metal-based electrode side. Laser output of 10-220mJ / cm^TwoIn this method, a metal electrode is finely processed by laser ablation phenomenon which occurs at this time, and a fine pattern is formed on the organic EL element.
[0010]
In the EL device used in the method of the present invention, a transparent electrode is used as an anode. As the transparent electrode, for example, an inorganic material such as ITO (In-Sn-Oxide), ZnO, or CuS, or an organic transparent conductive material is formed on a transparent substrate such as glass by a method such as vapor deposition or sputtering. Is used. The patterning of the transparent electrode is formed by ordinary fine processing such as lithography.
On the other hand, as the cathode, a metal-based material such as a simple metal or a metal alloy is used, but a material having high electron injection efficiency and low deterioration is preferable, and a metal alloy such as a magnesium-silver alloy or an aluminum-lithium alloy is particularly preferable. It is suitable. The cathode can be manufactured by forming a thin film of these metal-based materials on a light-emitting layer or an organic compound layer having a multilayer structure described later by a method such as evaporation or sputtering.
[0011]
On the other hand, an organic EL element is one in which an organic compound layer including at least a light-emitting layer made of an organic light-emitting material is interposed between the transparent electrode of the anode and the metal-based electrode of the cathode. ) / Organic compound layer / transparent electrode (anode) / substrate. Here, the organic compound layer may be a layer composed of only a light emitting layer, or may have a multilayer structure in which a hole injection transport layer, an electron injection transport layer, and the like are stacked together with the light emitting layer. As an element configuration of this organic EL element, for example, metal-based electrode (cathode) / light-emitting layer / transparent electrode (anode) / substrate, metal-based electrode (cathode) / light-emitting layer / hole injection / transport layer / transparent electrode (anode) / Substrate, metal-based electrode (cathode) / electron injection / transport layer / light-emitting layer / transparent electrode (anode) / substrate, metal-based electrode (cathode) / electron injection / transport layer / light-emitting layer / hole injection / transport layer / transparent electrode ( Anode) / substrate.
[0012]
In this organic EL device, the light emitting layer has the following functions: (1) an injection function capable of injecting holes by an anode or a hole injection / transport layer and injecting electrons from a cathode or an electron injection layer when an electric field is applied; (2) a transport function of moving injected charges (electrons and holes) by the force of an electric field, and (3) a light-emitting function of providing a field for recombination of electrons and holes inside the light-emitting layer and connecting it to light emission. have. There is no particular limitation on the type of light emitting material used for the light emitting layer, and a known light emitting material in an organic EL element can be used. The hole injecting and transporting layer is a layer made of a hole transporting compound, and has a function of transmitting holes injected from the anode to the light emitting layer. By intervening between them, many holes are injected into the light emitting layer at a lower electric field. In addition, electrons injected into the light emitting layer by the cathode or the electron injection layer are accumulated near the interface in the light emitting layer due to the electron barrier existing at the interface between the light emitting layer and the hole injection transport layer, and the light emission of the EL element is reduced. Efficiency is improved and an EL element having excellent light emission performance is obtained. There is no particular limitation on the hole transporting compound used in the hole injecting / transporting layer, and any known hole transporting compound in an organic EL device can be used. Further, the electron injecting and transporting layer has a function of transmitting electrons injected from the cathode to the light emitting layer. There is no particular limitation on the electron transfer compound used in the electron injecting and transporting layer, and any known electron transfer compound in an organic EL device can be used. This organic compound layer can be produced by laminating each organic material on a transparent electrode by a method such as vapor deposition or sputtering to form a thin film.
[0013]
In the present invention, a laser ablation method is used as a method for forming a fine pattern of the EL element. The laser ablation method referred to here is a phenomenon in which, when a laser beam is applied to the surface of a solid material, the material that absorbs the laser energy scatters as fragments having a large energy. It is a method of applying. This laser ablation phenomenon was discovered in early 1980 and is thought to be caused by a multiphoton process unique to lasers. When a polymer is irradiated with an ultraviolet laser having a high energy represented by an excimer laser, for example, the polymer is dissociated, the ordinary chemical bonds are dissociated, and the excess energy is used to scatter the fragments. Is performed, and sharp fine processing without affecting the surroundings can be performed. Such a phenomenon is considered to occur not only in polymer molecules but also in ordinary organic solids. Recently, ablation phenomena of organic liquid substances have also been reported.
[0014]
On the other hand, many laser ablation phenomena have been reported for metals and ceramics, and applications to thin film formation and the like have been promoted. However, in the case of metals and ceramics, in order to scatter them as fragments, they must be irradiated with a laser fluence (laser output per unit area) which is usually one or two orders of magnitude higher than that of organic substances. For example, in the case of a polymer, several tens mJ / cm²Or several hundred mJ / cm²Laser ablation can be caused by fluence, but in the case of metal and ceramics, several J / cm²Or several tens J / cm²Fluence is required.
[0015]
The present inventionofIn the fine patterning method of the EL element,, HavingThe above-mentioned laser ablation method is applied to the organic EL element of the organic EL device. In particular, the laser ablation processing method is applied to the organic EL element composed of a metal electrode (cathode) / organic compound layer / transparent electrode (anode) / substrate. It is advantageous to apply a method. In this case, by irradiating the laser beam from the metal-based electrode side, the laser beam transmitted through the metal-based electrode is absorbed by the organic compound layer having a large absorption coefficient, and does not affect the transparent electrode existing thereunder. In addition, due to the laser ablation phenomenon, the organic compound is scattered together with the metal material of the cathode, and fine processing is performed. Therefore, according to such a method, it is possible to perform sharp etching with little thermal influence and not to damage the underlying transparent electrode, so that a fine pattern without disconnection or short circuit can be formed. If the organic compound layer does not exist, the ablation phenomenon cannot occur with low laser fluence, so in order to perform fine processing, a laser beam must be irradiated with high laser fluence, and due to thermal effects, Phenomena such as processing of a part other than the irradiated part, melting of the surroundings, and processing of the underlying part also occur, causing a problem that desired fine processing cannot be performed.
[0016]
In the present invention, the laser used for the laser ablation processing may be any laser as long as it can oscillate a laser beam (infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-ray) having a wavelength of 10 nm to 20 μm. Examples of such a laser include a carbon dioxide laser, a carbon monoxide laser, an HF laser, an iodine laser, a YAG laser, a glass laser, a YLF laser, an alexandrite laser, a semiconductor laser, a dye laser, a nitrogen laser, an excimer laser, and an X-ray. A laser, a free electron laser and the like can be mentioned, and a laser whose wavelength has been converted using a harmonic element or the like can be used.
[0017]
Among these, lasers used for industrial use are preferable because they oscillate stably, and those known as processing lasers are particularly preferable in terms of operability and productivity. Further, a high output laser is preferable from the viewpoint of productivity. Further, a shorter wavelength is preferable because the beam can be finely narrowed, and an ultraviolet laser is particularly preferable because processing by an ablation phenomenon with little thermal contribution can be performed. An excimer laser is known as a high-power industrial laser for processing that satisfies such conditions, and a material such as polyimide is practically processed using the excimer laser.
[0018]
In the present invention, the above-described laser is used to form a laser beam from the metal-based electrode side for fine patterning of an organic EL device having the structure of a metal-based electrode (cathode) / organic compound layer / transparent electrode (anode) / substrate. Is irradiated. At this time, the laser beam irradiation is performed with a laser fluence of 10 to 220 mJ / cm.²It is necessary to perform so as to be within the range. This laser fluence is 10mJ / cm²If it is less than 1, the metal-based material of the cathode may remain without being scattered, and the scattered material may not have sufficient energy. Cannot perform fine processing. On the other hand, 220 mJ / cm²When the laser fluence exceeds, the metal-based material and the organic compound of the cathode are scattered, but the transparent electrode under the organic compound layer is damaged or thermally affected, resulting in a decrease in conductivity. In addition, the thermal influence on the irradiation peripheral portion becomes large, and the fine processing width is widened, or the metal material of the cathode to be left is melted or deteriorated, and a desired fine pattern cannot be obtained. .
In the present invention, the pulse oscillation method is advantageous as the laser oscillation method. In the continuous oscillation method, the processing operation can be performed relatively freely by driving the stage. However, since the ablation phenomenon does not easily occur and thermal accumulation occurs, problems such as processing accuracy occur, and the desired fine processing is performed. Is difficult to do. On the other hand, in the pulse oscillation method, it is necessary to irradiate a laser beam in consideration of the pulse interval and the driving speed of the stage. This pulse oscillation method is advantageous because fine processing with less noise can be performed. A shorter pulse width is advantageous because thermal damage can be reduced. The pulse width is desirably 100 μsec or less, more preferably 100 ns or less, even more preferably picosecond or femtosecond.
[0019]
Note that an electron beam or an ion (cluster) beam can also be used for microfabrication, but these methods have large problems in terms of operability such as requiring a large and expensive apparatus and requiring a vacuum. However, it is not practical as a fine processing method.
In the present invention, a laser beam is irradiated, and fine processing is performed using the ablation phenomenon that occurs at this time.However, since a laser beam, particularly a beam obtained from an excimer laser, is often non-uniform, a beam homogenizer or the like is used. It is desirable to use a beam that has been homogenized. Regarding the beam shape, a point-like shape or a rectangular shape may be used, but a short shape can make the beam elongated. This is advantageous because fine processing can be performed efficiently. In addition, by condensing the beam, the laser fluence can be increased, processing can be easily performed, and it is possible to narrow down to about several μm in principle, which is advantageous for performing fine processing. . However, it is not always necessary to perform processing at the focal point. Rather, when processing is performed at the focal point, the laser fluence becomes too high, and undesired situations such as affecting the base and causing thermal damage to the surrounding area. May occur.
[0020]
In the case of performing fine processing on a large area, a method of irradiating a fixed workpiece while shaking with a laser beam or placing the workpiece on a stage and driving this stage is used. The latter method is preferred from the viewpoint of properties. By synchronizing the driving of the stage with the oscillation of the laser, a pattern of any shape can be obtained. In order to obtain a fine pattern, it is necessary to use a stage having an accuracy corresponding thereto.
Furthermore, by preparing a mask having a desired pattern in advance and irradiating a laser beam through the mask, a batch pattern transfer can be performed over a large area, and fine processing can be performed extremely efficiently. . However, in this case, there are problems such as deterioration of the mask and contamination (contamination) of the mask material.
[0021]
In the present invention, since fine processing is performed using the laser ablation phenomenon, fragments are scattered from a workpiece during processing. The scattered matter may be deposited on the workpiece again to cause an undesirable situation such as a short circuit of the electrode, and it is important that the scattered matter is not deposited.
In the present invention, an excimer laser is preferably used as described above. This excimer laser is a high-output laser having high excitation energy, and an ablation processing method for a polymer material or the like using this laser is known. Since this excimer laser oscillates in the ultraviolet region, it has an advantage that processing with little thermal contribution can be performed. Furthermore, by using a high-power excimer laser with high excitation energy, it is possible to promote fragment decomposition and to reduce fragments into small fragments such as atoms, molecules, and ions, and to provide large translational energy to fragments. Therefore, the fragments are scattered far away from the processing area. From these points, it is optimal to use an excimer laser in the present invention.
[0022]
In the present invention, by performing the fine processing in a vacuum, fragments can be scattered far away. In the presence of air or inert gas, the fragments may collide with them and lose energy, and may not be able to scatter far away. In addition, a method in which fragments are scattered by forcibly blowing an inert gas or the like into the processing region is also effective.
After the metal electrode (cathode) is finely processed and the EL element is finely patterned in this way, a sealing process is usually performed to prevent deterioration of the element and extend the life.
The present invention also provides a fine pattern by such a laser ablation processing method.OrganicAn EL element is also provided.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of an organic EL element before fine processing is performed on a metal-based electrode (cathode). The ITO electrode 2, the organic compound layer 3, and the metal are patterned on a glass substrate 1. The system electrodes 4 are sequentially stacked. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an example of the organic EL element which is finely patterned by subjecting the metal-based electrode 4 of the organic EL element shown in FIG. 1 to fine processing.
[0023]
【Example】
Next, the present invention will be described in more detail by way of examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.
Example 1
A krypton fluoride excimer laser beam (45 mJ, 10 mm long × 30 mm wide) was first expanded in the horizontal direction with two lenses using a cylindrical lens, then converted into a parallel light beam, and then reduced in the vertical direction.
Next, the thus obtained elongated laser beam (fluence 180 mJ / cm², 250 μm in length × 100 mm in width) was irradiated to an organic EL element (MgAg alloy electrode / organic light emitting layer / ITO electrode / glass substrate) prepared in advance. This organic EL element is fixed on a stage and can be moved by 500 μm by using a micrometer, so that a fine electrode pattern having a gap and electrode width of 250 μm was finally obtained. .
[0024]
The outline of these series of processes is shown in FIGS. The shape of the finely processed EL element was observed using an optical microscope (Microwatcher VS-205, manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation). As shown in the photograph of FIG. 4, the EL element had a sharp edge. It was clarified that the cathode material and the organic material of the light emitting layer were completely ablated, and the ITO thin film remained without being scattered.
The organic EL device thus finely processed was subjected to a light emission test by applying a constant voltage of 9 V between the common ITO electrode and the finely divided cathode portion as shown in FIG. It was confirmed that only the lighted portion emitted light. This indicates that the processing of the cathode of the EL element is sufficiently completed, the cut fine electrode portions are not short-circuited, and the ITO electrode is not damaged.
[0025]
Moreover, when the degree of digging in the depth direction of the fine electrode pattern was measured using a stylus type film thickness meter (manufactured by Sloan, DEK TAK3030), it was found that the rise of the electrode pattern was within 20 μm.
3A to 3C and FIG. 5, reference numeral 1 denotes a glass substrate, 2 denotes an ITO electrode, 3 denotes an organic compound layer (organic light emitting layer), and 4 denotes a metal-based electrode (MgAg alloy electrode).
In FIG. 4, the portion (1) shows a portion processed by a laser beam, and the outermost surface is an ITO electrode having a width of 250 μm. On the other hand, the portion (2) indicates a portion not irradiated with the laser beam, the MgAg alloy electrode and the organic compound layer remain, and the width is 250 μm. In addition, a scale numerical value shows mm.
Example 2
Fine processing was performed in the same manner as in Example 1 except that an argon fluoride excimer laser beam (50 mJ, length 10 mm × width 30 mm) was used instead of the krypton fluoride excimer laser beam. Observation of the shape of this finely processed EL element using an optical microscope (described above) revealed that the EL element had sharp edges, the cathode material and the organic material of the light emitting layer were completely ablated, and the ITO thin film was scattered. It was clarified that a fine pattern of the metal alloy electrode remaining without being produced was produced.
[0026]
Example 3
Fine processing was performed in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the distance driven by the micrometer of the EL element was changed from 250 μm to 1 mm. When the shape of the metal alloy electrode of this finely processed EL element was observed using an optical microscope (described above), as shown in the photograph of FIG. 6, the electrode width was 750 μm and the pitch between the electrodes was 250 μm. there were.
In FIG. 6, a portion (1) shows a portion processed by a laser beam, and the outermost surface is an ITO electrode having a width of 250 μm. On the other hand, the portion (2) indicates a portion not irradiated with the laser beam, the MgAg alloy electrode and the organic compound layer remain, and the width is 750 μm. In addition, a scale numerical value shows mm.
[0027]
Comparative Example 1
In Example 1, the laser output was set to 2 mJ (8 mJ / cm as laser fluence).²) Was performed in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the MgAg alloy electrode was not scattered, and a fine groove was not formed. Observation of the surface of the alloy electrode with an optical microscope (described above) confirmed that the surface was patchy as shown in FIG.
Comparative Example 2
In Example 1, the laser output was set to 10 J (40 J / cm as the laser fluence).²), Except that the fine processing was performed in the same manner as in Example 1. The surface of the MgAg alloy electrode was observed with an optical microscope (described above). As shown in FIG. However, the non-irradiated portion was in a melted state or partially scattered, so that a finely processed metal alloy electrode could not be produced.
Comparative Example 3
Using a mask made of SUS304 having a thickness of 0.5 mm, a mask having an opening having a thickness of 3 mm was mounted on a glass substrate having a thickness of 1.1 mm, and co-evaporation was performed at a speed of Mg14Å / sec and Ag1Å / sec to perform MgAg A fine electrode pattern was produced. When this depth profile was measured by the same method as in Example 1, the rising of the electrode pattern was 80 μm.
[0028]
【The invention's effect】
In the method of the present invention, a metal electrode (cathode) is subjected to fine processing in a non-contact manner by a laser ablation processing method,OrganicMethod for fine patterning EL elementso(1) The metal electrode can be efficiently subjected to sharp fine processing with little thermal damage to the periphery of the processing edge without damaging the transparent electrode, and (2) an unstable cathode. The metal-based material is processed in a non-contact manner, so that the metal-based material is not adversely affected such as a shortened life. Fine fine processing is possible. (4) Processing can be performed in the air, and the apparatus is simple and fine processing can be easily performed. (5) Laser beam can be easily scanned by scanning. It is possible to obtain a fine pattern. (6) It is possible to perform processing with high productivity by forming the laser beam into an elongated shape. Are possible, it has advantages such, it is possible to perform processing with high productivity.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an example of an organic EL element before fine processing is performed on a metal electrode (cathode).
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an example of an organic EL element which is finely patterned by subjecting a metal-based electrode (cathode) to fine processing by the method of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing an outline of a process in the method of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is an optical microscope photograph of an example of an organic EL device finely patterned by the method of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for performing a light emission test on an example of an organic EL element finely patterned by the method of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is an optical microscope photograph of an example different from FIG. 4 of the organic EL element finely patterned by the method of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is an optical microscope photograph of the surface of a metal-based electrode in an example of an organic EL device when a laser beam is irradiated with a laser fluence smaller than the range specified in the present invention and fine processing is performed.
FIG. 8 is an optical microscope photograph of the surface of a metal-based electrode in an example of an organic EL element when a laser beam is irradiated with a laser fluence larger than the range specified in the present invention and fine processing is performed.
[Explanation of symbols]
1: Glass substrate
2: ITO electrode
3: Organic compound layer
4: Metal electrode

Claims (6)

The organic electroluminescence element Upon finely patterned, using a laser ablation method, the organic electroluminescent device characterized Rukoto is scattered and metal-based electrode laminated on the organic compound layer and the organic compound layer at the same time Fine patterning method. The laser output per unit area from the metal-based electrode side is 10 to 220 mJ / cm ² with respect to the organic electroluminescence element having the structure of metal-based electrode (cathode) / organic compound layer / transparent electrode (anode) / substrate. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the laser beam is irradiated in such a manner, and the metal-based electrode is finely processed by a laser ablation phenomenon occurring at this time. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the laser beam is irradiated by a pulse oscillation method. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the laser beam is oscillated using an excimer laser. A laser beam is irradiated from the metal-based electrode side laminated on the organic compound layer so that the laser output per unit area is 10 to 220 mJ / cm ^2, and the laser ablation phenomenon that occurs at this time causes the organic compound layer to be irradiated with the laser beam. An organic electroluminescence device in which fine patterns are formed by simultaneously scattering the metal-based electrode . The organic electroluminescence device according to claim 5, wherein the rising of the fine electrode pattern is within 20 µm.

Images