JPH062596U - Back electrode of multi-color EL panel - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] Multi-color E suitable for achieving long life
The back electrode of the L panel is provided. In a multi-color EL panel in which a color filter 9 is patterned and arranged on an inner surface of a back envelope 8, a back electrode 6 has an island-shaped ITO transparent electrode 6a provided for each pixel and the island-shaped ITO transparent electrodes 6a. The ITO transparent electrode 6a is connected to the metal electrode 6b.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a back electrode of a multi-color EL panel suitable for achieving a long life.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 As shown in FIG. 3, this type of multi-color EL panel has a structure in which light emitting layers 4 are formed by patterning light emitting materials of different colors (FIG. 3A), and a color filter 9 is provided on the first electrode 2 side. It is roughly classified into a configuration in which patterning is arranged (FIG. 2B) and a configuration in which a color filter 9 is patterned and arranged on the inner surface of the rear envelope 8 (FIG. 2C). In the figure, 1 is a glass substrate, 2 is a first electrode, 3 is a first insulating film, 4 is a light emitting layer, 5 is a second insulating film, 6 is a back electrode, 7 is silicone oil, and 8 is a back surface. The envelope and 9 are color filters.

In the above structure, the structure shown in FIG. 1A and the structure shown in FIG. 2B are structures in which light is extracted from the glass substrate 1 side, while the structure shown in FIG. This is a configuration in which light is extracted from the side of the enclosure 8.

By the way, in the above-mentioned conventional configuration, it is difficult to pattern the light emitting layer 4 of the different color light emitting material itself in the one shown in FIG. 1A, and the one shown in FIG. There is the inconvenience that the color filters that can withstand the process temperature during panel manufacturing are limited. Therefore, the one shown in FIG. 7C is considered to be the most practical.

As shown in FIG. 1C, the back electrode 6 needs to be transparent in order to extract light from the back surface as described above. Therefore, as the back electrode 6, it is common to use an ITO transparent electrode which has a low resistance and is transparent.

[0006]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, as shown in FIG. 4, in the case of FIG. 3 (c), when the ITO transparent electrode 6B1 is broken, this breakage exhibits a propagation mode (or breaks depending on the propagation mode). Also spread over the entire pixel. Moreover, due to this propagation mode, the broken ITO transparent electrode is easily completely melted and leads to disconnection, so that all the pixels 6B2, 6B3 ... After the broken pixel 6B1 do not emit light. Therefore, the life of the multi-color EL panel is shortened.

In view of the above conventional circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a back electrode of a multi-color EL panel that has a long life.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 To achieve the above object, the back electrode of the multi-color EL panel according to the present invention has a multi-color pattern in which color filters 9 are arranged in a pattern on the inner surface of the back envelope 8 as described with reference to FIG. In the EL panel, the back electrode 6 is composed of an island-shaped ITO transparent electrode 6a provided for each pixel and a metal electrode 6b formed by connecting the island-shaped ITO transparent electrodes 6a.

[0009]

[Action]

 Breakage of the ITO transparent electrode results in a propagation mode, as described above. Further, the ITO transparent electrode is melted and broken due to the propagation mode, resulting in disconnection. In contrast, metal electrodes, although opaque, exhibit self-healing mode failure. This self-healing mode is a microscopic spot-like damage that occurs there, and does not propagate to other parts.

Therefore, according to the above configuration, the ITO transparent electrode ensures the transparency, and the metal electrode suppresses the destruction of the propagation mode of the ITO transparent electrode.

[0011]

【Example】

 A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The multi-color EL panel body as an example is similar to that shown in FIG. 3 (C) cited in the section of the prior art. Therefore, this configuration will be described in terms of manufacturing steps with reference to FIG.

First, an electrode film is formed on the glass substrate 1, and the electrode film is patterned into a grid to form the first electrode 2. Next, the first insulating film 3, the light emitting layer 4, and the second insulating film 5 are sequentially stacked on the first electrode 2. Next, an ITO (Indium-Tin-Oxide) film is formed, and this is patterned into an island shape for each pixel as shown in FIG. 1 to form an ITO transparent electrode 6a. The metal electrodes 6b are patterned in a grid pattern so as to connect the ITO transparent electrodes 6a arranged in a direction perpendicular to the above. In this way, the back electrode 6 is composed of the island-shaped ITO transparent electrode 6a provided for each pixel and the metal electrode 6b formed by connecting the island-shaped ITO transparent electrodes 6a. Finally, a back envelope 8 having a color filter 9 formed thereon is adhered onto the back surface of the glass substrate 1, and then silicon oil 7 is sealed inside the back envelope 8.

The film formation is performed by vapor deposition, EB or sputtering, and the patterning is performed by metal mask or photolithography.

To explain the effect of the first embodiment, even if the ITO transparent electrode 6a is broken, the breakage is limited to the ITO transparent electrode 6a and its pixel portion even in the propagation mode. Since power is supplied through the metal electrode 6b, there is no inconvenience that all the pixels beyond the broken ITO transparent electrode 6a do not emit light.

Since the metal electrode 6b is destroyed, and the destruction is in the self-recovery mode, the metal electrode 6b hardly breaks.

That is, the transparency is ensured by the ITO transparent electrode 6a, and the destruction of the propagation mode of the ITO transparent electrode 6a is suppressed by the metal electrode 6b, so that a long-life multicolor EL panel can be obtained. It will be possible.

In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the island-shaped ITO transparent electrode 6a provided for each pixel is further divided into four. In this way, the transparency is slightly lowered, but when the ITO transparent electrode is broken, the propagation range can be reduced. Of course, the island-shaped ITO transparent electrode 6a may be divided in any number and shape.

[0018]

[Effect of device]

 As described above, according to the back electrode of the multi-color EL panel according to the present invention, the transparency is secured by the ITO transparent electrode, and the destruction of the propagation mode of the ITO transparent electrode is suppressed by the metal electrode. Therefore, a long-life multicolor EL panel can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a back electrode of a multi-color EL panel according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of back electrodes of a multi-color EL panel according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of each of three types of multi-color EL panels.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of a back electrode of a conventional multi-color EL panel.

[Explanation of symbols]

 6 back electrode 6a island-shaped ITO transparent electrode 6b metal electrode 8 back envelope 9 color filter

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A color filter 9 is provided on the inner surface of the rear envelope 8.
In the multi-color EL panel in which the back electrodes 6 are arranged by patterning,
A back electrode of a multi-color EL panel, characterized in that it comprises an O transparent electrode 6a and a metal electrode 6b formed by connecting the respective island-shaped ITO transparent electrodes 6a.