KR100577619B1 - Organic electroluminescent device and a mask for forming the getter formed therein - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides an organic light emitting device having a getter that does not affect the light emitting action at all, without limiting the material selection of the getter that performs the hygroscopic function in the organic light emitting device, the organic electroluminescent device according to the present invention is a substrate An indium tin oxide (ITO) layer formed on the substrate and used as an anode electrode, an organic material layer, and a metal electrode, which is a cathode electrode, are sequentially stacked, and partition walls are formed on the ITO layer to partition into a plurality of metal electrodes. After forming a moisture absorption layer (getter) by depositing a moisture absorption material in all areas except the partition formation part, the metal electrode layer which is a light emitting dot area, and the outer part of the ITO layer to which a sealant is to be applied, a sealing cap is attached to the ITO layer. .

Organic electroluminescent element

Description

Organic electroluminescent device and a mask for forming the getter formed therein}

1 is a view schematically showing the basic structure of an organic electroluminescent device.

Figure 2 is a front sectional view showing the structure of the organic electroluminescent device according to the present invention.

3 is a plan view showing an example of a mask for forming a getter in the present invention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an organic electroluminescent device and a mask for forming a getter attached therein, and more particularly, to an organic electroluminescent device and a getter for forming the getter formed of a moisture absorbent. It is about a mask.

In organic electroluminescence, electrons and holes injected through a cathode and an anode are recombined to form an exciton in an organic (low molecular or polymer) thin film, and light having a specific wavelength is generated by energy from the formed exciton. It is a phenomenon.

The organic EL device using this phenomenon has a basic structure as shown in FIG. 1. The basic configuration of the organic electroluminescent element is an indium tin oxide film 2 formed on the glass substrate 1 and the glass substrate 1 and used as an anode electrode (hereinafter referred to as "ITO layer"). ), An insulating layer, an organic material layer 3, and a metal electrode 4 which is a cathode electrode are sequentially stacked.

For reference, the organic layer 3 may include a hole injection layer for smoothly injecting holes into the device; A hole transport layer for transporting holes injected from the anode electrode 2 (ITO layer) to the light emitting layer; A light emitting layer which is a region where light emission occurs while recombination of electrons and holes supplied from the cathode electrode 4 and the anode electrode 2 is performed; And a structure in which an electron transport layer for smoothly transporting electrons supplied from the cathode electrode 4 is sequentially stacked.

An organic electroluminescent device having such a structure is manufactured through the following steps. First, an ITO layer 2 is deposited on the glass substrate 1 by vacuum deposition, and the ITO layer 2 is patterned by photolithography.

Thereafter, an insulating layer (not shown), an organic layer 3 and a partition wall W are formed on the patterned ITO layer 2. As shown in FIG. 1, each partition W is perpendicular to the ITO layer 2. An organic layer 3 is formed on the insulating layer, and a metal film 4 serving as a cathode electrode is deposited on the organic layer 3. Here, each partition W is formed for depositing a plurality of cathode electrodes 4 on the ITO layer 2 in a separated state.

After forming the elements through this process, the sealing cap 6 is fixed to the outer portion of the ITO layer 2 using a sealant 5. As shown in FIG. 1, a predetermined sealed space is formed between the sealing cap 6 and the ITO layer 2, and the above-described elements located in the sealed space are not affected by an external environment such as moisture or the like. On the other hand, the organic material constituting the device has properties that are susceptible to moisture and heat, and therefore the sealing cap 6 is made of a metal material, and as the bonding agent 5, an ultraviolet (U.V.) curable bonding agent is used.

On the other hand, a getter 8 made of a moisture absorbent is attached to the bottom of the center portion of the sealing cap 6 by a tape 7 (made of an organic material). In the space between the sealing cap 6 and the ITO layer 2, in which each component constituting the device is housed, moisture (humidity) existing before the sealing cap 6 attaching process remains, and this moisture is sealed cap It exists even after the attachment of (6). Therefore, the getter 8 is attached to the ITO layer 2 after the getter 8 is attached to the bottom of the center portion of the seal cap 6 to remove this moisture. The getter 8 used for this purpose is generally made of an opaque material (eg Ba or Ca, etc.) and can be applied in the form of a film, paste or powder.

The organic light emitting device having the above structure is mainly a top emission method in which light generated in the emission region is emitted upward. In the top emission device, since the getter 6 covers the light generated from the light emitting dot, the getter of the opaque material cannot be applied. Therefore, only the getter of the transparent material can be used to apply the getter to the device of the top emission type. However, the choice of materials is limited.

In addition, even if a getter of transparent material is applied, since light passes through the getter in the process of being emitted upward, the light emitting efficiency is reduced according to the transmittance of the getter.

Therefore, the present invention is to solve the above-described problems appearing by forming a getter that performs the moisture absorption function in the organic light emitting device, and has a getter that does not affect the light emitting action at all without limiting the selection of materials It is an object to provide an organic light emitting device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mask for forming the above-mentioned getter in an organic light emitting device.

The organic electroluminescent device according to the present invention for realizing the above object is sequentially stacked on a substrate, a metal electrode which is formed on the substrate and used as an anode electrode, an indium tin oxide (ITO) layer, an organic material layer and a cathode electrode, A partition wall for partitioning into a plurality of metal electrodes is formed on the ITO layer, and a moisture absorption material is formed by depositing a moisture absorbent material on all regions except the partition formation portion, the metal electrode layer serving as the light emitting dot region, and the outer portion of the ITO layer to which the sealant is to be applied. After that, the sealing cap is attached to the ITO layer.

In order to deposit and form the moisture absorbing layer, in the present invention, a main pattern corresponding to the outer portion of the glass substrate is formed on the upper, lower and both sides of the outer portion, and the main pattern of the two sides across the horizontal portion at the center portion thereof. A plurality of sub patterns connected to each other are formed, and a mask in which a pattern unformed portion exists for supporting a mask member between the sub patterns is used in each main pattern of both sides.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail through the description of the preferred embodiment through the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a structure of an organic EL device according to the present invention. The organic EL device according to the present invention is also formed on the glass substrate 11 and the glass substrate 11 and is used as an anode electrode. 12), the insulating layer, the organic layer 13, and the metal electrode 14, which is a cathode electrode, are sequentially stacked, and the partition wall W separating the plurality of cathode electrodes is deposited and formed on the ITO layer 12. It is. 2 shows a state in which a predetermined sealed space is formed between the sealing cap 16 and the ITO layer 12 by fixing the sealing cap 16 to the outer portion of the ITO layer 12 using the bonding agent 15. Doing.

The most important feature of the organic electroluminescent device according to the present invention is the getter 18, which is a moisture absorbing element for removing moisture present in the space between the sealing cap 16 and the ITO layer 12, the metal electrode layer 14 and the partition wall. It deposits and forms on the ITO layer 12 in which (W) is not formed. In FIG. 2, the getter 18 is formed on both sides of the ITO layer 12 in which the organic layer 13 and the electrode layer 14 are not formed. However, all the ITO layers 12 except the light emitting dot portion are shown. The getter 18 is deposited and formed on the substrate.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an example of a mask for forming a getter in the present invention, and shows that a plurality of patterns are formed in the front outer portion and the central portion of the mask M. As shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 3, a main pattern (MP) for forming a getter to be formed at an outer portion of the ITO layer 12 is formed at upper, lower and both sides of the outer portion of the mask M. Referring to FIG. In addition, a plurality of sub patterns SP are formed at a central portion of the mask M and connected to the main pattern MP at both sides of the mask M laterally, and a plurality of sub patterns SP. Silver corresponds to the interval between the light emitting dots (ie, metal electrodes) formed on the substrate and the light emitting dots.

On the other hand, when the main pattern (MP) of the outer portion of the mask (M) is connected to each other to form a single pattern, the central portion is not supported and separated from the mask to perform a function as a mask. Accordingly, the mask member between the subpattern SP and the subpattern SP is formed by leaving a portion (N (hereinafter referred to as a "pattern non-formed portion") where no pattern is formed in each main pattern MP of both sides. It was configured to be supported.

When the getter 18 is deposited on the surface of the ITO layer 12 using the mask M having such a shape, the partition W formed in the ITO layer 12, an active area, that is, a light emitting dot The getter 18 can be deposited in all regions except the outer portion to which the metal electrode layer) and the sealant 13 are to be applied as the temporary forming portions. For reference, in the device shown in FIG. 2, the getter 18 is formed using the mask M of FIG. 3, and then the substrate 11 is cut along the line corresponding to the line 3-3 of FIG. 3. As a sectional view of a state, the getter 18 formed in the both ends of the metal electrode layer 14 is shown by the main pattern MP of the both sides of the mask M. As shown in FIG. Formation of the getter using the mask M shown in FIG. 3 is performed through a thin film deposition process of a hygroscopic material.

After forming the getter 18 in all portions except the active region of the ITO layer 12, the binder 15 is applied to the outer portion of the ITO layer 12 and the sealing cap 16 is attached to FIG. 2. The final organic light emitting device as shown in Figure 1 is completed.

As described above, by constructing a getter which is a moisture absorbent in the entire non-active area in which the light emitting dot of the device is not configured, a device of the top emission method in which light generated in the light emitting area is emitted to the top is possible. In addition, since the emitted light does not pass through the getter, both transparent and opaque materials can be used, thereby increasing the selection of materials.

On the other hand, in comparison with Figs. 1 and 2, unlike the conventional structure in which the getter is positioned on the elements constituting the device, in the present invention, since the getter is located on the side of the device, the height of the device is significantly reduced, so It can be a big help in miniaturization.

Claims (2)

A substrate, an indium tin oxide (ITO) layer formed on the substrate and used as an anode electrode, an organic material layer, and a metal electrode, which is a cathode electrode, are sequentially stacked, and partition walls are formed on the ITO layer for partitioning into a plurality of metal electrodes. In the organic electroluminescent device of the structure, After forming a moisture absorbing layer by depositing a moisture absorbing material in all regions except the partition forming portion, the metal electrode layer which is a light emitting dot region, and the outer portion of the ITO layer to which the sealant is to be applied, a sealing cap is attached to the outer portion of the ITO layer. Organic electroluminescent device. In the mask for depositing and forming the moisture absorption layer of Claim 1, Main patterns corresponding to the outer edges of the glass substrate are formed on upper, lower, and both sides of the mask outer portion, and a plurality of sub patterns are connected to the main patterns of the two sides across the horizontal portion. The mask for forming a moisture absorption layer, wherein the main pattern of both sides has a pattern unformed portion for supporting the mask member between the sub-patterns.

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