TWI665799B - Organic electroluminescence element structure, manufacturing method thereof, and light emitting panel - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide an organic EL element structure capable of preventing deterioration of an organic compound in a light-emitting portion composed of an organic substance.

The organic EL element structure (10) of the solution of the present invention has an anode film (15), a light-emitting portion (16) and a cathode film (17) which are sequentially laminated on the element driving circuit layer (11) A sealing film (14) is arranged between the element laminated portion (12) constituted by), the element driving circuit layer (11), and the element laminated portion (12).

Description

Organic electroluminescence element structure, manufacturing method thereof, and light emitting panel

The present invention relates to a structure of an organic electroluminescence element, a manufacturing method thereof, and a light emitting panel.

In recent years, as a display for a personal computer or a mobile device, a liquid crystal display (LCD) has been replaced, and a display (hereinafter referred to as an organic EL display) having an organic EL (Organic Electro-Luminescence) element structure has been used.

In the organic EL element structure, organic compounds (organic compounds such as diamines) that emit voltage are applied to emit light by themselves, so the backlight necessary for LCDs is not required. In addition, the organic EL element structure responds very quickly to light emission when voltage is applied. Fast and flexible because of its simple structure, organic EL displays are particularly suitable for displays of mobile devices such as smartphones.

However, the organic compound of the organic EL element structure will absorb moisture and deteriorate, and in the worst case, it will no longer emit light even if a voltage is applied. Therefore, in the organic EL element structure, it is necessary to seal the light-emitting portion composed of the organic compound to isolate the outside. Therefore, in the past, organic EL was made of glass. Sealing methods such as glass sealing or pot sealing that block the device structure from the outside, but these sealing methods are not suitable for thin film, and there is a problem that moisture intrudes from the bonding layer between the sealing glass and the organic EL device structure. It lacks flexibility, so it is difficult to cope with flexible substrates.

Corresponding to this, instead of sealing methods such as glass sealing and pot sealing, an organic EL element structure in which an anode, a light emitting part, and a cathode layered part composed of an element driving circuit layer using TFTs is laminated to The method of sealing film to isolate the atmosphere. As the sealing film, a silicon nitride (SiN) film or a silicon oxynitride (SiON) film that can be formed by a CVD method is used (for example, refer to Patent Documents 1 and 2). However, when the film is formed by the CVD method, the coverage is low. Therefore, when there are few fine particles on each layer of the element stacking layer, for example, as the uppermost cathode, the fine particles cannot be completely covered with a sealing film. As a result, the sealing film is partially interrupted, and there is no way to prevent moisture absorption in the light emitting section Fear.

Here, in recent years, a method of forming a sealing film by forming an ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition) method with a high coverage rate has been proposed (for example, refer to Patent Document 3). In the ALD method, for example, when a trimethyl aluminum (TMA) gas is reacted with an oxidant such as H ₂ O or O ₃ with an oxygen plasma to form an alumina (Al ₂ O ₃ ) film, it is moved without directivity. The TMA molecules and oxidant molecules are repeatedly adsorbed and oxidized to the TMA molecules of the film-formed material, so that the alumina molecules are stacked one by one, so it can form isotropically regardless of the orientation of the film-forming surface. A thin sealing film, for example, can completely cover the entirety of the minute particles present on the cathode.

[Previous Technical Literature] [Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-129334

[Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-157374

[Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2013-97917

However, the anode, the light-emitting portion, and the cathode are directly laminated on the element driving circuit layer, so for example, an organic insulating film passing through the element driving circuit layer, or moisture or organic matter emitted from the organic insulating film reaches the light-emitting portion, and The organic compound in the light emitting portion may be deteriorated.

An object of the present invention is to provide an organic EL element structure, a method of manufacturing the same, and a light-emitting panel that can prevent deterioration of an organic compound in a light-emitting portion caused by moisture or organic matter.

In order to achieve the foregoing object, according to the organic electroluminescence (EL) element structure of the present invention, the element driving circuit layer having the element driving circuit has a first electrode sequentially laminated, a light-emitting portion containing an organic compound, and The organic EL element structure of the element layered portion constituted by the second electrode is characterized in that the element driving circuit layer and the element layer A sealing film is arranged between the accumulation portions.

In addition, in order to achieve the foregoing object, the method for manufacturing an organic EL element structure of the present invention is characterized in that a sealing film, a first electrode, a light-emitting portion containing an organic compound, and a second electrode are sequentially formed on an element driving circuit layer. Element lamination section.

Furthermore, in order to achieve the aforementioned object, the light-emitting panel of the present invention includes an element-layered portion including a first electrode, a light-emitting portion containing an organic compound, and a second electrode, which are sequentially laminated on an element driving circuit layer. A light-emitting panel having an organic EL element structure is characterized in that a sealing film is disposed between the element driving circuit layer and the element laminated portion.

According to the present invention, an organic EL element structure including a first electrode, a light-emitting portion containing an organic compound, and a second electrode, which are sequentially laminated on an element driving circuit layer, is used for element driving. A sealing film is arranged between the circuit layer and the element laminated portion, so that the sealing film prevents moisture or organic matter released from the organic insulating film of the element driving circuit layer from reaching the light emitting portion of the element laminated portion. As a result, it is possible to prevent organic matter from causing the light emitting portion. Degradation of organic compounds.

10, 21, 26‧‧‧ organic EL element structure

11‧‧‧Element driving circuit layer

12‧‧‧Element stacking department

14‧‧‧sealing film

15‧‧‧Anode film

16‧‧‧Lighting Department

17‧‧‧ cathode film

24‧‧‧sealing film

27, 39, 40 ‧ ‧ ‧ trench

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a configuration of an organic EL element structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view showing a laminated structure of the light emitting portion of FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a configuration of an organic EL element structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a configuration of an organic EL element structure according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the arrangement of a cathode film and a trench in the organic EL element structure of FIG. 4. FIG.

FIG. 6 is a process diagram showing formation of a trench, a cathode film, and a sealing film of the organic EL element structure of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a first modification of the trench of the organic EL element structure of FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a second modification of the trench of the organic EL element structure of FIG. 4.

FIG. 9 is a process diagram showing the formation of the trench of FIG. 8 and the formation of a cathode film and a sealing film inside the trench.

FIG. 10 is a process diagram illustrating a method of manufacturing a light-emitting panel using the organic EL element structure of FIG. 4.

FIG. 11 is a plan view for explaining a modified example of the groove surrounding the light emitting portion in FIG. 5.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the structure of an organic EL element structure according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of a modification in which the contact hole is omitted from the organic EL element structure of FIG. 12.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

First, an organic EL element structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. Regarding the structure of the organic EL element according to this embodiment, a plurality of light emitting panels are arranged, and each organic EL element structure emits light individually, and the light emitting panel functions as a display or a lighting fixture.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a structure of an organic EL element structure according to this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, an organic EL element structure 10 includes an element laminated portion 12 formed on an element driving circuit layer 11 having an element driving circuit using a TFT, and a seal formed so as to cover the element laminated portion 12. The portion 13 is a sealing film 14 formed between the element driving circuit layer 11 and the element laminated portion 12 to cover the entire surface of the element driving circuit layer 11. The element driving circuit layer 11 includes an insulating film 11b laminated on the element driving circuit 11a. As the insulating film 11b, for example, an organic insulating film is used.

The element laminated portion 12 is an anode film 15 (first electrode) which is sequentially laminated from the element driving circuit layer 11 side. For example, the light emitting portion 16 containing an organic compound such as a diamine, and the cathode film 17 ( The second electrode) is formed, and the organic compound of the light-emitting portion 16 emits light due to positive holes or recombination of electrons injected from the anode film 15 or the cathode film 17.

The anode film 15 is made of, for example, a thin film of ITO (indium tin oxide) formed by a sputtering film formation method, and the cathode film 17 is formed of a metal having a small work function and easily oxidized by a frame mask evaporation method. The light-emitting portion 16 is formed of a thin film of an organic compound formed by a FMM (Fine Metal Mask, fine metal mask) vapor deposition method. Since the organic compound of the light emitting portion 16 is adjusted to emit any one of red, green, and blue light, the element stacking portion 12 emits any one of red, green, and blue light. One element stacking portion 12 that normally emits any one of red, green, and blue light is called a sub-pixel, and a group name composed of three element stacking portions 12 that are adjacently arranged and emit red, green, and blue light, respectively. For pixels.

As shown in FIG. 2, in detail, the light-emitting portion 16 includes a positive-electrode injection layer 16 a, a positive-electrode transport layer 16 b, an organic compound-emitting light-emitting layer 16 c, and an electron transporter, which are sequentially formed from the anode film 15 side. It is composed of a layer 16d and an electron injection layer 16e. In the past, in one light emitting portion 16, any one of the positive hole injection layer 16a, the positive hole transport layer 16b, the electron transport layer 16d, and the electron injection layer 16e was shared with other light emitting portions 16, for example, in one pixel Each of the light emitting sections 16 of the middle-plurality element stacking section 12 shares one of the positive hole injection layer 16a, the positive hole transport layer 16b, the electron transport layer 16d, and the electron injection layer 16e, but in this embodiment, one The light emitting section 16 does not share the positive hole injection layer 16 a, the positive hole transport layer 16 b, the electron transport layer 16 d, and the electron injection layer 16 e with the other light emitting sections 16. In addition, as a specific example in which a plurality of element lamination sections 12 are present in one pixel, one pixel is constituted by three sub-pixels of red, green, and blue. For example, it may be a case where one pixel is composed of 4 sub-pixels of red, green, blue, and white.

The element laminated portion 12 includes a bank 18 made of, for example, a resin and is formed so as to surround the light emitting portion 16. The bank 18 defines the position of the light emitting section 16 and insulates the anode film 15 and the cathode film 17 around the light emitting section 16 at the same time.

The sealing portion 13 is made of, for example, CVD silicon nitride, and the sealing portion 13 covers a gate electrode (not shown) or a source electrode (not shown) connected to the TFT and formed on the element driving circuit layer 11. The portions 13b and 13c of the gate connection electrode 19 or the source connection electrode 20 are removed by etching to expose the gate connection electrode 19 or the source connection electrode 20, but the sealing portion 13 covers the element lamination portion 12 The portion 13 a is not removed, and the element lamination portion 12 is sealed.

The sealing film 14, WVTR (Water Vapor Transmission Rate), which is an indicator of the percentage of water transmission, is good from the viewpoint of preventing water intrusion, and is made of a material that does not easily transmit water. For example, CVD is used. The SiN film formed by the method or the Al ₂ O ₃ film formed by the ALD method. Since Al ₂ O _{3 is} difficult to etch, when the sealing film 14 is composed of an Al ₂ O ₃ film, the etching of the sealing film 14 on the sealing portions 13 b and 13 c functions as an etching stopper film.

In the organic EL element structure 10, the sealing film 14 is interposed between the anode film 15 or the cathode film 17. Specifically, the sealing film 14 has a portion penetrating the sealing film 14 and is connected to the element driving circuit layer 11 through this portion.

In the organic EL element structure 10, On the road layer 11, a sealing film 14, an anode film 15, a bank 18, a light emitting portion 16, a cathode film 17, and a sealing portion 13 are sequentially formed.

According to the organic EL element structure 10 shown in FIG. 1, a sealing film 14 is disposed between the element driving circuit layer 11 and the element laminated portion 12. Moisture or organic matter reaches the light emitting section 16 of the element laminated section 12, and as a result, it is possible to prevent the organic compound from causing deterioration of the organic compound of the light emitting section 16.

In the organic EL element structure 10 of FIG. 1, an anode film 15, a light-emitting portion 16, and a cathode film 17 are sequentially formed from the element driving circuit layer 11 in the element laminated portion 12, but sequentially from the element driving circuit layer 11. The cathode film 17, the light emitting portion 16, and the anode film 15 may be formed.

In addition, in the organic EL element structure 10 of FIG. 1, the sealing film 14 is formed so as to cover the entire surface of the element driving circuit layer 11. However, the sealing film 14 may be partially formed. For example, the sealing film 14 is formed only on the element by a shadow mask method. It may be between the driving circuit layer 11 and the element laminated portion 12.

Next, an organic EL element structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

This embodiment has the same structure or function as the first embodiment described above, except that the element laminated portion 12 is not a sealing layer 13 made of CVD silicon nitride but a sealing film formed by an ALD method. Different from the first embodiment. That is, descriptions of the duplicated structures and functions are omitted, and different structures and functions are described below.

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of an organic EL according to this embodiment. Sectional view of the structure of the element structure.

As shown in FIG. 3, the organic EL element structure 21 includes banks 18, 22, and 23 made of, for example, resin that cover the gate connection electrode 19 or the source connection electrode 20, and the cover element laminated portion 12 or the banks 18, 22, The sealing film 24 (other sealing film) of 23. An Al ₂ O ₃ film formed by an ALD method is used for the sealing film 24, and the sealing film 24 seals the element laminated portion 12.

In the organic EL element structure 21, the sealing film 24 or the banks 22, 23 covering the gate connection electrode 19 or the source connection electrode 20 is finally removed by etching. Specifically, the sealing film 24 is etched by a plasma of a chlorine-based gas, for example, a chlorine (Cl) -containing gas such as chlorine (Cl ₂ ) or boron chloride (BCl ₃ ), and is exposed by removing the sealing film 24. Banks 22 and 23 are made of oxygen (O ₂ ) or fluorine-based gas, such as carbon tetrafluoride (CF ₄ ) gas, or a mixture of these gases, or a plasma of a gas containing oxygen (O) or fluorine (F). To etch.

According to the organic EL element structure 21 of FIG. 3, the sealing film 24 is formed by the ALD method, but the ALD method has a high coverage. Therefore, even if the shape of the element laminated portion 12 and the structure including the surrounding structure is complicated, it can be surely used. Covering the sealing film 24 makes it possible to reliably seal the element laminated portion 12.

Furthermore, in the organic EL element structure 21 of FIG. 3, banks 22 and 23 are interposed between the gate electrode 19 and the source electrode 20 and the sealing film 24. However, the resin has high controllability for etching, and the gate electrode 19 Or, when the source electrode 20 is exposed, the banks 22 and 23 are etched with a fluorine-based gas, so the sealing film 14 can be selectively used for the gate electrode 19 or the source electrode 20. The etching is preferably performed without damaging the gate electrode 19 or the source electrode 20 due to excessive etching.

Next, an organic EL element structure according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

The structure and function of this embodiment are basically the same as those of the second embodiment described above. The groove is formed on the top of the bank 18, and the groove surrounds one element layered portion 12 and the second embodiment described above. different. That is, descriptions of the duplicated structures and functions are omitted, and different structures and functions are described below.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of the organic EL element structure according to the embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the cathode film and the trench of the organic EL element structure of FIG. 4.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, a groove 27 is formed on the top of the bank 18 surrounding the light emitting portion 16 in the element laminated portion 12 of the organic EL element structure 26, and the groove 27 surrounds the light emitting portion 16.

The trench 27 has a rectangular cross-sectional shape extending perpendicularly to the element driving circuit layer 11. In the organic EL element structure 26, the cathode film 17 (the conductive film constituting the second electrode) is also formed by a frame mask vapor deposition method. Therefore, basically, not only one element layer 12 is adjacent to the one element layer. A plurality of other element stacking portions 12 may also be covered, but the film formation of the frame edge mask vapor deposition method is anisotropic. In this embodiment mode, the vertical direction is only applied to the element driving circuit layer 11. The direction increases the anisotropy of the thickness of the film, so the cathode film 17 is not formed on the side of the trench 27. Therefore, the cathode film 17 at the bottom of the trench 27 and the cathode film 17 at the top of the bank 18 are broken. Absolutely. That is, the trench 27 cuts off the cathode film 17 so as to surround one light emitting section 16. Specifically, the cathode film 17 of one element laminated portion 12 is disconnected from the cathode film 17 of the other element laminated portion 12 through the groove 27, and is independent of the cathode films 17 of the other element laminated portions 12. In other words, the trench 27 disconnects the cathode film 17 in sub-pixel units, so that the cathode film 17 of one sub-pixel is independent of the cathode film 17 of other sub-pixels.

On the other hand, the sealing film 24 is formed by the ALD method with high coverage, so it is formed not only on the bottom surface of the trench 27 but also on the side. The sealing film 24 covers not only the cathode film 17 but also the film not covered with the cathode film 17. The side of the groove 27. That is, the sealing film 24 covers the entire exposed portion of the organic EL element structure 26.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, in the element driving circuit layer 11, a TFT 32 composed of a gate electrode 28, a drain electrode 29, a source electrode 30, and a channel 31 is arranged, and the drain electrode 29 is connected to the anode film 15 via a plug 33 and an anode film 15. . In addition, the cathode film 17 falls toward the element driving circuit layer 11 along the side of the tapered hole 34 formed in the bank 18, and is connected to the wiring 37 in the element driving circuit layer 11 through the conductive film 35 and the plug 36.

FIG. 6 is a process diagram showing formation of a trench, a cathode film, and a sealing film of the organic EL element structure of FIG. 4.

First, a part of the element driving circuit layer 11 is removed by etching so that the tops of the plugs 33 and 36 are exposed, and the conductive films 35 and the anode film 15 are formed by a sputtering method so as to cover the tops of the plugs 36 and 33. The bank 18 is further formed so that the flat portion of the conductive film 35 or the anode film 15 is exposed. At this time, the opening portion of the bank 18 (tapered hole 34 or The space 38) on the pole film 15 has a tapered shape (FIG. 6 (A)).

Next, a trench 27 is formed toward the top of the bank 18 by etching. In this case, the trench 27 is provided in a direction perpendicular to the element driving circuit layer 11 by anisotropic etching (FIG. 6 (B)). In this embodiment, when the groove 27 is provided, the etching is stopped before the groove 27 reaches the sealing film 14. However, if the sealing film 14 is composed of a thin film of Al ₂ O ₃ formed by the ALD method, it may be continued. The etching is performed until the trench 27 reaches the sealing film 14, and the sealing film 14 is used as an etching stopper film to control the depth of the trench 27.

Next, the light-emitting portion 16 is formed in the space 38 on the anode film 15 by the FMM evaporation method, and the cathode film 17 is further formed by the frame mask evaporation method. In this case, as described above, the formation of the cathode film 17 is anisotropic, and the thickness of the cathode film 17 is increased only in a direction perpendicular to the element driving circuit layer 11. Therefore, in the groove 27, the cathode film 17 is not formed in the groove. The side surface of 27 is formed only at the bottom of the groove 27. On the other hand, since the side surface of the tapered hole 34 is not perpendicular to the element driving circuit layer 11, a cathode film 17 is formed on the side surface of the tapered hole 34 (FIG. 6 (C)).

Next, the sealing film 24 made of Al ₂ O _{3 is} formed on the cathode film 17 by the ALD method. In this case, as described above, the sealing film 24 is formed not only on the bottom surface of the trench 27 but also on the side surface. Of course, the sealing film 24 is also formed on the side of the tapered hole 34. As a result, the sealing film 24 covers the entire exposed portion of the organic EL element structure 26 (FIG. 6 (D)).

According to the organic EL element structure 26 of FIG. 4, the cathode film 17 is formed so as to surround the groove 27 of the light-emitting portion 16 of one element laminated portion 12. It is cut and separate from the cathode film 17 of the other element stacking section 12, so even if the sealing film 24 of one element stacking section 12 has a sealing failure, or water, oxygen, or organic matter is caused by a certain failure Invasion and generation of pollution can also prevent the pollution from spreading to other element stacking portions 12 and other influences. In addition, since the grooves 27 reduce the rigidity of the organic EL element structure 26, it is possible to improve the flexibility of a light-emitting panel in which many of the organic EL element structures 26 are arranged.

In the organic EL element structure 26 of FIG. 4, the groove 27 surrounding the element laminated portion 12 is formed perpendicular to the element driving circuit layer 11, so the cathode film 17 formed by the frame edge mask evaporation method is not formed in the groove 27. On the other hand, the sealing film 24 formed by the ALD method is also formed on the side of the trench 27. As a result, in the organic EL element structure 26, it is possible to achieve both the division of the cathode film 17 and the sealing of the element laminated portion 12.

In the organic EL element structure 26 of FIG. 4 described above, the groove 27 is a groove that is perpendicular to the element driving circuit layer 11 and is formed in the bank 18 and surrounds the light emitting portion 16 as long as the internal cathode film 17 in the groove becomes discontinuous. The groove may be, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, the inverse tapered groove 39 facing the lower part of the figure may be formed on the top of the bank 18, or, as shown in FIG. 8, the brim portion of the bank 18 may be inclined. The side surface of the bank 18 may be covered, and the tapered groove 40 whose side surface cannot be visually recognized in the upper part of the figure may be formed on the top of the bank 18.

For example, in the organic EL element structure of FIG. 7, by making the cross-sectional shape of the groove 39 into an inverse taper shape, the sealing film 24 and the sealing film 14 can surround one sub-pixel. In addition, the vertical grooves 27 in the organic EL element structure 26 in FIG. As a result, one sub-pixel is surrounded by a film having a good WVTR, that is, a film in which moisture is difficult to pass.

As described above, when the cathode film 17 is formed in its entirety by the frame mask evaporation method, the thickness of the cathode film 17 is increased only in a direction perpendicular to the element driving circuit layer 11. A part of the bottom surface exposed upward in the figure is formed with a cathode film 17. On the other hand, when the sealing film 24 made of Al ₂ O _{3 is} entirely formed on the cathode film 17 by the ALD method, the sealing film 24 is formed not only on the bottom surface of the trench 39 or the trench 40 but also on the side surface. As a result, it is possible to achieve both the division of the cathode film 17 and the sealing of the element laminated portion 12.

FIG. 9 is a process diagram showing the formation of the trench of FIG. 8 and the formation of a cathode film and a sealing film inside the trench.

First, a photoresist film 42 having an opening portion 41 is formed on the bank 18 corresponding to a position where the groove 40 is formed. At this time, the bank 18 has a two-layer structure, which is composed of a lower layer 18a composed of a resin or silicon nitride that is relatively easy to be etched, and an upper layer 18b composed of a resin or silicon nitride that is relatively difficult to etch (FIG. 9 (A)) .

Next, the photoresist film 42 is used as a mask to the opening 41, and the exposed bank 18 is removed by isotropic etching to form a trench 40. At this time, at the bank 18, the removal (etching) of the lower layer 18a is performed faster than the upper layer 18b, so the removal of the lower layer 18a is formed into a tapered groove 40, and the lower upper layer 18b is removed to form an excessive overlap of the groove 40. Put the brim portion 18c. The etching of the bank 18 is continued until the trench 40 reaches the sealing film 14 (FIG. 9 (B)). When the sealing film 14 is an Al ₂ O ₃ film formed by the ALD method, the sealing film 14 is used as an etching stopper film. By functioning, after the groove 40 reaches the sealing film 14, the groove 40 stops growing downward in the figure.

Next, after the photoresist film 42 is removed, the cathode film 17 is formed in its entirety by a frame mask vapor deposition method. As the thickness of the cathode film 17 is increased, only a portion of the inside of the trench 40 that is not covered by the brim portion 18c is formed as the cathode film 17 (FIG. 9 (C)).

Next, the sealing film 24 made of Al ₂ O _{3 is} formed by the ALD method with good coverage, and not only the bottom surface of the trench 40 but also the side surface of the trench 40 is covered with the sealing film 24 (FIG. 9 (D)).

In addition, the grooves 40 only need to be able to cut off the cathode film 17, as shown in FIG. 9 (E), and may not reach the sealing film 14 (FIG. 9 (E)).

A plurality of organic EL element structures 10, 21, and 26 are arranged on a substrate to form a light-emitting panel. For example, as shown in FIG. 10 (A), a plurality of organic EL element structures 26 are arranged on a glass substrate 43. The light-emitting panel 44 may be configured. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 10 (B), a flexible resin substrate 46 is formed on the glass substrate 45, and a plurality of organic EL element structures 26 are disposed on the resin substrate 46. As shown in FIG. 10 (C), the light-emitting panel 47 may be configured by removing the glass substrate 45. In this case, the flexibility of the resin substrate 46 and the flexibility of the grooves 27 due to the organic EL element structure 26 can multiply the flexibility of the light-emitting panel 47. In addition, the light-emitting panel 47. Water, oxygen, or organic matter (refer to the white arrow in the figure) is generated by the resin substrate 46 or transmitted from the outside. The sealing film 14 prevents water, oxygen, or organic matter from entering the element stacking section 12, so the light-emitting section can be prevented. 16 Deterioration.

Next, an organic EL element structure according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a configuration of an organic EL element structure according to this embodiment. This embodiment mode is basically the same in structure or function as the third embodiment mode described above, and the transparent conductive film 48 is formed by the ALD method across the entire surface under the sealing film 24. That is, descriptions of the duplicated structures and functions are omitted, and different structures and functions are described below.

In the foregoing first to third implementation modes, it is premised that each pixel is painted in red, green, and blue colors. Therefore, it is necessary to distinguish each element lamination section 12 as a result of the distinction. It can be connected from the lower layer side to the cathode electrode (cathode film 17) of each element laminated portion 12. On the other hand, in this embodiment mode, since each pixel is not applied, the OLED layer must exist under the cathode electrode in the element lamination section, and it will be difficult to connect from the lower layer side to the cathode electrode. .

Correspondingly, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, a transparent conductive film 48 is formed across the entire surface under the sealing film 24 by the ALD method. Thereby, the entire surface of the cathode electrode (cathode film 17) can be connected to the transparent conductive film 48. In addition, in this embodiment, the cathode film 17 itself is also distinguished. Therefore, it is the same as the first to third embodiments described above. The type can also exert the effect of the present invention.

This embodiment is particularly suitable for white OLEDs that are not divided into red, green, and blue. In white OLEDs, there is no need to divide into red, green, and blue. Therefore, it is not necessary to use FMM evaporation method, but to frame The formation of the light-emitting portion 16 by the edge vapor deposition method allows the formation step to be easily performed. As the transparent conductive film 48, for example, IZO can be used. In order to form an organic EL element structure to which the present embodiment mode is applied, after step (C) of FIG. 6 in the method of forming the organic EL element structure 26 related to the third embodiment mode, an ALD method or an organometallic chemistry is used. The transparent conductive film 48 is entirely formed by a vapor deposition (MOCVD) method, and thereafter, the sealing film 24 may be formed by the same steps as those shown in FIG. 6 (D).

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the transparent conductive film 48 is connected to the element driving circuit 11 a through the anode film 15 through the contact hole 49. In addition, as shown in FIG. 13, if the transparent conductive film 48 is connected to the element driving circuit 11 a through the anode film 15 through the groove 51, the contact hole 49 can be omitted.

In the foregoing, the present invention has been described using the foregoing embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiments.

Furthermore, in the third embodiment described above, in the organic EL element structure 26, the groove 27 surrounds one light-emitting portion 16, and the cathode film 17 is divided in sub-pixel units, but the number of light-emitting portions surrounded by the groove 27 is It is not limited to one. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the groove 27 may surround the three light-emitting portions 16. When the organic compound of the three light-emitting portions 16 emits any one of red, green, and blue light, the three light-emitting portions 16 are enclosed. The groove 27 of the light emitting portion 16 becomes The cathode film 17 is divided in pixel units.

In addition, the number of the light-emitting portions 16 surrounded by the grooves 27 is not limited to three. Depending on the purpose, the number of the light-emitting portions 16 may be two when a combination of two colors is expressed. In addition, in order to add three-color combinations, The color correction may be performed so that the number of the light emitting sections 16 is four or more.

Claims (20)

An organic electroluminescence (EL) element structure is an element composed of a first electrode, a light-emitting portion containing an organic compound, and a second electrode that are sequentially laminated on an element driving circuit layer having an element driving circuit. The organic EL element structure of the layered portion is characterized in that the element layered portion has a plurality of the light emitting portions and is arranged in plural, and a sealing film is disposed between the element driving circuit layer and the element layered portion; Further, there is provided another sealing film covering the element layered portion, and the other sealing film is bonded around the sealing film and each of the element layered portions to connect the element layered portion to another adjacent element layered portion region. Separated. For example, the organic EL element structure according to the first patent application range, wherein the element driving circuit layer further includes an organic insulating film layer between the element driving circuit and the element layered portion. For example, the organic EL element structure of the first or second patent application range, wherein the aforementioned sealing film is formed by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) method. For example, the organic EL element structure of item 1 or 2 of the patent application scope, wherein the other sealing film is formed by the ALD method. For example, in the organic EL element structure according to item 4 of the patent application, the second electrode is divided by a groove surrounding the light-emitting portion, and is separated from the second electrode of the other element-layered portion. For example, the organic EL element structure of the scope of application for a patent No. 5 wherein the aforementioned grooves are formed vertically. For example, in the organic EL element structure of the scope of application for a patent, the groove is formed in a reverse tapered shape toward the downward direction. For example, in the organic EL element structure of the fifth aspect of the application, one of the aforementioned element layered portions constitutes one sub-pixel, and the aforementioned groove surrounds one of the aforementioned sub-pixels. For example, in the organic EL element structure according to claim 5 of the application, one of the aforementioned element layered portions constitutes one sub-pixel, and the aforementioned groove surrounds the plurality of aforementioned sub-pixels. For example, the organic EL element structure of the fifth item of the patent application, wherein a transparent conductive film formed by the ALD method or the organometallic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) method is provided between the aforementioned element lamination portion and the aforementioned other sealing film. For example, the organic EL element structure of the first or second scope of the patent application, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are connected to the element driving circuit layer through the sealing film. An organic EL element structure manufacturing method, characterized in that a sealing film, a first electrode, a light-emitting portion containing an organic compound, and a second electrode are sequentially formed on an element driving circuit layer, and further formed to cover the first electrode, the first electrode, and the second electrode. The light-emitting portion and other sealing films of the element-layered portion constituted by the second electrode; the element-layered portion includes one of the light-emitting portions and is arranged in plural. The element-driving circuit layer and the element-layered portion A sealing film is disposed therebetween, and the other sealing film is bonded around the sealing film and each of the element stacked portions to separate the element stacked portion from other adjacent element stacked portions. For example, the manufacturing method of the organic EL element structure according to claim 12 is a method in which a groove surrounding the light-emitting portion is formed, and a conductive film constituting the second electrode is formed by vapor deposition. For example, the method for manufacturing an organic EL element structure according to item 13 of the patent application, wherein after forming the second electrode, another sealing film is formed by an ALD method so as to cover the second electrode. For example, the method for manufacturing an organic EL element structure according to item 14 of the application, wherein the aforementioned grooves are formed vertically. For example, the manufacturing method of the organic EL element structure according to item 14 of the application, wherein the groove is formed in a reverse tapered shape toward the downward direction. A light-emitting panel is a light-emitting panel having an organic EL element structure having a first electrode, a light-emitting portion containing an organic compound, and a second-electrode layered portion, which are sequentially laminated on an element driving circuit layer. The panel is characterized in that the element layered portion has a plurality of the light emitting portions and is arranged in a plurality, and a sealing film is disposed between the element driving circuit layer and the element layered portion; The other sealing film is bonded around the sealing film and each of the element stacking portions to separate the element stacking portion from other adjacent element stacking portions. For example, the light-emitting panel of the 17th aspect of the patent application, wherein the organic EL element structure further has another sealing film covering the element stacked portion, and the other sealing film is bonded to the periphery of the element and the sealing film to bond The element layered portion is separated from other aforementioned element layered portions. For example, in the light-emitting panel of the 17th aspect of the patent application, in the organic EL element structure, the second electrode is separated by a groove surrounding the light-emitting portion, and is separated from the second electrode of the other element-layered portion. For example, the light-emitting panel of the 17th aspect of the patent application, wherein a transparent conductive film formed by the ALD method or the MOCVD method is further provided between the element layered portion and the other sealing film.