WO2010046830A1 - Dispositif delo à motif, procédé pour générer une formation de motif, système de formation de motif et procédé pour étalonner le système - Google Patents

Dispositif delo à motif, procédé pour générer une formation de motif, système de formation de motif et procédé pour étalonner le système Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2010046830A1
WO2010046830A1 PCT/IB2009/054582 IB2009054582W WO2010046830A1 WO 2010046830 A1 WO2010046830 A1 WO 2010046830A1 IB 2009054582 W IB2009054582 W IB 2009054582W WO 2010046830 A1 WO2010046830 A1 WO 2010046830A1
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WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
light emitting
pattern
organic light
current support
layer
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PCT/IB2009/054582
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English (en)
Inventor
Coen A. Verschuren
Margaretha M. De Kok
Tom Munsters
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Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
Philips Intellectual Property & Standards Gmbh
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Application filed by Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V., Philips Intellectual Property & Standards Gmbh filed Critical Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
Publication of WO2010046830A1 publication Critical patent/WO2010046830A1/fr

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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10K—ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES
    • H10K59/00—Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one organic light-emitting element covered by group H10K50/00
    • H10K59/10—OLED displays
    • H10K59/221—Static displays, e.g. displaying permanent logos
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10K—ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES
    • H10K71/00—Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass
    • H10K71/20—Changing the shape of the active layer in the devices, e.g. patterning
    • H10K71/211—Changing the shape of the active layer in the devices, e.g. patterning by selective transformation of an existing layer
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10K—ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES
    • H10K50/00—Organic light-emitting devices
    • H10K50/10—OLEDs or polymer light-emitting diodes [PLED]
    • H10K50/14—Carrier transporting layers
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10K—ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES
    • H10K50/00—Organic light-emitting devices
    • H10K50/10—OLEDs or polymer light-emitting diodes [PLED]
    • H10K50/17—Carrier injection layers
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10K—ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES
    • H10K50/00—Organic light-emitting devices
    • H10K50/10—OLEDs or polymer light-emitting diodes [PLED]
    • H10K50/17—Carrier injection layers
    • H10K50/171—Electron injection layers
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10K—ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES
    • H10K50/00—Organic light-emitting devices
    • H10K50/10—OLEDs or polymer light-emitting diodes [PLED]
    • H10K50/18—Carrier blocking layers

Definitions

  • Patterned OLED device method of generating a patterning, system for patterning and method of calibrating the system
  • the invention relates to a patterned organic light emitting diode device.
  • the invention also relates to a method of generating a pattern in an organic light emitting diode device, to a system for generating the patterned organic light emitting diode device, and a method of calibrating the system.
  • Organic light emitting diode device typically comprises a cathode, an anode, an emissive layer and a conductive layer. These parts can be positioned on a substrate.
  • the emissive and conductive layers are manufactured of organic material that can conduct an electric current. When a voltage is applied across the cathode and anode, electrons travel from the cathode towards the anode. Furthermore, holes are created in the conductive layer at the anode side and propagate towards the cathode. When electrons and holes recombine, photons are created and emitted from the OLED device.
  • OLED devices are in many ways considered as the future in various lighting applications. They may, for instance, be used to create ambient lighting. Full 2-dimensional grey-level pictures may be patterned in a single OLED device, while maintaining all intrinsic advantages of OLED devices, for instance, being appealing, being a diffuse area light source and so on.
  • OLED devices An example of patterned OLED devices is presented in the US 2004/0119028 document.
  • an encapsulated small molecule OLED device has been irradiated with a laser beam having a wavelength in the infrared spectrum, decreasing the electroluminescence or showing a shift in the emitted color in the areas exposed to the laser.
  • a disadvantage of these known patterned OLED devices is that the pattern is visible both in the off- state of the OLED device during which no current flows through the light emitting layer of the OLED device, and in the on- state of the OLED device during which current is flowing through the light emitting layer of the OLED device.
  • the object is achieved with a patterned organic light emitting diode device as claimed in claim 1.
  • the object is achieved with a method of generating a patterned organic light emitting diode device as claimed in claim 11.
  • the object is achieved with a system for generating the patterned organic light emitting diode device as claimed in claim 19.
  • the object is achieved with a method of calibrating the system for generating the patterned organic light emitting diode device as claimed in claim 26.
  • the patterned organic light emitting diode device comprises organic light emitting material arranged between an anode layer and a cathode layer, the organic light emitting diode device further comprising at least one current support layer for enabling, assisting and/or dimensioning a current flowing, in operation, through the light emitting material to cause the light emitting material to emit light, the current support layer not being the anode layer, cathode layer nor the organic light emitting material, at least a part of the at least one current support layer being patterned by locally altering a current support characteristic of the at least one current supporting layer while not substantially altering the organic light emitting material, the anode layer nor the cathode layer, the current support characteristic locally determining the current flowing through the organic light emitting material in operation.
  • An effect of the patterned organic light emitting diode device is that the pattern generated in the current support layer locally alters the current support characteristic which results in a pattern clearly visible via light intensity variations caused by the locally different current intensities through the light emitting layer.
  • the pattern is substantially invisible, even when illuminated with ultraviolet light or infrared light.
  • the patterning is performed by directly adapting the light emitting material.
  • the application of this principle for small molecule OLED devices is limited as the light emitting material in smOLED devices are much more stable and thus much more difficult to locally adapt without damaging any of the remaining material layers of the smOLED device.
  • the known patterning via irradiation of infrared laser light may not generate a pattern in smOLED devices at all.
  • the known adaptation of the light emitting material of the OLED devices typically always is visible. Adapting a characteristic of the light emitting material is visible in the off- state depending on the light with which the material is illuminated.
  • the patterns of the known OLED devices which are created by irradiating the light emitting layer with infrared laser light are well visible.
  • the cathode, anode and light emitting layer are not altered and only a current support characteristic of the at least one current support layer is altered. Generally such altering is completely invisible, even not depending on the color of light with which the OLED device is illuminated in the off-state when trying to view the pattern in the off-state of the OLED device.
  • the locally altered regions of the pattern comprise a different current density through the light emitting material generating a contrast between the locally altered patterned regions and the remaining part of the OLED device. This causes the locally altered pattern to be clearly visible in the on- state of the OLED device, so when the OLED device is in operation.
  • the OLED device according to the invention may both be either a polymer OLED device or a small molecule OLED device.
  • the pattern is not generated in the light emitting material but rather in the current support layer of which both the polymer OLED device and the small molecule OLED device comprise at least one, the pattern may be generated with substantially the same effort in both the polymer OLED devices and the small molecule OLED devices.
  • the pattern may be applied in either of the polymer OLED devices and the small molecule OLED devices via substantially the same methods and/or tools.
  • the pattern in the patterned OLED device may be applied in or on the at least one current support layer rather than in or on the light emitting material.
  • Applying the pattern according to the current invention has a benefit that the pattern is invisible in the off-state of the OLED device, and that the pattern may be applied both on polymer OLED devices and small molecule OLED devices substantially in the same manner.
  • Choosing, for example, light of a specific wavelength which both adapts the current support layer of the polymer OLED devices and the small molecule OLED devices enables the use of a single patterning tool or single patterning step to generate the pattern both for polymer OLED devices and small molecule OLED devices while for both devices the pattern is invisible in the off-state of the OLED device.
  • the current support layer is a separate layer in the OLED device which is present in substantially all of the current OLED devices to influence the flowing of the current through the light emitting layer.
  • a current support layer may, for example, be a current blocking layer which limits the current which may flow through the organic light emitting layer of the OLED device and as such limit the intensity of the light emitted by the OLED device.
  • the current blocking characteristics being the current support characteristic of the current blocking layer is altered, for example, increased such that it blocks more current at the patterned location, or, for example, decreased, such that it blocks less current at the patterned location.
  • This change in the current blocking characteristic of the current blocking layer may be caused by morphological, photochemical, thermal and/or interfacial changes of the current blocking layer induced via light induced changes, temperature induced changes and/or chemically induced changes.
  • This patterning only becomes visible in operation when the OLED device is switched on such that the differences in current blocking cause different currents to locally flow through the light emitting material generating a contrast in the shape of the applied pattern.
  • An alternative current support layer may, for example, be an injection inhibition layer which inhibits the flow of charge carriers - both electrons and/or holes - into the organic light emitting layer, thus preventing the current to flow through the organic light emitting layer.
  • the pattern applied in the injection inhibition layer would alter injection inhibition characteristic being the current support characteristic of the injection inhibition layer, and as such enable the flow of charge carriers into the light emitting material.
  • injection inhibition characteristic being the current support characteristic of the injection inhibition layer, and as such enable the flow of charge carriers into the light emitting material.
  • the current flowing through the organic light emitting layer may be supported by interface layers arranged between any two layers of the OLED device in which the interface layers influence an electrical contact between the two layers and as such locally influence a current flowing in operation through the OLED device.
  • the patterned OLED device according to the invention only at least one of the current support layers is locally influenced to generate the pattern. Because none of the organic light emitting material, anode layer nor cathode layer are altered, the pattern is only visible during the on-state of the OLED device, and is invisible in the off-state of the OLED device.
  • the at least one current support layer is chosen from the list comprising: a current blocking layer, an interface layer of the current blocking layer, a hole blocking layer, an electron blocking layer, - an electron injection and/or transporting layer, an interface of the electron injection layer, a injection inhibition layer, an interface layer of the injection inhibition layer, a hole injection and/or transporting layer, - an interface of the hole injection layer, an interface layer of the cathode layer, and an interface layer of the anode layer.
  • any of the above mentioned current support layers influence, in operation, the flowing of the current through the organic light emitting layer.
  • Locally adapting the characteristic of one of these listed current support layers will locally alter the current which flows in operation through the organic light emitting material, thus locally altering the emission characteristic.
  • these altered emission characteristics are clearly visible and may be applied in a required pattern which is clearly visible when the OLED device is switched on.
  • the layers influenced by for example the impinging electro -magnetic radiation is not one of the organic light emitting material, the anode layer or the cathode layer, the pattern is substantially invisible, even when the OLED device is irradiated with, for example, ultraviolet light.
  • the current support layer is configured for having a plurality of levels of altering the current support characteristic for generating a plurality of grey-levels in the pattern.
  • the inventors have found that the current support characteristics of a current support layer may be altered to different extents for generating different grey-levels. For example, when using a light flux to alter the current support characteristics of a specific current support layer, the inventors have found that the change of the current support characteristics are proportional to the total flux of photons at a specific location.
  • the current flowing through the light emitting layer is also altered to a certain extent, enabling an intensity variation of the light generated at the patterned area.
  • Using this insight to generate the pattern in the patterned organic light emitting diode device enables to alter the current support characteristic discretely or continuously and as such generate different levels of contrast in operation of the patterned organic light emitting diode device.
  • These different contrasts generated by the different levels of altering the current support characteristic generate different emission intensities of the organic light emitting diode device which manifests itself as grey- levels in the patterned organic light emitting diode device in operation.
  • the local altering of the characteristics in different levels may, for example, depend on the total photon flux impinging on the current support layer. Applying locally different photon fluxes, different levels of alterations of the current support characteristics result in different current levels locally flowing through the organic light emitting material causing different levels of contrast emitted in operation by the patterned organic light emitting diode device, and as such generate a plurality of grey-levels in the pattern.
  • Different photon fluxes may, for example, be generated by altering an intensity of the condensed light (for example laser light) used for generating the pattern, or, for example, by altering the speed of the condensed light being moved across the OLED device to generate the pattern.
  • the color of the light emitted by the condensed light source may be altered to influence the level of altering the current support characteristics and as such generate grey-levels in the pattern generated on the OLED device.
  • the patterned organic light emitting diode device comprising a first organic light emitting material for emitting a first color and comprising a second organic light emitting material for emitting a second color different from the first color, the first organic light emitting material comprising at least a first current support layer for enabling and/or assisting and/or dimensioning a current flowing, in operation, through the first light emitting material, and the second organic light emitting material comprising at least a second current support layer for enabling and/or assisting and/or dimensioning a current flowing, in operation, through the second light emitting material, wherein a first pattern is generated in the first current support layer, and a second pattern is generated in the second current support layer.
  • the pattern may, for example, be split into sub-patterns indicated as the first pattern, the second pattern and, for example, a third pattern in which each pattern provides partial information of the pattern related to the specific color in the organic light emitting diode device.
  • the first pattern may be generated in the first light emitting material and as such be visible in the first color. The same counts for the remainder of the light emitting materials, enabling a full color image to be produced of three sub-images generated in specific layers of the organic light emitting diode device.
  • the organic light emitting diode device may, for example have a single cathode and anode layer and arranged between the single cathode layer and anode layer, a plurality of light emitting material layers may be present which may be influenced via their own corresponding current support layers.
  • the organic light emitting diode device may be constituted by a number of light emitting layers, in which each of these light emitting layers comprises their own anode layer and cathode layer.
  • the current support layer is configured to be irradiated with electro -magnetic radiation for altering the current support characteristics for generating the pattern.
  • a benefit of this embodiment is that the irradiation with electro-magnetic radiation may be relatively simple as intense sources of condensed electro-magnetic radiation are currently readily available, for example, using condensed light emitting diodes as light source, or, for example, using laser light sources.
  • the current support layer is configured for altering the current support characteristic when irradiated with electro-magnetic radiation having a power below an ablation threshold of any of the layers of the patterned organic light emitting diode device.
  • Power is determined via the intensity of the electro-magnetic radiation, via the speed that the beam of electro-magnetic radiation is moved across the organic light emitting diode device, via the wavelength of the electro -magnetic radiation, and via the focus dimension of the electro -magnetic radiation applied to the OLED device.
  • a wavelength of the electro-magnetic radiation for generating the pattern is in a range between 320 nanometers and 650 nanometers.
  • a wavelength in which laser light sources are commonly available enables relatively simple and cheap systems for generating the pattern into the current support layer of the OLED device.
  • Such wavelength may, for example, be 405 nanometers emitting laser diode or a 532 nanometers emitting YAG laser enables relatively high light energy at relatively low costs.
  • using visible light further has a benefit that the impinging light is clearly visible such that it may be safer to apply the pattern and may be convenient.
  • the organic light emitting diode device at least a part of the anode layer and/or the cathode layer are configured to be substantially transparent to the electro-magnetic radiation.
  • the patterning may be performed after the organic light emitting diode has been produced in, for example, a substantially standard production process.
  • the anode layer and/or cathode layer are at least partially transparent to the electro-magnetic radiation used to generate the pattern, the pattern may be applied after the anode and/or cathode layer have been applied on the organic light emitting diode device.
  • both the anode layer and the cathode layer may be substantially transparent, for example, for visible light.
  • the organic light emitting diode device may be fully transparent to visible light and the transparency of this organic light emitting diode device may be used to, for example, replace a glass-plate by this transparent organic light emitting diode device, for example, as (part of) a window of a shop or home, or in front of a display, or for any other application of glass-plates.
  • this transparent organic light emitting diode device will also fully look and function as a glass-plate. As soon as this transparent organic light emitting diode device is switched on, the pattern becomes clearly visible. In such an embodiment it is very beneficial that the applied pattern in the current supporting layer is completely invisible when applied according to the current invention.
  • the patterned organic light emitting diode device is sealed in an encapsulation, and wherein at least a part of the encapsulation is configured to be substantially transparent to the electro -magnetic radiation.
  • the patterning may be performed even after the organic light emitting diode device has been manufactured and completely sealed in the encapsulation.
  • the patterned organic light emitting diode device may be an off the shelf product and may be customized even after the organic light emitting diode device has been sealed in the encapsulation. This is very beneficial, especially when the organic light emitting diode device is a small molecule organic light emitting diode device, as this enables to use, for example, a simple printing step using a laser diode of the appropriate wavelength and intensity to generate the pattern also in small molecule organic light emitting diode devices.
  • the current support layer is configured for locally altering the current support characteristic via light induced changes and/or temperature induced changes and/or chemically induced changes.
  • the light induced changes may only apply at the irradiated areas of the current support layer.
  • a masking step may be used together with a resist in which, after development of the resist an etching step may be performed for altering the current support characteristic locally to generate the pattern.
  • the current supporting layer may be chosen such that the change of the current support characteristic is induced by locally applying increased temperature.
  • the local temperature may locally alter the material structure of the current support layer and as such alter the current support characteristic to alter the local current density and/or intensity.
  • the use of a scanning light beam has preference as in such a configuration the local intensity may be altered relatively easily which enables the use of a plurality of grey-levels in the pattern generated. This is more difficult to do when using masking steps.
  • the current support layer is configured for altering the current support characteristics comprising morphological, photochemical, thermal and/or interfacial characteristics of the current supporting layer.
  • the organic light emitting diode device further comprises a light emission window for emitting light generated in the light emitting material away from the patterned organic light emitting diode device, wherein the pattern in the at least part of the at least one current support layer is configured for improving an uniformity of an emission distribution across the light emission window.
  • the emission distribution of light emitted from organic light emitting diode device often is not fully uniform across the light emission window. This may, for example, be due to the relatively high resistance value of at least one of the electrodes of the organic light emitting diode device which leads to a voltage drop from the edge of the electrode towards the center of the electrode.
  • the voltage drop from the edge of the electrode towards the center corresponds to a voltage drop from the edge of the light emission window towards the center of the light emission window. Consequently, this voltage drop across the electrode causes a brightness variation across the light emission window in which the brightness in the center of the light emission window is lower compared to the edges of the light emission window.
  • this decrease of brightness is reduced by applying a mesh of so called shunt lines which are arranged to support the current transport across the electrodes and which are arranged to reduce the voltage drop across the electrode.
  • mesh of shunt lines increase the manufacturing complexity of the organic light emitting diode device.
  • the mesh of shunt lines may be visible through the light emission window and typically reduce the light emission across the light emission window as the shunt lines currently cannot be made of light transmissive material.
  • the inventors have realized that a pattern in the organic light emitting diode device may be used to tune the emission of light across the light emission window to improve the brightness variation across the light emission window. The pattern may even fully correct for the brightness variation across the light emission window resulting in a light emission across the light emission window of the organic light emitting diode device which is substantially uniform while omitting the need for shunt lines.
  • the patterning method according to the current invention is suitable for improving the uniformity because the pattern generated in the current support layer is only visible in the on- state of the patterned organic light emitting diode device, which is a state during which the patterned organic light emitting diode device is emitting light. When the organic light emitting diode device is not emitting light this pattern is substantially invisible.
  • the pattern in the at least part of the at least one current support layer may comprise of a correction pattern for correcting a non-uniformity of the emission distribution across the light emission window and optionally a further pattern which is a pattern which is to be applied to the organic light emitting diode device, for example, an image which is to be visible when the organic light emitting diode device is switched on.
  • the correction pattern may be embedded in the pattern to be generated such that the pattern is visible when the patterned organic light emitting diode device is switched on and that the distribution of the light emitted by the patterned organic light emitting diode device is substantially uniform across the light emission window.
  • the pattern is configured for reducing a brightness variation across the light emission window. Because the altering of the current support layer may be done in a plurality of levels, the pattern may comprise a plurality of grey-levels which may be used to tune a brightness variation across the light emission window to reduce any brightness variation by applying a pattern of grey- levels across the current support layer.
  • the pattern is configured for reducing a color variation across the light emission window.
  • the organic light emitting diode device may comprise a plurality of light emitting materials, each emitting a specific color.
  • a resistance variation across the electrode may particularly affect a specific light emitting material which may cause color variation across the light emission window.
  • a pattern may be generated in the specific current support layer affecting the uniformity of that non- uniform color to reduce the non-uniformity of the specific color across the light emission window. Consequently, by targeting a specific current support layer and by applying a pattern in the specific current support layer, the color variation across the light emission window may be reduce or may even be fully corrected.
  • the method of generating a patterned organic light emitting diode device comprises a patterned organic light emitting diode device comprising organic light emitting material arranged between an anode layer and a cathode layer, and further comprising at least one current support layer for enabling, assisting and/or dimensioning a current flowing, in operation, through the light emitting material to cause the light emitting material to emit light, the current support layer not being the anode layer, cathode layer nor the organic light emitting material
  • the method of generating comprises the step of: locally altering a current support characteristic of the at least one current supporting layer while substantially not altering the organic light emitting material, the anode layer nor the cathode layer, the current support characteristic locally determining the current flowing through the organic light emitting material in operation.
  • the characteristics of the current support layer may be adapted more easily compared to the light emitting material, especially when the OLED device is a small molecule organic light emitting diode device.
  • the stability and efficiency of small molecule organic light emitting diode device is relatively high and the adapting of the light emitting material of small molecule organic light emitting diode device is generally relatively difficult, requiring, for example, relatively high laser power which generally also locally damages other material of the organic light emitting diode device.
  • the local current intensity in operation may be influenced without damaging any of the layers of the organic light emitting diode device which results in a patterning which is substantially invisible in the off- state of the organic light emitting diode device, or, in other words, when the organic light emitting diode device is not in operation.
  • the step of locally altering comprises: an illumination step, illuminating part of the current support layer with electro- magnetic radiation for generating the pattern, the electro-magnetic radiation generating light induced changes and/or temperature induced changes to the current support characteristic of the current support layer, the electro-magnetic radiation having a power below an ablation threshold of any of the layers of the organic light emitting diode device, and/or an etching step, etching at least a part of the current support layer for generating the pattern, the etching generating chemically induced changes to the current support characteristic of the current support layer and/or generating physical changes to the current support layer altering the current support characteristic.
  • the illumination step may be via using a mask, e.g. a mask used in the lithography techniques for generating a pattern.
  • the mask may be projected on the current support layer via a projection tool.
  • the illumination step may, for example, be performed via a scanning collimated light beam such as a laser beam.
  • the illumination step may alter the current support characteristic, or, alternatively, the illumination step may be followed by an etching step via which the current support characteristic may be altered chemically or physically. Chemically altering the current support characteristic results in altering a chemical composition locally due to the etching. Physically altering the current support characteristic results in altering, for example, a thickness of the current support layer locally to alter the current support characteristic locally. As these current support layers are typically relatively thin, local reduction of the thickness in an etching step is substantially not visible, while the intensity variations due to the locally reduced thickness of the current support layer are clearly visible, in operation.
  • the step of locally altering the current support characteristic for generating the pattern comprises locally illuminating the current support layer with a condensed light beam.
  • a condensed light beam for example, a laser beam
  • the use of a scanning condensed light beam enables the applying of local intensity variations in the applied illumination which enables the altering of the current support characteristic to be in different levels, enabling different grey- levels to be applied in the pattern applied on the organic light emitting diode devices.
  • the patterned organic light emitting diode device comprising a first organic light emitting material for emitting a first color and comprising a second organic light emitting material for emitting a second color different from the first color, the first organic light emitting material comprising at least a first current support layer for enabling and/or assisting and/or dimensioning a current flowing, in operation, through the first light emitting material, and the second organic light emitting material comprising at least a second current support layer for enabling and/or assisting and/or dimensioning a current flowing, in operation, through the second light emitting material, wherein the step of locally altering a current support characteristic of the at least one current supporting layer comprises locally altering a current support characteristic of the first current support layer, for generating a first pattern, in operation visible in the first color, and comprises locally altering the current support characteristic of the second current support layer for generating a second pattern, in operation visible in the second color.
  • the method of generating enables to generate different patterns in the first current support layer compared to the second current support layer and as such generate a different pattern in the first color emitted by the first light emitting material compared to the pattern in the second color emitted by the second light emitting material.
  • a full-color image constituted by several sub-images of different colors may be generated in a single patterned organic light emitting diode device.
  • the step of locally altering the current support characteristic comprises altering the current support characteristic via light induced changes and/or temperature induced changes and/or chemically induced changes.
  • the step of locally altering the current support layer is performed during a production process of the organic light emitting diode device.
  • a benefit of this embodiment is that substantially no other material layers may be present when patterning the current support layer which may also be influenced by, for example, impinging light.
  • the production process of the organic light emitting diode devices is typically a well controlled production process.
  • Performing the patterning step during the production process generally enables the production process to be adapted such that the life-time of the device is only marginally influenced or not influenced at all due to the patterning.
  • a drawback is that the production of the patterned organic light emitting diode device is typically on a relatively large scale. Often the patterning of the organic light emitting diode devices is required on smaller scales compared to the typical production scale of organic light emitting diode devices. As such, a production of the pattern in the organic light emitting diode device outside the production process may be preferred for small quantities.
  • the step of locally altering the current support characteristic is performed after the production process of the organic light emitting diode device by irradiating the current support layer with a condensed light beam through the anode layer and/or through the cathode layer.
  • the patterning may be performed also after the anode and/or cathode layer have been applied on the organic light emitting diode device.
  • the patterning may be performed after the organic light emitting diode device has been produced, enabling the organic light emitting diode devices to be generated via substantially standard production processes and thus reducing the overall cost of the individual organic light emitting diode device.
  • the organic light emitting diode device is sealed in an encapsulation, at least a part of the encapsulation being configured to be substantially transparent to the electro-magnetic radiation, and wherein the step of locally altering the current support characteristic comprises irradiating the current support layer with a condensed light beam through the encapsulation.
  • organic light emitting diode devices are encapsulated to protect the organic light emitting diode device against the environment, especially moisture which may damage the organic light emitting diode device.
  • the altering may be done through the encapsulation and as such may be done on the substantially finished and sealed organic light emitting diode device.
  • the finished organic light emitting diode devices may be produced in a fully standardized production process and fully sealed for storage. Subsequently, when required, the pattern may be applied through the encapsulation of the organic light emitting diode device.
  • the step of locally altering the current support characteristic comprises local irradiation of the current support layer with a condensed light beam, and wherein locally different levels of altering are applied in the current support characteristics via locally altering a power of the condensed light beam, the power of the condensed light beam being altered via altering an intensity of the condensed light beam and/or via altering a scanning speed of the condensed light beam across the organic light emitting diode device for generating the pattern and/or via locally altering a color of the light of the condensed light beam.
  • These locally different levels generate different grey-levels in the pattern, thus enabling to generate the image using full grey-levels.
  • the method further comprises the steps of: determining an emission distribution across the light emission window of the organic light emitting diode device before a pattern is applied, determining a correction pattern configured for improving an uniformity of an emission distribution across the light emission window, and applying the correction pattern via locally altering a current support characteristic of the at least one current supporting layer while substantially not altering the organic light emitting material.
  • the step of determining an emission distribution across the light emission window may be performed using an image processing system such as a camera, or may be performed by a linear array of light sensors which is moved relative to the organic light emitting diode device. Before the pattern is applied, this determining of the emission distribution is performed by providing power to the organic light emitting diode device which starts to emit light.
  • non- uniformity of the light emission from the light emission window is measured.
  • a specific correction pattern may be determined which may be used to counter-act the measured non-uniformity and which, when applied to the current support layer, will reduce the non-uniformity of the light emission across the light emission window.
  • the correction pattern is applied to reduce the non-uniformity of the light emission from the light emission window.
  • the method may comprise a further step in which the patterned organic light emitting diode device may be measured again - that is after the correction pattern is applied - to see whether some remaining non-uniformity is still present at the light emission window.
  • a second correction step by applying, for example, a further correction pattern in the at least part of the at least one current support layer may be used to reduce any residual non-uniformity.
  • the method of applying the pattern according to the current invention may be performed after the organic light emitting diode device is already sealed in an encapsulation.
  • the method of applying the pattern is configured for having a plurality of levels of altering the current support characteristics and during the further step for reducing any residual non-uniformity, the already applied levels of altering the current support characteristics may be locally adapted by locally applying, for example, additional electro-magnetic radiation for altering the current support characteristics. So the further correction pattern may be applied in the same current support layer in which the correction pattern has already been applied. Alternatively, the further correction pattern may be applied in a different current support layer compared to the current support layer in which the correction pattern is applied.
  • the correction pattern may be part of a pattern which is to be applied to the organic light emitting diode device, for example, an image which is to be visible when the organic light emitting diode device is switched on.
  • the correction pattern may be embedded in the pattern to be generated such that the pattern is visible when the patterned organic light emitting diode device is switched on and that the distribution of the light emitted by the patterned organic light emitting diode device is substantially uniform across the light emission window.
  • the pattern to be generated and correction pattern may, alternatively also be applied sequentially to the organic light emitting diode device.
  • the step of determining the emission distribution comprises determining a brightness variation across the light emission window, and the step of determining a correction pattern comprises determining the correction pattern for reducing the brightness variation across the light emission window.
  • the step of determining the emission distribution comprises determining a color variation across the light emission window, and the step of determining a correction pattern comprises determining the correction pattern for reducing the color variation across the light emission window.
  • the camera or the array of light sensors for determining the emission distribution across the light emission window must be able to detect color variation across the light emission window.
  • the step of determining the correction pattern may comprise a first correction pattern for improving a non-uniformity in the first layer of light emitting material, and may comprise a second correction pattern for improving a non-uniformity in the second layer of light emitting material.
  • the first correction pattern may, subsequently be applied to a current support layer which influences the emission of the first layer of light emitting material and the second correction pattern may, subsequently be applied to a current support layer which influences the emission of the second layer of light emitting material - typically different from the current support layer influencing the first layer of light emitting material.
  • the first correction pattern and the second correction pattern may be applied simultaneously or sequentially to the organic light emitting diode device to generate the patterned organic light emitting diode device.
  • the wavelength of the electro-magnetic radiation used for applying the first correction pattern and the second correction pattern may be different.
  • the third aspect of the invention comprises a system for generating a patterned organic light emitting diode device according to any of the claims 1 to 10.
  • the system comprises radiation means for generating a condensed light beam and scanning means for moving the condensed light beam across an organic light emitting diode device for generating the patterned organic light emitting diode device.
  • the condensed light beam comprises light having a wavelength in a range between 320 nanometers and 650 nanometers and preferably comprises light having a wavelength of approximately 405 nanometers.
  • Light from the indicated wavelength range may be relatively easily obtained as in this wavelength range many laser light sources are available.
  • relatively powerful and low-cost laser-diodes are available, as these are also used in optical disc playback and recording equipment such as Blu-ray Disc.
  • the system comprises focusing means for adapting a focus location of the condensed light beam.
  • the condensed light beam may be focused at a different location in the device and as such, for example, apply the condensed light beam through an encapsulation of the organic light emitting diode device.
  • Such a system may be used during the production of the organic light emitting diode device, after the organic light emitting diode device has been produced and even after the organic light emitting diode device has been encapsulated.
  • the system may adapt to the situation and may be able to either focus through the anode and/or cathode layer and may, for example, be also focused through the encapsulation of the organic light emitting diode device.
  • the latter enables to fully finish the production of the organic light emitting diode device and to adapt the finished organic light emitting diode devices to produce the pattern only at the request of the user.
  • the system comprises means for adapting the energy level and/or color and/or scanning speed of the condensed light beam.
  • the current support characteristics of a current support layer may be altered to different extents for generating grey-levels. This may be done by altering the photon flux impinging on the current support layer. Applying locally different photon fluxes, different levels of alterations of the current support characteristics result in different current levels locally flowing through the organic light emitting material causing different levels of contrast emitted in operation by the patterned organic light emitting diode device, and as such generate a plurality of grey-levels in the pattern.
  • Different photon fluxes may, for example, be generated by altering an intensity of the condensed light (for example laser light) used for generating the pattern, or, for example, by altering a level of condensing of the light beam altering the photon-concentration.
  • the speed of the condensed light being moved across the organic light emitting diode device to generate the pattern may be altered to alter the current support characteristics.
  • the color of the light emitted by the condensed light source may be altered to influence the level of altering the current support characteristics and as such generate grey- levels in the pattern generated on the organic light emitting diode device.
  • the system further comprises input means for accepting an input-pattern for being applied on an organic light emitting diode device, and comprises conversion means for converting the received input-pattern into a movement of the condensed light beam and/or into an intensity variation of the condensed light beam and/or a color variation of the condensed light beam corresponding to the pattern.
  • the input means for accepting the input-pattern may be a computer which uses a specific or generic format in which the input-pattern is provided by a user to the system and in which the computer comprises conversion means for converting the provided input-pattern into commands and/or driving signals for the system to generate the pattern in the organic light emitting diode device.
  • the input means for accepting the input-pattern enable to use this system also to generate small volume organic light emitting diode devices in which a customer specific pattern may be provided electronically by the customer and which may simply be added to the system via electronic means.
  • the input means may also be connected to a network environment, for example, the internet.
  • a customer may order his customized patterned organic light emitting diode devices simply via internet and may upload the required input-pattern to the server of the manufacturer. After the organic light emitting diode devices device is patterned, the patterned organic light emitting diode device may, for example, be shipped directly to the customer.
  • the input-pattern comprises a digital representation of the pattern.
  • a benefit of such embodiment is that it allows an easy user interface.
  • the system may, for example, additionally comprise format converting software to convert the provided digital representation of the pattern into a representation which may directly be used by the system for generating the pattern on the OLED.
  • the patterned organic light emitting diode device comprises a first organic light emitting material for emitting a first color and comprises a second organic light emitting material for emitting a second color different from the first color.
  • the first organic light emitting material comprises at least a first current support layer for enabling and/or assisting and/or dimensioning a current flowing, in operation, through the first light emitting material.
  • the second organic light emitting material comprises at least a second current support layer for enabling and/or assisting and/or dimensioning a current flowing, in operation, through the second light emitting material.
  • the system comprises means for locally altering a current support characteristic of the first current support layer, for generating a first pattern, in operation visible in the first color, and comprises means for locally altering the current support characteristic of the second current support layer for generating a second pattern, in operation visible in the second color.
  • the first current support layer may selectively be targeted by the condensed light beam separate from the second current support layer.
  • the first pattern may selectively be applied to the first current support layer to enable the first pattern to be visible in the first color
  • the second pattern may selectively be applied to the second current support layer to enable the second pattern to be visible in the second color.
  • the final visible pattern may be a combination of the first pattern and the second pattern - and, for example, a third pattern.
  • the system further comprises calibration means for determining a spot-size of the condensed light beam and/or for determining a spot- size in the resulting pattern.
  • the determination of the spot-size of either the condensed light beam and/or the resulting pattern spot-size may be done using a feedback system.
  • a feedback system may comprise a camera which provides the feedback to a user.
  • the feedback camera may be connected to image processing software via which the spot-size may be determined automatically.
  • a test-pattern may be applied which is measured after the organic light emitting diode device is switched on. This measured spot-size is used to determine the right conditions of the condensed light beam to be able to generate the required pattern.
  • the magnification of such a feedback camera is preferably relatively high to enable the test- pattern to be relatively small as the test-pattern is preferably not visible to a user - either too small or arranged at an edge of the OLED device which will, for example, be covered by some kind of frame in which the organic light emitting diode device is placed after the pattern has been applied.
  • the system comprises scan-control means for controlling a patterning speed of the system for generating the patterned organic light emitting diode device, the scan-control means being configured for dynamically controlling the spot-size of the condensed light beam while generating the pattern, the scan-control means is further configured for adapting an output power of the condensed light beam to ensure that a power per illuminated area remains substantially constant.
  • the spot-size of the condensed light beam depends, for example, on the minimum feature size which must be patterned at the part of the pattern.
  • the spot-size may also be chosen to be relatively small near edges of a pattern to obtain accurate placement of the edge of the pattern while the remainder of the pattern is generated using a larger spot-size having substantially the same power per illuminated area.
  • the local altering of the current support characteristic of the at least one current supporting layer generated by the condensed light beam remains substantially constant both for the small spot-size when generating relatively small features and for the relatively large spot-size when patterning relatively large areas.
  • Dynamically adapting the spot-size enables to place edges of relatively large features relatively accurately at the right location while relatively quickly patterning the remainder of the relatively large features, thus reducing the overall patterning time and increasing the speed of the generation of the pattern.
  • the output power of the condensed light beam should increase quadratically with increasing beam diameter.
  • the scan-control means is configured for controlling a further radiation means generating a further condensed light beam having a different spot-size compared to the radiation means, the system comprising the further radiation means and the scan-control means dynamically selecting the radiation means and/or the further radiation means while generating the pattern.
  • a further radiation means emitting the further condensed light beam enables the system to quickly switch from one radiation means to the further radiation means thus changing the spot-size of the condensed light beam used for patterning to the current patterning requirements.
  • a benefit of this embodiment is that substantially no mechanical elements are required to be moved for adapting the spot-size.
  • the radiation means and/or further radiation means may be switched on and off by the scan-control means to select either of the condensed light beam and/or the further condensed light beam.
  • the radiation means and further radiation means may have been calibrated before the patterning is started.
  • the spot- size of the condensed light beam and the further condensed light beam are well defined and may directly be used for patterning. This enables the quick switch over from one spot-size to another.
  • the smaller spot-size may be used for relatively small features and, for example, near edges of relatively large features to be patterned.
  • the condensed light beam having the large spot-size may be used.
  • the power per illuminated area preferably is maintained constant between the condensed light beam and the further condensed light beam.
  • the scan-control means is configured for controlling the scanning means depending on the spot- size of the condensed light beam and/or the further condensed light beam and/or depending on the power per illuminated area emitted by the condensed light beam and/or the further condensed light beam.
  • Adapting the scanning means in dependence of the spot-size or the power per illuminated area emitted by the condensed light beam and/or the further condensed light beam enables the scan-control means to substantially maintain the power per illuminated area per time substantially constant, thus preventing to locally overheating the current support layer and thus preventing damaging the current support layer.
  • it enables to increase the scanning speed when the output power of the radiation means and/or further radiation means is increased, thus enabling to increase the patterning speed of the system according to the invention.
  • the scan-control means is configured for skipping to scan the condensed light beam and/or the further condensed light beam across non- image-areas of the organic light emitting diode device for increasing a patterning speed, the non- image-areas do not require irradiation of the condensed light beam or of the further condensed light beam for generating the pattern.
  • the system for example, identifies non-image-areas before starting the patterning and, for example, adapts the patterning strategy such that these non- image-areas are not scanned. Such a patterning strategy reduces the number of scans necessary to generate the pattern and thus reduces the time required for generating the pattern.
  • the system comprises a power-control means for controlling a power per illuminated area per time for preventing damaging the organic light emitting diode device, the power-control means being configured for scanning the condensed light beam in a line-by-line scanning mode in a uni-directional scanning direction or bi-directional scanning direction at substantially constant scanning speed across a scan- area while modulating the power of the radiation means and/or further radiation means for controlling the power per illuminated area per time for generating the pattern, the scan-area being an area of the organic light emitting diode device which is scanned for generating the pattern.
  • the power per illuminated area per unit time is relatively well controlled and thus local excessive heating and thus local damage of the organic light emitting diode device may be prevented.
  • the modulation of the power of the radiation means and/or further radiation means not only includes on/off control of the radiation means and/or further radiation means, but also includes the modulation of a relatively high output power and a relatively low output power, where, for example, the relatively high output power generates the local altering of the current support characteristic of the at least one current supporting layer and the relatively low output power does not alter any current support characteristic but enables a relatively uniform increasing of the temperature of the organic light emitting diode device.
  • the power-control means is configured for reversing a scan-direction outside the scan-area in the line-by-line scanning mode for ensuring that the scan-speed at the scan-area is equal to the required scan-speed.
  • the power-control means is allowed to control the scan-speed to be substantially equal to the required scan-speed inside the scan-area, thus again more accurately control the power per illuminated area per time.
  • the power-control means is configured for skipping a predefined number of scan- lines in the line-by-line scanning mode between a previous scan-line and the current scan-line. Temporarily skipping a predefined number of scan- lines ensures that the scanning of the next scan- line adjacent to the previous scan- line obtains excessive power at the edges of the scan- line due to residual heat which still was present at the edge of the current scan- line due to the previous scan- line. Excessive power may cause damage to a layer of the organic light emitting diode device which should be prevented.
  • the previous scan- line is allowed to cool sufficiently such that when applying the adjacent scan-line at a later time - for example, during a next scan across the scan-area- there is not excessive power at the edges and damage is prevented.
  • the power-control means is configured for applying a scan-delay before initializing a next scan across the scan-area for controlling the power per illuminated area per time for generating the pattern. Again applying the scan-delay allows edges of the previous scan- line to cool down before the next scan- line is applied, thus preventing excessive heating and thus preventing locally damaging the organic light emitting diode device.
  • the system further comprises: means for determining an emission distribution across the light emission window of the organic light emitting diode device before a pattern is applied, means for determining a correction pattern configured for improving an emission distribution across the light emission window, and means for applying the correction pattern via locally altering the current support characteristic of the at least one current supporting layer while substantially not altering the organic light emitting material.
  • the correction pattern may be part of a pattern which is to be applied to the organic light emitting diode device, for example, an image which is to be visible when the organic light emitting diode device is switched on.
  • the correction pattern may be embedded in the pattern to be generated such that the pattern is visible when the patterned organic light emitting diode device is switched on and that the distribution of the light emitted by the patterned organic light emitting diode device is substantially uniform across the light emission window.
  • the pattern to be generated and correction pattern may, alternatively also be applied sequentially to the organic light emitting diode device.
  • the means for determining the emission distribution comprises means for determining a brightness variation across the light emission window
  • the means for determining a correction pattern comprises means for determining the correction pattern for reducing the brightness variation across the light emission window.
  • the means for determining a brightness variation may be a camera or an array of light sensors. The array of light sensors may be moved across the light emission window or the organic light emitting diode device may be moved relative to the array of light sensors to determine the brightness variation across the light emission window.
  • the means for determining the emission distribution comprises means for determining a color variation across the light emission window
  • the means for determining a correction pattern comprises means for determining the correction pattern for reducing the color variation across the light emission window.
  • the means for determining may be a camera or array of light sensors which is able to detect color variation across the light emission window.
  • the means for determining a correction pattern may comprise means for determining a first correction pattern for reducing the color variation for a first color and may comprise means for determining a second correction pattern for reducing the color variation of a second color.
  • the first correction pattern may, subsequently be applied to a current support layer which influences the emission of the first color and the second correction pattern may, subsequently be applied to a current support layer which influences the emission of the second color - typically different from the current support layer influencing the emission of the first color.
  • the system may apply the first correction pattern and the second correction pattern either simultaneously or sequentially to the organic light emitting diode device to generate the patterned organic light emitting diode device.
  • the wavelength of the electro-magnetic radiation used for applying the first correction pattern and the second correction pattern may be different.
  • the fourth aspect of the invention comprises a method of calibrating the system as claimed in claims 19 to 27, wherein the method of calibrating comprises the steps of: setting initial parameters of the condensed light beam of the system for generating the patterned organic light emitting diode device, locally irradiating the organic light emitting diode device with the condensed light beam generating a test-pattern to obtain a predefined contrast level, determining from the obtained predefined contrast level an intensity and/or scanning speed of the condensed light beam for generating the pattern.
  • the local power may not exceed a damaging threshold. For this reason the system for applying the pattern typically has to be calibrated.
  • the exact damaging threshold may alter for different batches of OLED devices and may alter due to small production variations during the production process. Furthermore due to production variations the contrast may be different for different OLED devices. As such, it is typically required to calibrate the system before patterning any OLED device.
  • the step of irradiating the OLED device may be done while the OLED device is in an off-state or while the OLED device is switched on. A benefit when patterning the OLED device when the OLED is switched on is that the pattern appears directly.
  • the method further comprises the step of: adapting the focus position of the condensed light beam.
  • the condensed light beam may be a substantially parallel beam having sufficient intensity to alter a current support characteristic of the at least one current support layer. In such an arrangement a focus may not be required for generating the pattern and the smallest dimensions may be determined by the width of the substantially parallel beam of light.
  • the exact location of the focus may need to be adapted to ensure that the intensity of the condensed light beam with which the pattern is produced does not exceed the damage threshold. Furthermore, a correct focus position is required to locally reach sufficient intensity to achieve the required contrast.
  • the organic light emitting diode device comprising a first organic light emitting material for emitting a first color and comprising a second organic light emitting material for emitting a second color different from the first color, the first organic light emitting material comprising at least a first current support layer for enabling and/or assisting and/or dimensioning a current flowing, in operation, through the first light emitting material, and the second organic light emitting material comprising at least a second current support layer for enabling and/or assisting and/or dimensioning a current flowing, in operation, through the second light emitting material, wherein the step of locally irradiating the organic light emitting diode device comprises generating a first test-pattern in the first current support layer to obtain a first predefined contrast level, and comprises generating a second test-pattern in the second current support layer to obtain a second predefined contrast level, and the step of determining from the obtained predefined contrast level an intensity and/or a scanning speed of the condensed light beam
  • the calibration has to be performed on each of the first current support layer and the second current support layer. Consequently, the first test pattern is applied to the first current support layer from which the first predefined contrast level is determined for correctly generating the first pattern in the first current support layer. Also a second test pattern may, for example, be used to accurately determine the second predefined contrast level to correctly generate the second pattern in the second current support layer.
  • the method of calibrating according to the current embodiment consequently performs two calibration steps, one for each current support layer. If a third light emitting layer may be present which is influenced via the third current support layer, a third calibration step may be necessary to correctly generate the third pattern. From such a calibration method, an accurate full-color image may be generated, for example, using three separate sub-images, each representing part of the image in one of the three basic colors.
  • the method of calibrating is performed at an unused edge of the organic light emitting diode device before generating the pattern.
  • a dimension of the test-pattern is configured for being substantially invisible to a naked human eye.
  • the test-pattern not necessarily need to be applied at the edge of the OLED device, but may also be applied in the center of the OLED device or at several locations on the OLED device. Applying the test-pattern in the center of the OLED device would further improve the accuracy of the method of calibrating as this would calibrate the system at the location where the pattern would be generated.
  • the feedback system connected to the system for producing the pattern must be able to work with such small test patterns.
  • a camera having a relatively strong magnification would be required to be able to determine the predetermined contrast from a test pattern which is substantially not visible with the human naked eye.
  • Fig. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an organic light emitting diode device 10 according to the invention
  • Figs. 2A and 2B show a schematic representation of a system for generating a patterned organic light emitting diode device
  • FIG. 3 shows an illustration of a pattern generated on an organic light emitting diode device according to the invention
  • Figs. 4 A to 4C show different patterning strategies for patterning the current support layer according to the invention
  • Fig. 5 shows a schematic representation of a system for generating a patterned organic light emitting diode device having a calibration unit
  • Fig. 6 each shows a flow-diagram illustrating a calibration method according to the invention.
  • Figs. 7A and 7B show a measured emission distribution across the light emission window before the pattern is applied, and a correction pattern used for improving the emission distribution across the light emission window, respectively.
  • the Figures are purely diagrammatic and not drawn to scale. Particularly for clarity, some dimensions are exaggerated strongly. Similar components in the Figures are denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible.
  • Fig. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an organic light emitting diode device 10 according to the invention.
  • the organic light emitting diode device 10, further also indicated as OLED device 10 comprises of a plurality of layers 20...51 constituting the OLED device 10.
  • the OLED device 10 comprises an organic light emitting material 20 which is embedded in an organic host material.
  • This organic light emitting material 20 is configured to emit light when a current runs through the organic light emitting material 20.
  • the emission of light is based on the local recombination of electrons being a negatively charged particle (not shown) with holes being a representation of an imaginary positively charged particle (not shown).
  • the OLED device 10 may comprise a single layer of light emitting material 20 which is arranged for emitting a predefined color of light when an electron-hole pair recombines.
  • the OLED device 10 may comprise a plurality of layers of light emitting material 20 each emitting, for example, a different color.
  • the light emitting layer 20 may comprise a mix of light emitting materials which emit different colors and which together emit, for example, white light of a predefined color temperature.
  • the color of the light emitted by the OLED device 10 may be determined by choosing a plurality of layers and/or by choosing a specific mixture of light emitting materials in the light emitting layer 20.
  • the light emitted from the light emitting materials in the light emitting layer 20 is subsequently emitted from the light emission window 72, 52.
  • the OLED device 10 further comprises one or a plurality of current support layers 40...50 which are used to enable and/or assist and/or dimension the current flowing, in operation, through the light emitting material 20 to cause the light emitting material 20 to emit light.
  • the pattern is generated in at least one of the current support layers 40, ...50 while substantially not altering the anode 30, cathode 32 or the light emitting material 20.
  • a layer which influences the flowing of current through the light emitting material 20 is meant with the exception of the anode layer 30, the cathode layer 32 and the light emitting material 20.
  • Examples of the current support layer 40, ...50 are: a current blocking layer 40, an interface layer of the current blocking layer 41, a hole blocking layer 50 and an electron blocking layer (not shown), an electron injection layer 42, an interface of the electron injection layer 43, a injection inhibition layer 44, an interface layer of the injection inhibition layer 45, a hole injection layer 46, an interface of the hole injection layer 47, an interface layer of the cathode layer 48 and an interface layer of the anode layer 49.
  • any of these listed current support layers 40, ...50 influences, in operation, the flowing of the current through the organic light emitting layer 20.
  • Locally adapting a characteristic of one of these listed current support layers 40, ...50 will locally alter the current which flows in operation through the organic light emitting material 20, thus locally altering the emission characteristic.
  • these altered emission characteristics are clearly visible and may be applied in a required pattern 100 (see Fig. 3) which is clearly visible when the OLED device is switched on. Because the organic light emitting material 20, the anode layer 30 or the cathode layer 32 are not influenced , the pattern is substantially invisible, even when the OLED device 10 is irradiated with, for example, ultraviolet light.
  • the OLED device 10 may comprise any of the above listed layers 40, ...50 but clearly does not need to contain all of the listed layers 40,...50.
  • the current blocking layer 40 may be located almost anywhere in the OLED device 10 and has been indicated in the OLED device 10 of Fig. 1 on top of the anode layer 30 being an ITO-layer.
  • the interface of current blocking layer 41 may be located on either side of the current blocking layer 40, preferably between the current blocking layer 40 and the anode layer 30 (facing the ITO layer) as this is often the only transparent layer in a finished OLED device 10.
  • the injection inhibition layer 44 may be on either side of the respective hole transporting material 46 and electron transporting material 42.
  • the hole blocking layer 50 prevents electrons and holes from recombining (without the emission of light!) near the cathode layer 32, but keeps the holes close to the active recombination region of the device.
  • the OLED device 10 shown in Fig. 1 is typically a smOLED as many current supporting layers are present.
  • the polymer OLED device typically requires less current supporting layers and thus typically has reduced complexity.
  • the carrier distribution is taken care of by the polymer 'design'.
  • a typical polymer OLED device comprises the anode layer 30, generally an ITO layer 30, comprises optionally a hole injection layer (equivalent to the hole injection layer 46 of Fig. 1), light emitting polymer (equivalent to the host and dye layer 20 in Fig. 1) and a cathode layer 32 being the top electrode constituted, for example, of a 2 nanometers Barium layer and a 100 nanometers Aluminum layer.
  • each, for example, emitting light of a different color such OLED device 10 typically comprises a current support layer 40, ...50 for each of the individual light emitting layer 20.
  • a current support layer 40, ...50 for each of the individual light emitting layer 20.
  • the selective altering may be done by carefully choosing a specific wavelength of light to induce the light induced changes and/or by carefully tuning the power of the light used to obtain the light induced change.
  • An effect of the patterned OLED device 10 according to the invention is that the pattern 100 (see Fig. 3) generated in the current support layer 40, ...50 locally alters the current support characteristic which results in a pattern 100 to be clearly visible via light intensity variations caused by the locally different current intensities through the light emitting layer 20.
  • the pattern 100 is substantially invisible, even when illuminated with ultraviolet light or infrared light.
  • a further benefit when generating the pattern 100 in the current support layer 40, ...50 is that this enables to generate the pattern 100 substantially in the same manner for the different types of OLED devices 10.
  • the polymer OLED devices and the small molecule OLED devices.
  • Both of the different types of OLED device have current support layers 40, ...50, although they may have different types of current support layers 40, ...50 or different stacks of current support layers 40, ...50.
  • the current support layer 40, ...50 is a separate layer in the OLED device 10 which is present in substantially all of the current OLED devices to influence the flowing of the current through the light emitting layer 20.
  • Each current support layer 40, ...50 comprises a current support characteristic determining how the current support layer 40, ...50 influences the flowing of the current through the light emitting layer 20.
  • the current blocking layer 40 limits the current which flows in operation through the organic light emitting layer 20 of the OLED device 10 and as such limits the intensity of the light emitted by the OLED device 10.
  • the current blocking characteristic of such current blocking layer is the blocking characteristic of the layer.
  • the current blocking characteristics which is the current support characteristic of the current blocking layer 40 is altered, for example, increased such that it blocks more current at the patterned location and thus the intensity at the patterned location is reduced.
  • the current blocking characteristic may be decreased at the patterned location such that it blocks less current causing the intensity at the patterned to increase with respect to the remainder of the OLED device 10.
  • This change in the current blocking characteristic of the current blocking layer 40 may be caused by morphological, photochemical, thermal and/or interfacial changes of the current blocking layer 40 induced via light induced changes, temperature induced changes and/or chemically induced changes.
  • current support layer 40, ...50 may be the injection inhibition layer 44 which inhibits the flow of charge carriers - both electrons and/or holes - into the organic light emitting layer 20, thus influencing the current which flows through the organic light emitting layer 20.
  • the pattern 100 applied in the injection inhibition layer 44 would then alter the injection inhibition characteristic which is the current support characteristic of the injection inhibition layer 44.
  • the injection inhibition characteristic By locally altering the injection inhibition characteristic locally the current, in operation, is altered and as such, when the OLED device 10 is switched on, the pattern 100 is visible as intensity variations on the OLED device 10.
  • Each of the previously listed current support layers 40, ...50 influence the flowing of the current through the light emitting layer 20. And by locally altering the current support characteristic, local intensity variations may be created to show the pattern 100 when the patterned OLED device 10 is switched on.
  • the current support characteristic of the current support layer 40, ...50 may be altered to several degrees or to different extents, enabling to generate a plurality of grey- levels in the pattern.
  • the inventors have found that the current support characteristics of a current support layer 40, ...50 may be altered to different extents for example, by altering a light flux impinging on a specific current support layer.
  • the inventors have found that the change in the current support characteristic is substantially proportional to the total flux of photons at a specific location.
  • a plurality of grey-levels may be introduced which manifest themselves as local intensity variations caused by corresponding local light flux variations.
  • Light flux variations may, for example, be generated by altering an intensity of the condensed light 60 (see Fig.
  • the condensed light source 210 may be altered to influence the level of altering the current support characteristics and as such generate grey-levels in the pattern generated on the OLED device 10.
  • the intensity of the condensed light 60 is below an ablation threshold of any of the layers of the patterned OLED device 10.
  • the wavelength of the condensed light 60 is in a range between 320 nanometers and 650 nanometers. The reason for this range is that this light still fairly easily may be transmitted through ordinary glass from which, for example, a cover 70 or an encapsulation 70 may be partially produced. Light having a smaller wavelength is transmitted more difficult and may require special quartz-glass as cover 70 or encapsulation 70.
  • the light source 210 may be a laser diode 210 and as such, the wavelength of the condensed light 60 may be chosen as one of the wavelength at which laser light sources are readily available, for example, 405 nanometers emitting laser diode or a 532 nanometers emitting YAG laser.
  • the pattern 100 may comprise a correction pattern 140 (see Fig. 7B).
  • the correction pattern 140 is configured for improving an uniformity of an emission distribution across the light emission window 52, 72.
  • the correction pattern 140 may be part of a pattern 100 which is to be applied to the OLED device 10, for example, an image which is to be visible when the OLED device 10 is switched on.
  • the correction pattern 140 may be embedded in the pattern 100 to be generated such that the pattern 100 is visible when the patterned OLED device 10 is switched on and that the distribution of the light emitted by the patterned OLED device 10 is substantially uniform across the light emission window 52, 72.
  • the pattern 100 to be generated and correction pattern 140 may, alternatively also be applied sequentially to the OLED device 10.
  • the anode layer 30 and/or the cathode layer 32 may, for example, be transparent to the condensed light 60 which enables that the patterning may be performed after the OLED device 10 has been produced in, for example, a substantially standard production process.
  • the encapsulation 70 in which the OLED device 10 has been sealed after the standard production process may be transparent or partially transparent to the condensed light 60.
  • the patterning may even be performed through the encapsulation 70, for example, through a window 72.
  • the window 72 may thus be both a light emission window 72 for emitting at least a part of the light generated in the organic light emitting diode device and may be a window for transmitting the condensed light 60 for generating the pattern.
  • the OLED device 10 may be fully manufactured and completely sealed in the encapsulation 70 after which the patterning may be done through the encapsulation 70 or through a window 72 in the encapsulation 70.
  • the OLED device 10 may be an off the shelf product before the pattern 100 is applied.
  • this enables the pattern 100 to be customized relatively easily and in relatively small batches. For example, by using a simple printing step using a laser diode 210 of the appropriate wavelength and intensity to generate the pattern 100 may be sufficient.
  • the pattern 100 may be produced during the production of the OLED device 10, for example, using a mask to generate the pattern and possibly a subsequent etching step.
  • the use of a scanning light beam 60 has preference as in such a configuration the local intensity may be altered relatively easily which enables the use of a plurality of grey-levels in the pattern 100 generated. This is more difficult to do when using masking steps.
  • Figs. 2A and 2B show a schematic representation of a system 200, 202 for generating a patterned OLED device 10.
  • the system 200, 202 comprises irradiation means 210, 212, for example, a light source 210, 212 for generating condensed light 60, 62, and comprise a scanning means 220, for example, a moving mirror 220 movable in two dimensions.
  • the system 200, 202 may also comprise focusing means 230, for example, an f- ⁇ -lens 230 which is movable in a direction parallel to the condensed light 60, 62 for altering the location of the focus of the condensed light 60, 62.
  • the system 200, 202 further comprises a driver 240, 242 for the light source 210, 212, for example, for controlling an intensity and/or color of the condensed light 60, 62 emitted by the light source 210, 212.
  • the system 200, 202 also comprises a driver 245 for the scanning means 220 to control the moving of the condensed beam 60, 62, both in location and speed across the OLED device 10.
  • the control means 245 may also control the irradiation means 210, 212, for example, an intensity, pulse- frequency and beam-dimensions (see Fig. 2B).
  • the system 200, 202 may be controlled by a processor 265 driving the driver 245 for the scanning means 220 and the driver 240, 242 for the light source 210, 212.
  • the processor 265 may also comprise conversion means 260 for converting an input-pattern, being, for example, a digital representation of the pattern 100 to be produced on the OLED device 10, into a movement of the condensed light beam 60, 62 and/or into an intensity variation of the condensed light beam 60, 62 and/or a color variation of the condensed light beam 60, 62.
  • the system 200, 202 may further comprise input means 250 for the input-pattern to the processor 265.
  • the input-pattern may be in a specific format or a generic format in which the input-pattern is provided, for example, by a user to the system 200, 202.
  • the input means 250 may also be connected to a network environment (not shown), for example, the internet. A customer may then simply upload the input-pattern to the processor 265 via a server (not shown).
  • the control means 245 may, for example, be a scan-control means 245 for controlling a patterning speed of the system 200, 202.
  • This scan-control means 245 for example, dynamically controls a spot-size of the condensed light beam 60, 62 while generating the pattern 100.
  • the scan-control means 245 is, for example, configured for adapting the output power of the condensed light beam 60, 62 to ensure that a power per illuminated area remains substantially constant.
  • the preferred spot-size of the condensed light beam 60, 62 depends on the minimum feature size which must be patterned at the part of the pattern 100.
  • the spot-size may, for example, be altered to be relatively small near edges of a pattern 100 to obtain accurate placement of the edge of the pattern 100.
  • the spot-size for the remainder of the pattern 100 may, for example, be larger to speed up the patterning process.
  • the power deposited via the condensed light beam 60, 62 should not exceed a damage-threshold and should preferably remain substantially constant even when the spot-size is altered. This may be achieved by moving the condensed light beam 60, 62 having higher power density at a larger speed across the scan-area 102 (see Fig. 4). As such, the substantially same pattern 100 will be generated using less patterning time.
  • the system 202 shown in Fig. 2B comprises, next to the radiation means 210 also a further radiation means 212 which generates the further condensed light beam 62 and which is controlled by the scan-control means 245.
  • the further condensed light beam 62 preferably has a different spot-size compared to condensed light beam 60 of the radiation means 210.
  • the scan-control means 245, for example, dynamically selects the radiation means 210 and/or the further radiation means 212 while generating the pattern 100.
  • Both the radiation means 210 and the further radiation means 212 may be calibrated such that the characteristics such as spot-size and power per illuminated area of both the condensed light beam 60 and the further condensed light beam 62 are well known.
  • the scan-control means 245 is thus able to quickly switch from the radiation means 210 to the further radiation means 212 if required, typically much quicker than when the system 200, 202 comprises a single radiation means 210 of which the spot-size and power must be adapted depending on the level of detail which must be patterned.
  • the edges of a pattern 100 may be generated using the radiation means 210, 212 having the smaller spot-size, while the center of the pattern 100 may be generated using the radiation means 210, 212 having the larger spot- size having substantially the same photon-dose per unit area.
  • the scanning speed can be improved.
  • the control means 245 may also be a power-control means 245 for controlling a power per illuminated area per time for preventing damaging the OLED device 10.
  • This power-control means 245 may, for example, control the radiation means 210, 212 and the scanning means 220 to apply the different scanning strategies which will be discussed together with Figs. 4 A to 4C.
  • Fig. 2A shows the schematic representation of the system 200 according to the invention.
  • Fig. 2B shows the schematic representation of the system 202 according to the invention comprising the further radiation means 212.
  • the system 202 as shown in Fig.2B further comprises combination optics 214 for combining the condensed light beam 60 and the further condensed light beam 62.
  • Fig. 3 shows an illustration of the pattern 100 generated on the patterned OLED device 10 according to the invention using the system 200 according to the invention.
  • the grey-levels are generated using different emission levels locally at the OLED device 10 by locally altering the current support characteristic to different extend.
  • the pattern 100 may be constituted by the pattern to be generated 100 and the correction pattern 140 such that the pattern 100 is visible when the patterned OLED device 10 is switched on and such that the distribution of the light emitted by the patterned OLED device 10 is substantially uniform across the light emission window 52, 72.
  • Figs. 4 A to 4C show different patterning strategies for patterning a current support layer 40, ..50 according to the invention.
  • Figs. 4A to 4C show a scan-area 102 being an area of the organic light emitting diode device 10 which is scanned for generating the pattern 100.
  • the patterning strategies shown in Figs. 4A to 4C are a line-by-line patterning of the scan-area 102.
  • Solid lines 110 indicate the generation of the pattern 100 by generating lines 104 of locally altered current support characteristics of a current support layer 40,...50 of the organic light emitting diode device 10.
  • This line-by-line scanning of the condensed light beams 60, 62 may generate lines 104 of locally altered current support characteristics when the condensed light beam 60, 62 is, for example, a continuous laser beam 60, 62.
  • the line-by-line scanning as shown in Figs. 4A to 4C may result in dots of locally altered current support characteristics when, for example, the condensed light beam 60, 62 is switched on and off periodically or when, for example, the condensed light beam 60, 62 is a pulsed laser beam 60, 62.
  • the dashed lines 120 in Figs. 4A to 4C indicated a scanning across the scan-area 102 without the condensed light beam 60, 62 being switched on for generating the local altering of the current support characteristics for patterning a current support layer 40, ..50.
  • Fig. 4A the scan-area 102 is fully scanned for generating the pattern 100.
  • the scan-direction is reversed outside the scan-area 102 to ensure that the scanning-speed at the scan-area 102 is substantially equal to a required scan-speed.
  • the scanning as shown in Fig. 4B skips non- image-areas 130, 132 of which it is clear that there is no patterning, thus no generation of lines 104 of locally altered current support characteristics necessary. As such, less lines 110, 120 have to be scanned, thus allowing to pattern the image 100 using less time.
  • Fig. 4C the generation of lines 104 of locally altered current support characteristics is done when scanning in both directions across the scan-area 102.
  • the scanning represented an uni-directional scanning, meaning that the lines 104 of locally altered current support characteristics are only generated when the condensed light beam 60, 62 is scanning in a predefined direction, in the Figs. 4A and 4B this predefined direction was from left to right. The movement from right to left is only used for repositioning the condensed light beam 60, 62 to the start of the next scan.
  • a benefit of such uni-directional scan-method is that the organic light emitting diode device 10 may cool down during the return-scan such that no overheating of certain locations of the pattern 100 may occur, preventing damaging due to overheating.
  • a drawback is that it takes additional time to generate the pattern 100.
  • the generation of the pattern 100 is done when scanning in both directions, so called bi-directional scanning.
  • This bi-directional scanning saves time, and thus allows the pattern to be generated more quickly.
  • this bi-directional scanning may require a scan-delay when reversing scan- direction to prevent any of the layers of the OLED device 10 to overheat and thus to be damaged by the condensed light beam 60. 62.
  • Fig. 5 shows a schematic representation of a system 300 for generating a patterned OLED device 10 having calibration means 270, 280.
  • the irradiation means 210 with driver 240, the scanning means 220 with driver 245, the focusing means 230, the processor 265 comprising conversion means 260, and the input means 250 the system 300 as shown in Fig.
  • the 5 further comprises calibration means 270, 280 for calibrating the system 300 to generate the required pattern 100 while substantially preventing to alter the anode 30, cathode 32 and the light emission material 20.
  • the calibration means 270, 280 may, for example, be used for determining a spot-size of the condensed light beam 60 and/or for determining a spot-size in the resulting pattern 100.
  • the determination of the spot-size of either the condensed light beam 60 and/or the spot-size in the resulting pattern 100 may be done using a feedback system 270, 280, for example, comprising a camera 270 which provides the feedback to a user.
  • the feedback camera 270 may be connected to image processing module 280 comprising image processing software via which the spot-size may be determined automatically.
  • a test-pattern (not shown) may be applied which is measured after the patterned OLED device 10 is switched on. This measured spot-size in the test-pattern is used to determine the right conditions of the condensed light beam 60 to be able to generate the required pattern 100.
  • the magnification of such a feedback camera 270 is preferably relatively high to enable the test-pattern to be relatively small as the test-pattern is preferably not visible to a user because the test-pattern may be too small to see.
  • the test-pattern may be generated at an edge of the OLED device 10.
  • test-pattern Using a small substantially invisible test-pattern enables the generation of the test-pattern at different locations across the OLED device 10 and as such, the local conditions across the OLED device 10 for generating the required pattern 100 may be measured and the calibration of the OLED device 10 may be done across the surface of the OLED device 10. This would also prevent local production variations in the OLED device 10 to be considered in the calibration, further improving the quality of the pattern 100 generated on the patterned OLED device 10.
  • the system 300 as shown in Fig. 5 further comprises a stage 290 for moving the OLED device 10 in a direction substantially parallel to the impinging condensed light beam 60.
  • the system 300 preferably comprises a power supply 295 for driving the OLED device 10 for making the resulting pattern generated by the impinging condensed light beam 60 and as such enable the camera to capture an image being representative to the quality of the generated pattern on the OLED device 10.
  • This pattern may, for example, be the test-pattern.
  • the image processing unit 280 is connected to the focusing means 230 and to the stage 290 for controlling the position of the focusing means 230 and of the stage 290 in response to the image captured by the camera 270 and processed by the image processing unit 280.
  • the image processing unit 280 as disclosed here typically comprises a processor (not shown) which may, for example, comprise the image processing software stored on the processor.
  • This processor may also use the result from the image processing to control and/or drive the stage 290 and the focusing means 230. However, this may also be embedded in the already present processor 265 of the system 200 (see Fig. 2) for generating the patterned OLED device 10.
  • the schematic representation of the system 300 as shown in Fig. 5 may also comprise the further radiation means 212 as shown in Fig. 2B, and may further comprise combination optics 214 for combining the condensed light beam 60 and the further condensed light beam 62 as shown in Fig. 2B.
  • the calibration means 270, 280 may also be used to improve a uniformity of the light emitted from the light emission window 52, 72 of the OLED device 10.
  • the camera 270 may be used as means 270 for determining an emission distribution across the light emission window 52, 72 of the OLED device 10 before a pattern is applied, and the image processing unit 280 may be used as means 280 for determining a correction pattern 140 (see Fig. 7B) configured for improving an emission distribution across the light emission window 52, 72.
  • the camera 270 may, for example, be replaced by an array of light sensors (not shown) which may be moved relative to the light emission window 52, 72.
  • the means 270 for determining an emission distribution measure the emission distribution across the light emission window 52, 72.
  • This measuring of the emission distribution may be a brightness measurement or a measurement in which the emission distribution of different colors emitted by the OLED device 10 is measured.
  • This information is provided to the image processing unit 280 to generate the correction pattern 140.
  • either the pattern 100 to be generated is mixed with the correction pattern 140 by the image processing unit 280 after which the combined pattern 100 is generated in the OLED device 10 to generate a patterned OLED device 10.
  • the patterned OLED device 10 has improved uniformity of the light emitted by the patterned OLED device 10.
  • the system 300 is configured for applying the pattern 100 and the correction pattern 140 sequentially to the OLED device 10 to generate the patterned OLED device 10.
  • the image processing unit may generate a correction pattern 140 for each of the colors emitted by the OLED device 10.
  • the plurality of correction patterns 140 one for each color, may be mixed by the pattern 100 to be generated or may be applied sequentially to the OLED device 10 to generate a patterned OLED device 10.
  • Fig. 6 shows a flow-diagram illustrating a calibration method according to the invention. The flow-diagram of Fig.
  • initial parameters may, for example, depend on initial characteristics of the OLED device 10 which is placed on the z-stage 290.
  • initial parameters may be chosen such that they substantially correspond to the selected specific OLED device 10.
  • the initial parameters are substantially below any light-damaging thresholds.
  • the information of the specific OLED device may be received via the user, operator, or may be obtained automatically from identification tags on the OLED device, such as via bar-codes or RFID chips which comprise information about the specific OLED device and which may be read or otherwise communicated to the processor 265 (see Fig. 5).
  • a next step in the flow-diagram comprises "irradiate OLED device" 410 during which, for example, at least part of a test pattern is applied to an edge of the OLED device 10 or which test pattern is so small that it is substantially not visible with the naked human eye.
  • This generation of the test pattern may be done while the OLED device 10 is switched on such that the camera 270 may directly capture the generated pattern.
  • Such embodiment requires specific filters applied to the camera to block light scattered and/or reflected from the impinging condensed light beam 60 as this light has typically high intensity, substantially blinding the camera 270 and as such making it substantially impossible to inspect the test pattern.
  • a drawback of this filtering is that that part of the spectrum is not registered when inspecting the test pattern, and as such, no complete information is captured by the camera 270.
  • the generation of the at least part of the test pattern may be done while the OLED device 10 is switched off. In such embodiment, no filtering is necessary and full information may be captured by the camera 270.
  • the step "block / switch off light beam 60" 420 is used to interrupt the light beam 60 to enable the camera to inspect the generated pattern.
  • Interruption of the light beam 60 may be obtained by simply blocking the light source 210 which may be especially beneficial when using a laser light source 210 as it improves the stability of the output light from the laser light source 210 when it remains switched on and the interruption of the light beam 60 is done by blocking the light beam 60 rather than by switching off the light source 210.
  • the interruption of the light beam 60 may be done by switching off the light source 210. For light sources 210 such as laser diodes 210 this may be done without too much light-stability issues.
  • the camera 270 captures an image of the generated test pattern in the step "capture camera image” 430.
  • This step is preferably done twice, once with the OLED device 10 switched on and once with the OLED device 10 switched off.
  • the pattern 100 which is to be generated should be invisible when the OLED device 10 is switched off, capturing the image when the OLED device 10 is switched off may ensure that the power of the condensed light beam 60 is not too high such that damage has occurred and the test pattern is partially visible also in the off- state of the OLED device 10.
  • the camera 270 captures the same image with the OLED device 10 switched on to sense the test image generated by the current condensed light beam 60 to see whether the generated contrast is within the required ranges.
  • the captured image / images are analyzed in the step "Analyze captured image" 440.
  • This step may be done via an operator or automatically via image processing software in the image processing module 280.
  • both the image while the OLED device 10 is switched off and the image while the OLED device 10 is switched on are both analyzed to determine whether there is some damage to the device causing at least part of the pattern to remain visible in the off- state of the OLED device 10 and to determine whether the generated contrast in the patterned part corresponds to the required contrast. Even different images for different colors may be generated / analyzed to see whether the test pattern in different colors corresponds to the requirements.
  • step of "image OK?" 450 is used to check whether the analyzed image indicates that the currently set parameters are right for generating the pattern 100. If the parameters are right, patterning may commence in a next step of "Start patterning" 470. Alternatively, the parameters may be adjusted in the step “Adjust parameters” 460. After the adjustment of the parameters in the step “Adjust parameters” 460 the patterning may commence in the step “Start patterning” 470 as it is clear that the adjusted parameters will be right for generating the required pattern 100.
  • the calibration method may generate a next test pattern via the step “Irradiate OLED device” 410 after which the camera will capture a new image which subsequently again will be analyzed in the step “Analyze captured image” 440.
  • the parameters required for generating the pattern 100 may be determined iteratively.
  • Figs. 7A and 7B show a measured emission distribution across the light emission window 52, 72 before the pattern 100 is applied, and a correction pattern 140 used for improving the emission distribution across the light emission window 52, 72, respectively.
  • the emission distribution of light emitted from OLED device 10 often is not fully uniform across the light emission window 52, 72. This may, for example, be due to the relatively high resistance value of at least one of the electrodes 30, 32 of the OLED device 10 which leads to a voltage drop from the edge of the electrode 30, 32 towards the center of the electrode 30, 32 which again leads to brightness variation across the light emission window 52, 72 in which the brightness in the center of the light emission window 52, 72 is lower compared to the edges of the light emission window 52, 72.
  • a mesh of so called shunt lines (not shown) which are arranged to support the current transport across the electrodes 30, 32 and which are arranged to reduce the voltage drop across the electrode 30, 32.
  • the inventors have realized that a pattern 100, 140 in the OLED device 10 may be used to tune the emission of light across the light emission window 52, 72 to improve the brightness variation across the light emission window 52, 72.
  • Fig. 7A shows the emission distribution as measured across the light emission window 52, 72 in which the brightness in the center of the light emission window 52, 72 is lower compared to the brightness at the edge of the light emission window 52, 72.
  • Fig. 7A may represent a color variation as measured across the light emission window 52, 72. Such a color variation may be measured for every basic color emitted by the OLED device 10. This measured emission distribution is subsequently provided to the means 280 for determining a correction pattern 140 for improving the emission distribution across the light emission window 52, 72.
  • the correction pattern 140 may be applied to the OLED device 10 to generate a patterned OLED device 10 which has an improved emission uniformity across the light emission window 52, 72.
  • the pattern 100 or image 100 may be combined with the correction pattern 140 and may be applied to the OLED device 10 simultaneously or sequentially to produce a patterned OLED device 10 in which the pattern 100 or image 100 is clearly visible while the uniformity of the emission across the light emission window 52, 72 is improved.
  • Fig. 7B shows the correction pattern 140 which may be used to improve the uniformity of the light emission across the light emission window 52, 72.
  • This correction pattern 140 may represent a brightness variation which must be applied to improve the uniformity of the light emitted by the OLED device 10, or may represent a color variation which must be applied to one of the basic colors emitted by the OLED device 10 to improve a color uniformity of that specific basic color across the light emission window 52, 72 of the OLED device 10.
  • any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim.
  • Use of the verb "comprise” and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim.
  • the article “a” or “an” preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements.
  • the invention may be implemented by means of hardware comprising several distinct elements. In the device claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Electroluminescent Light Sources (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention porte sur un dispositif à diode organique électroluminescente (10), sur un procédé permettant de générer un motif dans un dispositif à diode organique électroluminescente, sur un système (200) permettant de générer le dispositif à diode organique électroluminescente à motif et sur un procédé permettant d’étalonner le système. Le dispositif à diode organique électroluminescente renferme un matériau électroluminescent organique (20) agencé entre une couche d’anode (30) et une couche de cathode (32), et comprend en outre au moins une couche de support de courant (40,..., 50) servant à activer et/ou à assister et/ou à dimensionner un courant s’écoulant, lors du fonctionnement, à travers le matériau électroluminescent, pour que ledit matériau électroluminescent émette de la lumière. Au moins une partie de ladite ou desdites couches de support de courant est travaillée par modification locale d’une caractéristique de support de courant de ladite couche de support de courant, sans modification sensible du matériau électroluminescent organique, la couche d’anode ou la couche de cathode. La caractéristique de support de courant sert à déterminer localement l’écoulement du courant à travers le matériau électroluminescent organique lors du fonctionnement. La modification de la caractéristique de support de courant permet de créer un motif dans le dispositif à diode organique électroluminescente, sensiblement non visible lorsque ledit dispositif à diode organique électroluminescente est dans un état éteint, et clairement visible en tant que variations d’intensité de la lumière lorsque ledit dispositif à diode organique électroluminescente est dans un état en marche.
PCT/IB2009/054582 2008-10-21 2009-10-19 Dispositif delo à motif, procédé pour générer une formation de motif, système de formation de motif et procédé pour étalonner le système WO2010046830A1 (fr)

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Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP08167080.4 2008-10-21
EP08167080 2008-10-21
EP08170773 2008-12-05
EP08170773.9 2008-12-05

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WO2015068779A1 (fr) * 2013-11-07 2015-05-14 コニカミノルタ株式会社 Elément électroluminescent organique, procédé de production d'élément électroluminescent organique et module d'élément électroluminescent organique

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US20040119028A1 (en) * 2002-12-19 2004-06-24 3M Innovative Properties Company Laser patterning of encapsulated organic light emitting diodes
WO2006078427A2 (fr) * 2004-12-30 2006-07-27 E.I. Dupont De Nemours And Company Formation de motifs sur un dispositif par irradiation
WO2007129834A1 (fr) * 2006-05-04 2007-11-15 Lg Chem, Ltd. Dispositif électroluminescent organique présentant un motif électroluminescent, procédé et appareil de préparation dudit dispositif
US20080160270A1 (en) * 2006-12-28 2008-07-03 Shiva Prakash Electronic device including an organic device layer

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US20040077250A1 (en) * 2002-10-04 2004-04-22 Pioneer Corporation Method and apparatus for patterning an organic electroluminescence device
US20040119028A1 (en) * 2002-12-19 2004-06-24 3M Innovative Properties Company Laser patterning of encapsulated organic light emitting diodes
WO2006078427A2 (fr) * 2004-12-30 2006-07-27 E.I. Dupont De Nemours And Company Formation de motifs sur un dispositif par irradiation
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JPWO2015001922A1 (ja) * 2013-07-05 2017-02-23 コニカミノルタ株式会社 有機エレクトロルミネッセンス素子の製造方法、有機エレクトロルミネッセンス素子及び有機エレクトロルミネッセンスモジュール
WO2015068779A1 (fr) * 2013-11-07 2015-05-14 コニカミノルタ株式会社 Elément électroluminescent organique, procédé de production d'élément électroluminescent organique et module d'élément électroluminescent organique
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